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ROTB Offcuts

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 6:33 pm
by RC Al
Ages ago I sent the better half into Roll out the Barrel for some oaky goodness, came back with a box of wood, sweet I thought.
Fast forward a few months (and heaps of research) I pull out my box to look at how im going to shape the bits up and well, crap
They are roughly 1/2 n 1/2 the 2 shapes pictured.
Thinking i should square up the left type pieces and forget about the fully semicircular bits as they are going to be all end grain the whole length?
oak1.jpg
oak2.jpg

Re: ROTB Offcuts

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 7:12 pm
by bluc
why would semi circle be end grain I would think it would be all side grain like the shape of the barrel. those stave would be running along the barrel not accross :-B

Re: ROTB Offcuts

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 7:49 pm
by RC Al
Cut at an angle, the surface area of the end grain increases, a radius is even worse
Every thing I have read on shaping dominoes - sawing, splitting, cutting, routing - has said to keep it "square" on the ends to avoid exposing the end grain to reduce undesirable additions from the oak

All was the wrong word, but the end grain percentage is much higher

Re: ROTB Offcuts

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 8:12 pm
by Peregian
Been tempted to give this oak a try...................

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/mount-c ... 1120300267

Been seeing the adds on Gumtree for some considerable time but never pulled the trigger.

Have used the ROTB in the past with good results, cut to size using a band saw.

Re: ROTB Offcuts

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 10:07 pm
by db1979
I had the same problem with the box I bought from rotb RC. I just found a few pieces that looked straighter than the rest, cut where needed to square them up and then used a small hatchet to spilt them on end until I was happy with the size. I've only made a few, still got most of the box sitting there.

Re: ROTB Offcuts

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 11:07 pm
by Doubleuj
db1979 wrote:I had the same problem with the box I bought from rotb RC. I just found a few pieces that looked straighter than the rest, cut where needed to square them up and then used a small hatchet to spilt them on end until I was happy with the size. I've only made a few, still got most of the box sitting there.

:text-imwithstupid: :laughing-rolling: payback came quicker than I thought :teasing-neener:
But seriously, I did exactly what DB did with the exception that ive nearly used up my whole box :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Just try to limit the amount of end grain, you’re never going to avoid it totally

Re: ROTB Offcuts

PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 6:42 am
by The Stig
I’ve got the same box and had the same “how-do-I-do-it?”
So I bought a Worx Bladerunner https://www.worx.com/bladerunner-portab ... x572l.html
Cuts the chunks into usable sticks nice and easy

Re: ROTB Offcuts

PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 8:48 am
by coffe addict
I've had a cpl of the same boxes and found they work just great without cutting!
Just use more of the smaller pieces and less of the larger pieces for about the same amount of wood to liquid ratio.

Re: ROTB Offcuts

PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 10:07 am
by shortcut
Hey dudes they don’t look toasted in any way. Is that how youse are using them? Or are you toasting them yourselves?

Re: ROTB Offcuts

PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 10:20 am
by Peregian
shortcut wrote:Hey dudes they don’t look toasted in any way. Is that how youse are using them? Or are you toasting them yourselves?


The off-cuts from ROTB are not toasted. Oak barrels are toasted/charred after they are assembled and before the top and bottom are fixed in place.

Re: ROTB Offcuts

PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 12:24 pm
by Doubleuj
shortcut wrote:Hey dudes they don’t look toasted in any way. Is that how youse are using them? Or are you toasting them yourselves?

I toast mine one the oven, wrapped up in foil then char over the bbq flame :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Ask Woodduck how he toasts his oak, (and gutter and house) 8-}

Re: ROTB Offcuts

PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 1:59 pm
by woodduck
Yep I would definitely recommend watching them closely while toasting 8-} :laughing-rolling:

Re: ROTB Offcuts

PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 1:10 am
by RC Al
Thanks for the replies guy's

The JD chips are something I will try at a later date, by all accounts they seem to work well, got lots of other things I want to have a go at aging too, so some normal oak is in order

Going to have a go with a jigsaw, axe, chisel and a vibrating cutter, a scroll saw would be cool, but probably would be underutilized otherwise. $$ better spent on still bits at this point.

Will do a follow-up with pics soon, life bloody mundane life....