Are there any cautions about turning frozen wood? It's been below zero for a week so everything is frozen. Downsides?
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Turning frozen wood
- Thread starter David A Morris
- Start date
Roger Wiegand
Beta Tester
It's hard! I remember bringing a log in and having a terrible time with it until the light went on and I realized it was frozen. Bring them in to heated space (best is probably not too warm) a few days before you want to turn and you'll have an easier time. OTOH, the sap doesn't fling as far when its frozen.
I don't remember any difference except my hands would get cold with frozen shavings and ice coming off.
Thanks Pete, it is cold out there!
As Pete said, the issue is the ice cold shavings coming off onto your hands. Gloves are somewhat controversial in wood turning, but I've found a snug fitting construction glove on the forward hand makes a big difference in this setting.
(Reminder to newbies who live back of beyond and don't have mentors: You don't want loose cuffs, bracelets, long hair, or dangly necklaces near spinning tools. Same for loose gloves.)
(Reminder to newbies who live back of beyond and don't have mentors: You don't want loose cuffs, bracelets, long hair, or dangly necklaces near spinning tools. Same for loose gloves.)
I have never had any issue. I store wood in a chest freezer. Sometimes if I get halfway thru a project and know I can't get back on it for a few days I will put it in the freezer chuck and all and then put it straight back onto the lathe.
I hear you, Dean. That's a rule I follow.
Lol ,now this is something I have yet to face, short of putting the blank in the freezer this it isnt really ever going to happen for me. The question does arise, Don how well do they go as they warm up? Thaw out etc, no cracks I imagine some warping
No, I don't suppose it would down under!
Green wood? Woodmizer sells sawmill blades made for frozen logs. I suspect if it's OK to saw lumber from frozen wood it would be OK to turn it.
But I'd thaw the wood before turning.
Freezing is a good way to preserve wood. I've put green test blanks in the freezer for a number of years to test this (covered with plastic wrap) and when thawed seemed fine, wet wood just like green blanks - no problems I could detect.
But I'd consider moving south. (I moved south over 50 years ago.) We occasionally have cold weather but even snow is usually gone in a couple of days.
JKJ
Moving south is not a bad idea this time of year.
Turning frozen wood is unfortunately a necessity for me in New England. The only thing I do a bit differently than in summer is around roughing, and I try to stay out of the way of the stream of frozen shavings and chips. This can be accomplished by roughing lefty, with a push cut approach and may require moving the forward hand back on the tool a bit more than usual. Once the piece is roughed the chips tend not to bother me as much.
The other bright side is that bugs are much less of an issue with green wood.
The other bright side is that bugs are much less of an issue with green wood.