• Congratulations to Bernie Hyrtzak, People's Choice in the January 2026 Turning Challenge (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to David Croxton for "Geri's Basket Illusion" being selected as Turning of the Week for February 2, 2026 (click here for details)
  • AAW Symposium demonstrators announced - If the 2026 AAW International Woodturning Symposium is not on your calendar, now is the time to register. And there are discounts available if you sign up early, by Feb. 28. Early Bird pricing gives you the best rate for our 40th Anniversary Symposium in Raleigh, North Carolina, June 4–7, 2026. (There are discounts for AAW chapter members too) For more information vist the discussion thread here or the AAW registration page
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Butternut

G

Greg Kaldor

Joined
Mar 8, 2005
Messages
30
Likes
0
Hi All,
I very recently had some butternut given to me. I roughed turned them using the 10% rule. And my questions are: How do they air dry with the wax on the endgrain and put in the paper bag and on the shelf for 6 months method. And also after the wood has stabilized, how does it finnish turn? When I first
started turning it I was amazed at just how fast this wood could be cut. I think this is the softest wood I had ever worked with. Up until the butternut the softest I had ever turned was sasafrass.
Greg
 
I've found Butternut to be a very tolerant wood. Never had any failures, green turned (rough or final), dry turned. It doesn't appear to matter.

The heart wood has a great color and the contrast with sap is nice also
 
Thankyou for the response. When you incorporated the sapwood alongside the heartwood in the bowl in it's rough form did you do anything special in preparation to it prior to bagging it for drying? I am wondering because I have had problems with cherry's sapwood.
Greg
 
Never worried about it. I'm looking at a large opening hollow form crotch piece now that has both, with no issues

TTFN
Ralph
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top