First time with camphor

[Richard Patrick]

Found a couple small logs while camping last week in central Fl. Didn’t know what they were until the moment I started turning and my shop instantly filled with the scent of Vicks VapoRub ( active ingredient in Vicks is camphor). Embarrassed to say that I’m a native Floridian and I never knew camphor grew here. Pretty wood and I do enjoy the aroma but I think I’ll be turning with the doors open. Potent stuff. This HF is 8 inches x 4 inches. Pith is included but hopefully won’t crack too bad.

 

[Leroy Cook]

Old growth camphor can have wonderful figuring in/near the heartwood. Glad you made a hollow form with it, not a utilitarian vessel. Camphor can be toxic if ingested, so pass the word to anyone making cutting boards or utilitarian bowls.

 

[Michael Anderson]

That’s a nice piece Richard. I like the color contrast. I have a waxed blank that’s been sitting around for a while waiting for an idea to pop up in my mind.

Admittedly, I didn’t know you could find logs of it in the US. Apparently it’s fairly invasive in a lot of states now, especially Florida. I was aware of its problematic status in Australia, but it’s interesting that it’s kind of becoming a problem in several countries.

 

[Richard Patrick]

Old growth camphor can have wonderful figuring in/near the heartwood. Glad you made a hollow form with it, not a utilitarian vessel. Camphor can be toxic if ingested, so pass the word to anyone making cutting boards or utilitarian bowls.

wasn aware of the toxicity factor, good to know.

 

[hockenbery]

I’m a native Floridian and I never knew camphor grew here.

Turn it quit often. Just had a piece on today.
Camphor is an invasive. It is our civic duty to cut everyone we find in the woods.
A couple years back our club got 3 huge camphors 4’ diameter trunks on 2. The property owner wanted to expand a building the city approved the building but made him remove the invasive camphors.

Those pesky Australians that love Florida - camphors, red gum eucalyptus, great for turning.

 

[Richard Patrick]

Turn it quit often. Just had a piece on today.
Camphor is an invasive. It is our civic duty to cut everyone we find in the woods.
A couple years back our club got 3 huge camphors 4’ diameter trunks on 2. The property owner wanted to expand a building the city approved the building but made him remove the invasive camphors.

Those pesky Australians that love Florida - camphors, red gum eucalyptus, great for turning.

I’m looking forward to turning more of this. And as luck would have it, I saw a tree service in my neighborhood yesterday so I stopped to ask what they were cutting. Turned out it was a large camphor tree. The crew was gracious enough to load a piece of the trunk into the bed of my truck. About 24 in across and 48 inches long.
hockenbery, on your hollow forms that you turn with camphor, do you cut out the pith? The piece pictured in my first post above includes the pith. Am I asking for trouble? Thickness is approximately 1/4 inch.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

only leave pith in the turning with mesquite

 

[hockenbery]

hockenbery, on your hollow forms that you turn with camphor, do you cut out the pith? The piece pictured in my first post above includes the pith. Am I asking for trouble? Thickness is approximately 1/4 inch.

You are at least opening the door to trouble. You form might be ok. Then again it may open a crack across the bottom.

Camphor is pretty easy to dry. But leaving the pith in is likely to lead to cracks. If your form has a footless round bottom a 1/4” thick There is a good chance it won’t crack.

Wood shrinks it two dimensions Radially - this from the center of the pith to the bark perpendicular to the growth rings
And. Tangentially around the growth rings. In cross section with the pith each growth ring wants to shrink more than the one inside it will allow. Enough tension and the wood splits. If it is thin and pith is on a curve as the rings constrict the push the ring inside it toward the curve making a bump.

I rarely leave the pith in a HF. Mostly I hollow through the face grain.
This form is about 8” diameter. Camphor. It was turned from a fairly dry log section I got at a club meeting.
I turned it with the pith in. The sun glyph is centered on the pith. The pith didn’t crack. There was a partial ring shake crack that opened up a bit.


Norfolk Island pine is another wood usually turned with the pith in to show the ring of knots. NIP has a hollow pith and rarely cracks with the pith in.

 

[Richard Patrick]

You are at least opening the door to trouble. You form might be ok. Then again it may open a crack across the bottom.

Camphor is pretty easy to dry. But leaving the pith in is likely to lead to cracks. If your form has a footless round bottom a 1/4” thick There is a good chance it won’t crack.

Wood shrinks it two dimensions Radially - this from the center of the pith to the bark perpendicular to the growth rings
And. Tangentially around the growth rings. In cross section with the pith each growth ring wants to shrink more than the one inside it will allow. Enough tension and the wood splits. If it is thin and pith is on a curve as the rings constrict the push the ring inside it toward the curve making a bump.

Hockenbery, thank you for taking the time to explain this. I’m still pretty new to turning and i really appreciate your sharing your experience and knowledge.

 

[Paul M. Kaplowitz]

I turned it once. Almost choked on the smell even with fans blowing. Never again.

 

[Richard Patrick]

I turned it once. Almost choked on the smell even with fans blowing. Never again.

Yeah, the smell is seriously strong. I’m in south Florida so I run a mini-split AC when its hot out, but I think I’ll be opening the doors,switching on the fans and A/C off when turning camphor. I enjoy the smell but a little goes a long way.