Is this tree any good for turning bowls? My neighbor had a fairly large
tree come down during a storm and I was wondering if it was worth my while
to cut up a couple of hunks. Thanks for your help.

Tom wrote:
Is this tree any good for turning bowls? My neighbor had a fairly large
tree come down during a storm and I was wondering if it was worth my while
to cut up a couple of hunks. Thanks for your help.


Basswood is the perfect wood for carving. It has almost no grain and
carves easily. For a bowl, It would be a bland, white bowl with little
character. But almost any wood is good if it is free.

--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

A man's got to know his limitations.





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Actually, Tom, whether the basswood is good for turning, depends on what you
need right now. If it is pracitce, free wood is always best. (Just as an
aside, when does one not need practice?) On the other hand basswood is bland
so why turn bland wood? Ah, but it is a carver's dream. Dry some for carving
or turn some to carve. A basswood bowl with hand carved sides is no longer
bland. It may be beautiful or it could be ugly, but not bland :-)
______
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS, Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com
"Gerald Ross" wrote in message
...
Tom wrote:
Is this tree any good for turning bowls? My neighbor had a fairly large
tree come down during a storm and I was wondering if it was worth my
while
to cut up a couple of hunks. Thanks for your help.


Basswood is the perfect wood for carving. It has almost no grain and
carves easily. For a bowl, It would be a bland, white bowl with little
character. But almost any wood is good if it is free.

--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

A man's got to know his limitations.





----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet
News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+
Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption
=----

Tom wrote:

Is this tree any good for turning bowls?

It's lovely for anything, but it might be a little soft for heavy use
(American basswood is harder than the European linden species though).
As others have said it's also a little bland.

I'd save it for carving. Always plenty of demand for it as carving
blanks, either squares or flat.

I also use mine for Japanese-style cabinetry, instead of some of the
Japanese timbers I can't easily obtain. A friend makes conga drums from
it and has even made a dugout canoe!

Turn it then carve it. Or turn it then apply marbling. Just because
it's bland should not condemn the product to be uninteresting. jim


wrote:
Tom wrote:

Is this tree any good for turning bowls?

It's lovely for anything, but it might be a little soft for heavy use
(American basswood is harder than the European linden species though).
As others have said it's also a little bland.

I'd save it for carving. Always plenty of demand for it as carving
blanks, either squares or flat.

I also use mine for Japanese-style cabinetry, instead of some of the
Japanese timbers I can't easily obtain. A friend makes conga drums from
it and has even made a dugout canoe!

wrote in message
oups.com...
Turn it then carve it. Or turn it then apply marbling. Just because
it's bland should not condemn the product to be uninteresting. jim


wrote:
Tom wrote:

Is this tree any good for turning bowls?

It's lovely for anything, but it might be a little soft for heavy use
(American basswood is harder than the European linden species though).
As others have said it's also a little bland.

I'd save it for carving. Always plenty of demand for it as carving
blanks, either squares or flat.

I also use mine for Japanese-style cabinetry, instead of some of the
Japanese timbers I can't easily obtain. A friend makes conga drums from
it and has even made a dugout canoe!


Ugly stuff, entirely unsuitable, and justly condemned by people who are
always critiquing form over material.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...e/a06f7f94.jpg