"big pete" wrote in message
oups.com...
I had a tree come down in our forest last week in a wind storm. I have
been cutting firewood in this forest for 20 years now and this is the
first time I have come across a balsm poplar. It has a white sap wood
and a very rich redish brown heartwood. I have roughed out one bowl so
far. I did a search on this NG but came up with nothing. Has anyone
turned balsam poplar. What are the characteristics of this wood is
there a reason no one turns


Leo mentioned the odor. The "balsam" in P balsamifera doesn't refer to the
heartwood, that's for sure.

Problem with the stuff comes from the same thing that gives turners of soft
maple problems, lots of stress cracks in the dark heart. Has a tendency to
open up as it's drying when cut heart up, so hitting anything you can see
with water-thin CA and letting it wick in is a good idea. Since the
extractives form such random patterns and colors, almost any repair can be
concealed other than a heart check, which will run radially across the
pattern. Be a bit generous about moving away from the heart just to make
sure.

If you turn it heart down the stress cracks will stay closed if you dry it
sitting on its bottom, where the grain will stay wet and expanded until the
sides get some good compression on it. Looks nice that way with the dark
bottom, and the corky bark can be used to great advantage if you cut a
shallow angle.

It's a pretty common tree where the soil is damp without getting roots wet,
and the beaver seem to favor it. Very narrow window of opportunity on
spalted stock, as even the heart isn't particularly durable.