I've done a couple bowls on my crappy grizzly lathe (1/2 hp that
probably is not). As a result I cant really relate how difficult it is
except that I had to sharpen my chisels more often to keep a good edge.
However, compared to other woods I've turned russian olive is tough.
The bowls turned out really beautyful. My first I did not make a deep
enough mortis in the bottom so it popped off my chuck and went bouncing
across the driveway. About the third time it cracked but not bad enough
that I could not finish it. I later clamped it with some tightbond
before finishing. My second I turned down to about 1/8 of an inch or
less and held together better.
Russian olive needs to be turned wet. It is proned to cracking so you
have to finish it quckly to avoid fractures.
If you go to the last pic at
http://home.comcast.net/~wskossack/boxes.html
the bowl on the far right is russian olive.
one thing I learned about after doing the russian olive is roughing out
a wet bowl first down to about 1 inch and then bagging it in a paper bag
with the shavings to let it dry slowly. The aspen bowl in the front
center and the ambrosia maple bowl behind it were done in this manner
before I got wrapped up into finishing some 40 boxes for christmas. The
advantage of this is the wood then drys slowly, distorts, and hopefully
does not crack. Once it dries remount it and round it again and finish
it. The russian olive bowl is really badly out of round because I did
it in one session and then let it dry. Part of me wants to try the
roughing out of the russian olive and see if it does not split while in
a paper bag.
There are so many big russian olive trees out there that are being taken
down by open space managers around denver and they would gladly give you
the wood. I also know people that say they have groves of them and want
to get rid of them. The thorns are a really big problem and it is just
plain tough to cut. Many people that have large russian olive trees on
their land hate them.
Rob McConachie wrote:
how does the russian olive turn (in your opinion)? when i saw a cross
section, it looked like it had really huge rings and i thought that meant it
was soft wood.
my parents have a large one in the yard that needs some "love" and i thought
i might "preserve" some of it, if it turns well.
Rob
"william kossack" wrote in message
. com...
I have gotten some wood from local cutters. There is a wide selection
of wood growing around the denver metro area. For example, I have some
chunks of hackberry waiting for spring and I've also got some russian
olive and aspen.
My wife gave me a little electric chainsaw for christmas (used to cut
up the hackberry into usable blocks)
However, I'll give you a for instance.
A friend in Texas has seen some of my smaller bowls and would like one
out of mesquite. A family member wants one out of buckeye and another
also wants a bowl from a wood not available locally in colorado.
I did give one bowl to a brotherinlaw this christmas returning an
Alder blank he gave me last year. I made a box from purple heart to
hold the bowl, lined the box and filled it all with candy. If only
others that are making requests could supply me with wood then my
problems would be over.
wrote in message ...
william kossack wrote:
Where does everyone find these nice large pieces of wood to put on
your
lathe? In Denver, it seems we are limited to what little woodcraft or
rocklers has on hand. All of these are generally 6x6x3 or maybe if
lucky
8x8x3.
Most of us own chainsaws and bandsaws, you'll need one of each, at the
least. Arborists and county trimming crews are good sources of wood, so
is th eside of the road after a snow, wind, or ice storm. If you had a
chainsaw, you could drive around in your truck, you do have a truck,
right, and offer to take down the limbs that look like they're about to
go. You shouldn't be paying for wood in CO. Get some anchorseal or
endgrain sealer (Woodcraft) and use it diligently. Also do a Google
search on LDD in this NG. Get a saw you like, 'cause you're gonna need
it.
Dave in Fairfax