Anybody here ever try turning wood from a Monkey Puzzle tree?
Sycamore? I have dibs on some wood from both and was wondering about
any likely problems.

TIA
--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

A mind is a terrible thing to ... er
.... hmmmm?

Gerald Ross wrote:
Anybody here ever try turning wood from a Monkey Puzzle tree? Sycamore?
I have dibs on some wood from both and was wondering about any likely
problems.

Don't know about monkey puzzle, but sycamore is nice. There are three
different families of trees referred to as sycamore. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sycamore for details. What I usually think
of when I hear sycamore is the wood that rulers are made of. Looks a
lot like maple but with a more pronounced ray pattern.

I turned some spalted sycamore I got from a guy in Florida a few years
ago. It was quite nice...


--
Kevin Miller
Juneau, Alaska
http://www.alaska.net/~atftb
In a recent poll, seven out of ten hard drives preferred Linux.

I don't know that I have ever seen monkey puzzle. However, sycamore
is one of my favorite turning woods.

It is moderately hard, and doesn't have much problem with tear out.
Easy on the tools.

The only warning I would give is that when it is a bit too green it
will split and warp overnight if you don't bag it in plastic.

The best part is that no matter what the orientation of the piece is
on the lathe, you will get some great grain patterns.

Robert

Sycamore is nice to turn and looks good when finished.

I don't know about monkey puzzle ... but I do know I have a large chunk in
the garage drying out so I hope I'll be able to tell you some day soon.

Ian

"Gerald Ross" wrote in message
...
Anybody here ever try turning wood from a Monkey Puzzle tree? Sycamore? I
have dibs on some wood from both and was wondering about any likely
problems.

TIA
--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

A mind is a terrible thing to ... er
... hmmmm?

In the UK you see Monkey Puzzle turnings occasionally, usually done big or
tall as in a vase shape to show off its variety of colors and grain. I
think its a bit like turning Pine. And usually turning it wet gives you the
best cut. I think I have only seen it finished with oil, and I believe it
can have a lot of resin in it.
We turn a lot of sycamore over here, I usually buy it in plank form and
store standing on its end unlike most other woods that I store flat and
stickered. If good quality it should be a nice even grain, almost white in
colour that will change to a yellowy cream over time. Usually cuts nicely
but if it has been dried too fast in a kiln can go soft and feathery and be
a right pain to cut and get nice. Cuts like butter when wet, but will split
if left too thick. It can also get a silver grey coloring through the grain
that makes it look dirty. But if its spalted it can look spectacular.
Good luck
Hotfoot.

I believe the Monkey Puzzle tree is also the Chilean Pine, and is
turned like the Norfolk Island pine, as in end grain, with the branch
knots radiating out from the center, thin and translucent. It does
have pitch in it, so difficult to sand, and an LDD (liquid dish
washing detergent) soak helps.

Sycamore and London Plane is fairly soft here, and not usually much
color, but quartersawn pieces can have beautiful medullary rays that
are smaller than what you will find in quartersawn oak. If wet, there
can be a lot of shrinkage as in way more than the normal 10% rule for
twice turned bowls. It does tend to really soak up the finishes.

robo hippy



On Feb 19, 3:19*am, "bassdiva" wrote:
In the UK you see Monkey Puzzle turnings occasionally, *usually done big or
tall as in a vase shape *to show off its variety of colors and grain. *I
think its a bit like turning Pine. *And usually turning it wet gives you the
best cut. *I think I have only seen it finished with oil, and I believe it
can have a lot of resin in it.
We turn a lot of sycamore over here, *I usually buy it in plank form and
store standing on its end unlike most other woods that I store flat and
stickered. * If good quality it should be a nice even grain, almost white in
colour that will change to a yellowy cream over time. *Usually cuts nicely
but if it has been dried too fast in a kiln can go soft and feathery and be
a right pain to cut and get nice. Cuts like butter when wet, *but will split
if left too thick. *It can also get a silver grey coloring through the grain
that makes it look dirty. *But if its spalted it can look spectacular.
Good luck
Hotfoot.

Gerald Ross wrote:
Anybody here ever try turning wood from a Monkey Puzzle tree? Sycamore?
I have dibs on some wood from both and was wondering about any likely
problems.

TIA

Monkey puzzle trees make equisite bowls if the blanks are cut from
slices across the tree and are turned "end grain" on, when the wood is
green. You get a unique pattern to the wood, examples of which can be
seen at the link below, to one of the UK's leading exponents of monkey
puzzle tree turning - Gregory Moreton.

I've seen a demo of Gregory turning a bowl from a blank, and when
polished, it looked more like ceramic than wood.


http://www.kvwt.co.uk/kvwt_015.htm

David,

Hull,
East Yorkshire,
N.E. Coast of England.

WHAT IS A MONKEY PUZZLE TREE??

"James Webb" wrote in message
...
WHAT IS A MONKEY PUZZLE TREE??



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araucaria_araucana

Over here in the UK we occasionally get a chance to turn Monkey Puzzle. The
branches grow out from the trunk equi-spaced so that when it is turned the
knots are all at the same height. The only problem turning it is the amount
of resinous sap that adheres to your tools. I always have methylated spirit
(methanol) or ethanol to regularly clean the gouge.
Results..........Wonderful! As far as sycamore is concerned, we regard it as
a weed, but it makes for superb pierced or coloured forms. Good for
kithenware as well.

Woodturning, nature's answer to stress!


Charlie Jones

Oxford, UK



"Gerald Ross" wrote in message
...
Anybody here ever try turning wood from a Monkey Puzzle tree? Sycamore? I
have dibs on some wood from both and was wondering about any likely
problems.

TIA
--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

A mind is a terrible thing to ... er
... hmmmm?