Cherry, box elder, ash and walnut in that order. I've managed to get bowl and spindle blanks from fallen trees, neighbors treework and firewood. Eastern PA is great domestic hardwoods.
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...your favorite wood to turn is?
- Thread starter John Grace
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I wouldn't say you're peculiar Reed. Intelligent, unique and giving of your knowledge yes, but not peculiar.
Native wood, it’s a toss up between walnut and apple. Imported, flip a coin over African Blackwood and Cocobolo.
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My favorite wood to turn is Free Wood, which usually translates to local species... If pressed, I would have to say my favorite turning wood is Apple.. Lilac and Magnolia run a close second.
I've wanted to try apple...just haven't been able to come across.
Saw a funny clip on Facebook the other day with one of the Minions on it. The quote was "Some one called me normal. I have never been so insulted in all my life." I am kind of like that.... Some times more than others....
robo hippy
robo hippy
The minute you find a "normal" person in this world, please let me know!
I can agree with the mesquite vote. Here in the Phoenix area, I can usually get another large piece for turning after every storm. Most days I can check CL for downed trees and have the pick of the litter. Local spalted apple is also a new love of mine as the figure is stunning.
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Bradford pear and cherry so far are my favorites, but I’ve only been turning since October. I did some utensils recently from a niece thick kiln dried piece of Bradford pear that turned out really nice.
I’m kinda simple, but I’ve always loved black cherry, it’s usually stable I think the perfect hardness, and usually has decent coloring
Wow, what a great question. Also very difficult now that I hit the reply button. I used to be enamored with the exotics but these days I like a good solid crack and bug free domestic, Whatever it is.
Of the local woods in my area I like pecan and mesquite. I like pecan because of its colors with an oil finish and the contrast of the heartwood to sapwood. I love that creamy sap next to the reddish congac heartwood. Just lovely. I like mesquite because of it stability and easy sanding, you can core much thinner and gain more yield because it ovals very little during drying. This being said, it would be a shorter list on what I didn't like. If its domestic hardwood I have found it will make something very well. Walnuts, oaks, Ashes, hickories, maples, fruit-woods and cherry etc all good. I even like some softwoods and the odd ornamental thing I usually don't know what it is.
The exotics I think I like in order; Pink ivory, African blackwood, Chechen, and Verawood the smell is lovely but its a pain to work but worth the smell.
Of the local woods in my area I like pecan and mesquite. I like pecan because of its colors with an oil finish and the contrast of the heartwood to sapwood. I love that creamy sap next to the reddish congac heartwood. Just lovely. I like mesquite because of it stability and easy sanding, you can core much thinner and gain more yield because it ovals very little during drying. This being said, it would be a shorter list on what I didn't like. If its domestic hardwood I have found it will make something very well. Walnuts, oaks, Ashes, hickories, maples, fruit-woods and cherry etc all good. I even like some softwoods and the odd ornamental thing I usually don't know what it is.
The exotics I think I like in order; Pink ivory, African blackwood, Chechen, and Verawood the smell is lovely but its a pain to work but worth the smell.
I love hard maple because it takes a dye well.
There are several wood species I like turning that do look very nice, but sometimes you find a special piece of wood, but where would one be able to find it again, it was a piece of spalted Japanese Lilac that I found, turned very nice and the look of it is really special, so that is a special wood I would like to turn again, yes also some spalted Apple is close to that, but easier to find.
Spectacular grain...
Okay Leo, I am jealous!
robo hippy
robo hippy
A couple of outstanding species I've come across when doing architectural spindles was Western white sugar pine and Spanish cedar. The sugar pine smells so sweet that it makes a delight to go in to the turning area. The Spanish cedar takes details easily and is soft enough to be quickly turned. Maybe Honduras mahogany would be a good second place there.
Olive wood, as mentioned earlier, does cut surprisingly easy. I just did a batch of screwdriver handles that had a piece of olive wood. I'd gotten used to the pace and care of the other woods first like jarrah, osage, zebra wood, mesquite. When the olive wood blank went on the lathe, I thought, "Oooh Wow! This is a nice difference".
Olive wood, as mentioned earlier, does cut surprisingly easy. I just did a batch of screwdriver handles that had a piece of olive wood. I'd gotten used to the pace and care of the other woods first like jarrah, osage, zebra wood, mesquite. When the olive wood blank went on the lathe, I thought, "Oooh Wow! This is a nice difference".
Here is the other wood I do turn and like turning it, Applewood, spalting can make it even nicer.
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nobody has mentioned Norfolk Island pine—fell in love with that after seeing Ron Kent’s work.
Cherry, is South Carolina Cherry different than what other regions have, with age it turns from a light reddish brown to a very dark brown. Dogwood, Pear, Chinaberry, Walnut, Willow Oak.
Wally
Wally