Unusual woodturning stock

[Todd Williams]

Has anyone made any woodturned item from a piece such as this:

Species is Lilac, with one or more stems of one variety grafted onto one stem of a different variety. Very unusual topography where the stems are twisted around each other.

Is there adhesion between the overlapping stems? Or would they fall apart if the surrounding wood were removed?

Included are a couple of photos indicating possible forms which might lie hidden inside this piece. These are just ideas. Anyone got better imagination?

Is this worth pursuing or just some more firewood? Thanks.

 

[Dean Center]

Someone may have some advice based on experience, but the only lilac I've turned was single-stemmed. My thought is, "Yes, it's worthwhile, but you'll have to try it to learn what you've got and what you can do." That said, follow all safety practices, and wear full protective gear, including maybe a Depends, just in case.

 

[hockenbery]

Is this worth pursuing

I’d try for smaller pieces.
trying to get a big piece has a high probability of having a piec come apart.

It looks to me that the piece is not connected where the arrows point.
As soon as you hollow you cut through the connection and half of the form goes flying.

I like blanks with grooves you can get great voids. Yours looks too suspect structurally.

This piece has the opening centered on a groove and another groove on the side provides the window.

 

[Peter D'Attomo]

Looks to be a specimen for casting

 

[Don Stephan]

Hade the op;portunity to turn some lilac this spring. Pretty and pleasantly scented wood.

I would assume all the adjacent stems have no cross grain.

 

[DON FRANK]

I agree with Hockenbery. Any place where it looks like two logs or stems grew together means the bark inclusion will go all the way thru and there will be no bond or very little between the two pieces. Your third pic has the best chance of success to me.