View Full Version : What is your Favorite Wood To Turn? and Why, look, grain, color, figure, turning properties.....????
volleyheads
06-24-2002, 12:09 PM
SteveF
06-24-2002, 12:24 PM
My very favourite is any kiln-dried hardwood that is free or next to free! ;-)
Steve
volleyheads
06-24-2002, 12:42 PM
You really need to get some green wet wood. Why did I expect the Man from Canada to pick Maple????? ;)
:)
Best Regards,
Bill
"If it is worth doing, it's worth overdoing"
SteveF
06-24-2002, 02:15 PM
Actually, I came into possession of 4 trees worth of green applewood and a bit of hazelnut on the weekend. I am still in the process of bucking it up and end-sealing it. Now I just have to find a place to store it all. Turned my first thin-walled green bowl last night to experiment with microwave drying. Need to do more experimenting... ;-)
I chose maple because it is relatively cheap and more readily available than some of the other hardwoods in my area. Living in the heart of softwood country is great if you are a builder but not so advantagous if you are a woodworker or turner. I can get all the red cedar or spruce/hemlock that I want just by going down to the river (Fraser) with my chainsaw and collecting some of the "driftwood" (2-3 foot diameter logs) that washes ashore from the log booms.
Steve
volleyheads
06-24-2002, 05:52 PM
Hemlock is supposed to be a good turning wood, but I haven't ever had the chance, yet.
Best Regards,
Bill
"If it is worth doing, it's worth overdoing"
dicklaxt
06-25-2002, 05:12 AM
I haven't had much experience with turning but thus far I have turned Mesquite, Bois d'arc, Pecan,Persimmon,Oak and Elm.
I prefer Green Mesquite at the moment as it appears to be more forgiving on splitting/checking and It is available for free with a little looking................all you non Texans eat your heart out.
dick
volleyheads
06-25-2002, 06:35 AM
Dick,
You just like mesquite because if it doesn't turn out well, it helps make a good dinner on the grill. :)
Best Regards,
Bill
"If it is worth doing, it's worth overdoing"
Sawduster
06-25-2002, 07:24 AM
Dick,
Talking about Mesquite, there's a short article in Woodworker's Journal this month about it. Sort of a profile thing about how popular it is becoming as a turning wood for the very reasons you mention.
Bill,
Ain't that the truth. I had some sizeable scraps of mesquite from a project and it was truly difficult to decide whether to make them into pens, or get some smoke out of em. The mesquite smoked chicken was might fine.
Sonny Edmonds
06-25-2002, 09:48 AM
"You non Texans eat your heart out"
Not me, I'll just eat my smoked fish, Thank You. :)
No dought Jerry gave away what he did with his left over Mesquite. LOL!
I'd be savin all the cuttings from the mesquite and pecan for the barby for sure. But I donno about that boyz in an ark stuff, nor that elmer stuff. Persimmon and oak I'm sure I'd stay away from.
Just like I'm gonna stay away from the pelletized stuff Betty brought me home.
"Blended smoking woods pelletized with extreem pressure."
Hummmm. So I tried it.
"Lasts 5 times longer than chunks."
Lasted 1/2 of an hour. A load of chunks lasts a couple of hours or more.
But what got me was the smoke. Not like any smoke I ever smelt. Nasty!
Chit, I had to stay upwind of my smoker. I wasn't a happy camper. I was afraid it was gonna do terminal brammage to my load of fish. :(
(Of course I didn't say much to Betty about it, she really did mean well.)
Anyhow, I voted for Door 5. Only because I'm working with a bunch of different kinds of woods right now.
I'd vote for all of them, if I had my druthers. I don't really have a favorite.
I think I love all woods.
Well, maybe not ash so much. Ash is usually associated with shovels and rakes and picks and such. That kind of wood takes away from shop time in that form. :7
:D
Sonny Edmonds
"Precision Firewood Specialist"
http://home.earthlink.net/~sonnypie/
God Bless America !
dicklaxt
06-25-2002, 09:52 AM
That nasty smelling smoke probably came from a rare tree find called a Piss Elm. rotfflmfao
Sonny Edmonds
06-25-2002, 10:36 AM
Naw, I'd have remembered that name.
It said mesquite, pecan, alder and apple woods. Maybe more.
Smelled dangerous to me.
Probably sweepings from a sawmill run through a pellitizer like rabbit food would be done.
Oh well, Betty meant well and it only cost 5 bucks for the jar.
If nothin else it will make bug repeller. RLOL! :7
I had a brain fart I'll post in a new thread. Stay tuned to this channel. :o
:D
Sonny Edmonds
"Precision Firewood Specialist"
http://home.earthlink.net/~sonnypie/
God Bless America !