On my way to work this morning (I work as a computer programmer), at
the entrance to my village, I saw some people taking down an Olive
tree. This Olive tree was planted as a decoration of sorts for the
village entrance, and sadly had died...

It is sad in more than one way to see such a tree (a very old olive
tree) die, especialy since one can blame those who moved it in the
first place to the current location, from the other one where it was
prospering in peace. I'm thinking this post could go in the
alt.woodloving group :-)

Anyway for an aspiring wood turner like me, this is the find of the
century almost, a fully grown tree with a very wide trunk (can not be
lifted without a crane). Sadly I was in a real hurry, otherwise I would
have turned around and brought my chainsaw - but there is a lot of
pressure at work now, so I had to pass.

I hope that when I get back tonight it will still be there, since no
one can just move it... I did ask them to leave it there so I can take
it (they were planting a new tree instead). I will get the saw and pray
that I don't cut anything worthwhile badly.

Cross your fingers for me... This is turning stock for a long time, the
grain patterns of an old,old tree should be something amazing. I will
update tonight again.

On 13 Mar 2006 05:26:57 -0800, "Moshe Eshel" wrote:

On my way to work this morning (I work as a computer programmer), at
the entrance to my village, I saw some people taking down an Olive
tree. This Olive tree was planted as a decoration of sorts for the
village entrance, and sadly had died...

It is sad in more than one way to see such a tree (a very old olive
tree) die, especialy since one can blame those who moved it in the
first place to the current location, from the other one where it was
prospering in peace. I'm thinking this post could go in the
alt.woodloving group :-)

Anyway for an aspiring wood turner like me, this is the find of the
century almost, a fully grown tree with a very wide trunk (can not be
lifted without a crane). Sadly I was in a real hurry, otherwise I would
have turned around and brought my chainsaw - but there is a lot of
pressure at work now, so I had to pass.

I hope that when I get back tonight it will still be there, since no
one can just move it... I did ask them to leave it there so I can take
it (they were planting a new tree instead). I will get the saw and pray
that I don't cut anything worthwhile badly.

Cross your fingers for me... This is turning stock for a long time, the
grain patterns of an old,old tree should be something amazing. I will
update tonight again.

That's great, Moshe...
I know that you have a problem getting wood, and though I've never turned olive,
I've heard that it's a beautiful wood that turns nicely..

Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

On 13 Mar 2006 05:26:57 -0800, "Moshe Eshel" wrote:

Cross your fingers for me... This is turning stock for a long time, the
grain patterns of an old,old tree should be something amazing. I will
update tonight again.

Moshe,

Olive is a beautiful, aromatic wood to turn, finishes beautifully and
_checks like crazy_!! So, make sure you split the pith out and end
coat it, ASAP. I've acquired and turned both California and African
olive, and like any other fruit tree, the wood is beautiful, but is
sometimes heartbreakingly unstable.



--
Chuck *#:^)
chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
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September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

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Ohhh Moshe

Darned Moshe, why don't you live some closer, I would come and help get
some of that olive wood to my lathe, before it is all splitting and
turned on your lathe.

O you sure are lucky if you can get that wood home to turn, it is right
up there for most wanted wood, good luck, like they say up here YOU
SUCK !!!!!!!!!!

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

I have my fingers crossed for you... what a find that would be. I have
seen some beautiful bowls turned from that stuff, but have never seen a
bowl blank for sale. I would think that would make it all the more fun
to have.

And since I cannot have any, as Leo said, YOU SUCK!

But good luck anyway!

Robert

Finding "the pith" in olive is easier said than done. Those old trees
are usually so gnarly you'll mostly be fighting voids that are all but
invisible on the surface.

If it's like the olive I've dissected, you'll find the hardest thing is
figuring out how to get a bowl out of it without having holes through
it. don't worry about "the pith" except to remember it's going to have
the best chance of having good solid wood without holes and bark and
dirt hidden in it. If you cut it in pieces to "cut out the pith" and
only later realize you've cut out the only solid wood, that's a shame.

MOST IMPORTANT THING: clean out all the dirt and rocks with water and
crow bars or re-bar or something before you go cutting anything with
dirt and rocks.

Quick update...

yesterday, after writing the post I sat at work (I won't tell you about
my work, nothing to tell) and all I could think about was that tree
just lying there. I guess I'm realy addicted to this, all I could do
was speculate what it would look like on the inside, is completely dry,
or does it have some good parts, etc... and mainly is it still there.

Today on the jewish Purim festivities (it's a neat holiday with a lot
of drinking, eating, family gatherings and even costumes...), after
everything was over, on a full belly. My younger brother and I went to
see what we can do with the tree.

We managed to get more than half of it in a single load in my "truck"
(actauly a regular car, but what I load on it qualifies it to the title
I think :-)), however, the other half is very problematic since it is
covered in mud, and most of it is the begining of the roots. My brother
claimed that the mud will wreak havoc on the chainsaw. No way I can get
a hose there to wash it away, and no way that I can move it from there
without some sort of crane.... Maybe I'll buy an axe and have a go...

Pictures will follow, once I get my brother to download them from his
camera. however just one more thing I wanted to share. It still has a
lot of oil inside so I think it is very usable, although the middle is
hollow. The grain is amazing! I'm not sure if this is spalted or the
natural olive color, I have encountered this before in olive but not on
such a scale (only small pieces). Pictures will follow...

Oh and yes, now I am definitely gloating, a very wide smile on my face,
and not from the alcohol, two reasons:
1. I got the tree.
2. My brother (the other one) just got engaged.... Happy Happy!

Hi Moshe
You really have to rub it in don't you GG.
Do you have some hard wood that you can saw into wedges ??
And a big mallet/sledge is also needed.
You could maybe split the remaining part of the log, and haul it home,
after which you are able to clean and cut up as you see fit.
Have fun and take care
Leo VanDer Loo

Hey Leo,

Once I create something that I'm realy proud of I'll let you know,
right now I just talk a lot... So don't feel bad, I guess most everyone
in this group has turned much more than me and also created things that
are much more complicated and nicer than me. Let me gloat about
something G. after I got the wood I am now of course petrified about
ruining it.... I'll seal the logs today and start thinking.

Hi Moshe

WE ALL ARE WAITING !!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't think too long, start turning.

HAVE FUN and TAKE CARE
Leo Van Der Loo