Turning green aspen
 

Newbie here...

I've been lurking (I reckon that's the right term) for a few weeks and
am very impressed with the knowledge and expertise that shows up in
this group.

Very briefly, I've been into wood all my life. Taught high school
woodworking for several years until moving into another position in
education. The wood lathe was always almost therapeutic for me and I
-thought- I knew how to use all the tools properly. HA! Since getting
back into the lathe with my little mini-Jet and doing a bunch of
reading, I've discovered I had been not using several of the tools
properly, so I've been re-educating myself on proper grinding and use
of the tools. Also bought and used my very first bowl gouge in the
last month. What a revelation - that thing works wonderfully.

Anyway, I've been turning some aspen (3"-8" diameter) that a neighbor
harvested to clear space to build a cabin. This is also my first
experience with turning green wood, so I don't have an experience base
to know whether the green aspen is typical or not. I didn't expect it
to dull the tools quite as quickly as it seems to, nor was I expecting
it to gum up the tools as quickly as it does. The fibers seem to catch
on the cutting edge and at that point it's stop and take care of
business (clean, sharpen, strop, or whatever is necessary). First
question - is this SOP for aspen and/or green wood?

I've turned everything from weed pots with a simple drilled hole in the
center to my very first hollow vessel (looks sorta like an egg). The
holes I drilled are ragged inside with lots of fibers (so that's a
disappointment); I've tried both Forstner and spade bits. The bowls
and hollow vessel had to be sanded a ton to get a decent surface - I'll
even admit that I was unable to get a decent surface using tools and
had to "finish turn" the bowls and vessel with abrasives. Question #2
- am I just needing more experience or is turning green aspen always
going to need lots of sanding to get an acceptable surface?

I've not used anything except an English wax (sorry, senior moment
prevents me from naming it) to finish the aspen. It seems to be
slowing down the drying out process and, so far, is keeping the
cracking down - and, it looks very good. I'd like to use some Watco
Oil, tung oil, or even MiniWax polyurethane finish to get a more
permanent finish but I don't know how long the items need to dry before
attempting those.

I realize I haven't asked very many questions. I guess I'm really just
looking for replies from anyone that has also turned aspen to see what
their experiences were. And, I'm also establishing a little contact
with a very knowledgeable group.

thankie.

Turning green aspen
 

"cuchara.red" wrote in message
oups.com...
Newbie here...

Turning free and available wood is a great way to break in.

As to aspen/popple, it's not so much that it dulls the tools as it requires
special sharpness and careful cutting angles because its fine-fibered, soft
and stringy. Once the bark's gone, with the grit it holds, it shouldn't be
too bad in the dulling department. Only corrosion from the juices to dull
the edge. Couple that with a tendency to grain reversals, where you
unexpectedly find yourself lifting up the grain where you thought you were
running down hill, and it can be a furry experience. If you turn dry,
things are much easier.

As to drying, it's almost bullet proof. Very difficult to get aspen to
crack, though it will sometimes, because of the interlocked grain, warp in
unexpected direction or dimension and render an otherwise safe thickness
rough incapable of being turned back round. Use any of the methods of
slowing the moisture loss if your relative humidity is real low, only don't
slow it so much - e.g. plastic bag - that it mildews. Those black spots
will run into aspen quickly.

Lots of people put oil finishes on real early in the drying process, even
without it. Makes for some sticky days, but when the oil cures, you know
you're ready for the second coat. I like the temperature test, where you
touch your lips to the piece to see if it's cool - by evaporation -
compared to other objects. For better sensitivity find a mother - they can
detect half a degree of fever on their child's forehead.

Turning green aspen
 

I turn lots of Aspen. Prefer turning it green, sharp tools and a decent
speed results in fairly clean cuts. Microwave dries quickly,
scorches real easy, watch it.

Turned some the same day I cut it. Messy. I was soaked to the skin,
but what a blast. LLLLLooonnnggg ribbons of wood flying over the shoulder.

--
Bill Berglin

http://home.comcast.net/~bberg100

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of
arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid
in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly
proclaiming, 'WOW! What A RIDE!!" ... Unknown

Turning green aspen
 

Hi Cuchura

I have turned a few bowls out of some aspen I brought along out of BC a
number of years ago, and also poplar and willow from the area over here
in Southern Ontario Canada, the problem with aspen/popular/willow is
there are a number of different species in that group, something like
350 species worldwide and 35 or so native, then we have natural and
manmade hybrids, so turning willow and popular and aspen is not always
the same.
Most are fuzzy like yours, some less so, colors range from a muddy
white to a light golden tan, and from just plain wood to a really
beautiful shimmering chatoyance.
Light weight wood that does not split readily when drying, but it is
soft and easily dinged and damaged.
I find with the willow and aspen/ poplar that the presentation of the
tool makes a big difference, you really have to hold it so that it cuts
or better slices, and of course the tool has to be sharp.
Try to keep your shapes with no abrupt changes and when sanding don't
go for the real course paper, or you have a lot of torn grain to clean
up.
There are a couple of willow/poplar turnings in my albums, take a look
if you like.

http://homepage.mac.com/l.vanderloo/PhotoAlbum28.html


Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

Turning green aspen
 

Ah, you do beautiful work Leo. I had looked at your album before.
Thanks for the reply.

Turning green aspen
 

"...fine-fibered, soft, and stringy."
You're obviously speaking from experience. That's a perfect
description for what I'm seeing.

Thanks for info on oil finish and testing for dryness. I'll give it a
try.

Turning green aspen
 

Microwave for drying, huh? I'll give that a try. Any time/power
suggestions?

I've got a sackful of those long ribbons. Seeing those come off was a
real hoot.

I like your sig. Good philosoply.

Turning green aspen
 

Where are you located?

I think most here in Denver don't bother with green aspen and prefer to
use wood from standing dead. You get fewer problems with cracking and a
better surface if it is dry.

cuchara.red wrote:
Newbie here...

I've been lurking (I reckon that's the right term) for a few weeks and
am very impressed with the knowledge and expertise that shows up in
this group.

Very briefly, I've been into wood all my life. Taught high school
woodworking for several years until moving into another position in
education. The wood lathe was always almost therapeutic for me and I
-thought- I knew how to use all the tools properly. HA! Since getting
back into the lathe with my little mini-Jet and doing a bunch of
reading, I've discovered I had been not using several of the tools
properly, so I've been re-educating myself on proper grinding and use
of the tools. Also bought and used my very first bowl gouge in the
last month. What a revelation - that thing works wonderfully.

Anyway, I've been turning some aspen (3"-8" diameter) that a neighbor
harvested to clear space to build a cabin. This is also my first
experience with turning green wood, so I don't have an experience base
to know whether the green aspen is typical or not. I didn't expect it
to dull the tools quite as quickly as it seems to, nor was I expecting
it to gum up the tools as quickly as it does. The fibers seem to catch
on the cutting edge and at that point it's stop and take care of
business (clean, sharpen, strop, or whatever is necessary). First
question - is this SOP for aspen and/or green wood?

I've turned everything from weed pots with a simple drilled hole in the
center to my very first hollow vessel (looks sorta like an egg). The
holes I drilled are ragged inside with lots of fibers (so that's a
disappointment); I've tried both Forstner and spade bits. The bowls
and hollow vessel had to be sanded a ton to get a decent surface - I'll
even admit that I was unable to get a decent surface using tools and
had to "finish turn" the bowls and vessel with abrasives. Question #2
- am I just needing more experience or is turning green aspen always
going to need lots of sanding to get an acceptable surface?

I've not used anything except an English wax (sorry, senior moment
prevents me from naming it) to finish the aspen. It seems to be
slowing down the drying out process and, so far, is keeping the
cracking down - and, it looks very good. I'd like to use some Watco
Oil, tung oil, or even MiniWax polyurethane finish to get a more
permanent finish but I don't know how long the items need to dry before
attempting those.

I realize I haven't asked very many questions. I guess I'm really just
looking for replies from anyone that has also turned aspen to see what
their experiences were. And, I'm also establishing a little contact
with a very knowledgeable group.

thankie.

Turning green aspen
 

If you want to get a headstart with understanding green timber, John
Jordan has a very intersting DVD available that contains discussions
about it, "The Aethetics and Properties of Wood". Actually two DVDs
and unlike most "turning" videos, there is next to turning at the
lathe shown.

Very worthy of several viewings as there are many pieces of useful
information contained within his discussions.

Safe turning,
Alan

On 2 Mar 2006 20:20:31 -0800, "cuchara.red"
wrote:

Newbie here...

I've been lurking (I reckon that's the right term) for a few weeks and
am very impressed with the knowledge and expertise that shows up in
this group.

Very briefly, I've been into wood all my life. Taught high school
woodworking for several years until moving into another position in
education. The wood lathe was always almost therapeutic for me and I
-thought- I knew how to use all the tools properly. HA! Since getting
back into the lathe with my little mini-Jet and doing a bunch of
reading, I've discovered I had been not using several of the tools
properly, so I've been re-educating myself on proper grinding and use
of the tools. Also bought and used my very first bowl gouge in the
last month. What a revelation - that thing works wonderfully.

Anyway, I've been turning some aspen (3"-8" diameter) that a neighbor
harvested to clear space to build a cabin. This is also my first
experience with turning green wood, so I don't have an experience base
to know whether the green aspen is typical or not. I didn't expect it
to dull the tools quite as quickly as it seems to, nor was I expecting
it to gum up the tools as quickly as it does. The fibers seem to catch
on the cutting edge and at that point it's stop and take care of
business (clean, sharpen, strop, or whatever is necessary). First
question - is this SOP for aspen and/or green wood?

I've turned everything from weed pots with a simple drilled hole in the
center to my very first hollow vessel (looks sorta like an egg). The
holes I drilled are ragged inside with lots of fibers (so that's a
disappointment); I've tried both Forstner and spade bits. The bowls
and hollow vessel had to be sanded a ton to get a decent surface - I'll
even admit that I was unable to get a decent surface using tools and
had to "finish turn" the bowls and vessel with abrasives. Question #2
- am I just needing more experience or is turning green aspen always
going to need lots of sanding to get an acceptable surface?

I've not used anything except an English wax (sorry, senior moment
prevents me from naming it) to finish the aspen. It seems to be
slowing down the drying out process and, so far, is keeping the
cracking down - and, it looks very good. I'd like to use some Watco
Oil, tung oil, or even MiniWax polyurethane finish to get a more
permanent finish but I don't know how long the items need to dry before
attempting those.

I realize I haven't asked very many questions. I guess I'm really just
looking for replies from anyone that has also turned aspen to see what
their experiences were. And, I'm also establishing a little contact
with a very knowledgeable group.

thankie.

Turning green aspen
 

Hi Jim

Comes from chatoyer, which would mean roughly shimmer, and chatoyance
means the bands of reflected light, caused by aligned inclusions, like
in gem stones, especially when cut.
So the chatoyance in wood is the shimmering lines and waves etc., we
see in wood, especially showing up when smooth and polished.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

Turning green aspen
 

"JimC" wrote in message
oups.com...

What is chatoyance?

It's the cat's (chat) eye, rather than the meow. Iridescence like
tiger-eye or lapis in stones, or curly woods.
http://photobucket.com/albums/d160/G...nt=Linseed.jpg

Turning green aspen
 

Try the lowest power setting, only a couple of minutes. The idea is to
just warm the wood. If it is too hot to hold you are overdoing it. Let
it cool for about 15 minutes and do it again. After several cycles it
will not have any damp feel when you take it out.

Microwaves excite water molecules, turning them to vapor. It then dries
from the inside out, instead of the outside in which is why wood usually
checks.

--
Bill Berglin

http://home.comcast.net/~bberg100

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of
arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid
in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly
proclaiming, 'WOW! What A RIDE!!" ... Unknown

Turning green aspen
 

"Where are you located?
I think most here in Denver don't bother with green aspen..."

I'm in the Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas area - but my green aspen came from
south of La Veta, CO. That's where I'm building a cabin and harvesting
my neighbor's cut green aspen (HE cut it, not me). I'm also using
standing dead aspen for trim in the cabin. It would be nice to turn,
but not until I've used what I need otherwise. All the SDA cutoffs
will come back to DFW with me for later turning.

Turning green aspen
 

If you can I recommend letting it dry a bit.

I find that with a sharp edge I can get a really nice surface on dry
aspen. Then clean up and sand to 600-800 before finishing. Ofcourse, I
get more aspen then just about anything else so its easy to let it sit a
while before turning.

cuchara.red wrote:
"Where are you located?
I think most here in Denver don't bother with green aspen..."

I'm in the Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas area - but my green aspen came from
south of La Veta, CO. That's where I'm building a cabin and harvesting
my neighbor's cut green aspen (HE cut it, not me). I'm also using
standing dead aspen for trim in the cabin. It would be nice to turn,
but not until I've used what I need otherwise. All the SDA cutoffs
will come back to DFW with me for later turning.

Turning green aspen
 

Hi Jim

Here's an example of Chatoyance

http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/t...es;read=104258

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo