On 7/1/2012 12:48 AM, F Murtz wrote:
Bill wrote:
On 6/30/2012 3:57 AM, F Murtz wrote:
What is the best range of moisture content for turning timber?

as wet as possible. Particularly for fruit wood - keep it under water
until you can turn it so it doesn't check, then turn to final size and
thickness in one session - turn to a wall thickness of 1/8 to 3/16 and
it will not split.

Well all this is bad news,I will never get through it before it dries
out. I just felled two gums that were 18" at base and there is another
that fell down up the back yard about six months to a year ago,it is
still above 30% cause I measured it wondering if it was ready to burn.
Probably gum is not the best for turning, I am new at this game.

the way you get better is to turn what you have - if it comes out nice,
great, if it's junk, great. strive for art, strive for technique - you
will become better, your technique will improve and when you look back
on your early "great" items, you will see them as crude and inelegant.
But this all requires making the things and failing - so just make stuff.