Glenn wrote:
Laburnum is one of the nicest decorative trees for turning It has a very
dark center and a yellow outer layer. Wonderful close grained wood but hard
to find. Some of my best looking pieces came from the nastiest looking
scraps Amazing how the coloring in the grain changes from being wet and
dried multiple times under various types of junk. Madrone and manzanita
root can be very interesting too.
"Jim" wrote in message
oups.com...

Martin, you aren't kidding. I stopped by the saw mill & bought $102
worth of wood yesterday. I don't do it too often & the pile this time
was depressingly small. Locally, we get nice cherry, oak, poplar &
maple. Got a couple of boards of each just to put in the shop & let it
sit for when I need it.

Lately, I've mostly been turning green wood - found wood. I like that
price a LOT better. G We have some neat local woods that never make
the sawmill; osage orange, dogwood, beech & sycamore. There are also
some neat exotics like the japanese sampora that a woman had cut out of
her back yard last year. I'm starting to cut a few of my own boards.
I don't really have the room for even a portable sawmill & drying shed,
so I doubt I'll get into it too much, but besides being a lot of fun,
working with these other woods is very interesting. Also keeps my
wallet from hiding in a dark corner & whining. G

Jim




As I pack, I have a spindle with ends still attached of Osage Orange curing
in my bottom dresser drawer. Been there 8 years and I think it might be dryish.
It has a beautiful color now, and will be turned a bit to true up internal stretches.

Speaking of the magical Madrone - I have some that are 100' or more high but are likely
150' in length! - One is larger than my belt size at 100' and is horizontal!
The trunks twist and turn. The color of the wood is so fine and the wood tight.

I have two limbs well seasoned for future projects. Larger bowls never made it as
the wood comes alive during turning as the stress grain is cut and a twist comes undone!
Now try to cut that with a hand skew! Exciting times.

In my new shop, I'll get the wood lathe out and have plenty of room. Hope to get my skill,
my Uncle - Uncle Dave - he is making Hats! - Yes western, and others! The pictures are
something else. I get one this summer. Can't wait to walk into a lumber yard or wood working
store of some sort with a wood hat!

Martin

--
Martin Eastburn, Barbara Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder