Willow
 

Anonymous wrote:

I'm about to receive some largish hunks of weeping willow. My new/scanty
reference library doesn't say anything about willow. Does any one in the
group have any tips for turning it?

Never turned any.

Mike Abbott writing in Green Woodwork says that there are many varieties
and hybrids of willow. It is used for makes gate-hurdles, hay rakes, and
one variety is used for making cricket bats. It has a very open fibrous
texture drying out to be very light in weight.

Textbook of Wood technology mentions that willows are similar to the
poplars, but willow tends to be reddish brown. Uses are artificial limbs
(this book was first published in 1949), boxes and crates, furniture,
cooperage, woodenware and novelties, charcoal (especially suitable for
black powder manufacture).

Good luck. Let us know how it turns out!



--
Derek Andrews, woodturner

http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com
Wedding Favors ~ Artisan Crafted Gifts ~ One-of-a-Kind Woodturning

Willow
 

Anonymous wrote:
I'm about to receive some largish hunks of weeping willow. My new/scanty
reference library doesn't say anything about willow. Does any one in the
group have any tips for turning it?

Bill

The willow in my area is a very pretty wood, and extremely easy to turn.
But it's kind of weak, and chips out easily.
Good wood to practice on, fun to turn, be sure to use scary-sharp tools.
I recently turned an urn vase from it which will be a keeper--but the
rim chipped out, so I'll have to put a collar on it of harder wood.


Ken Grunke
SW Wisconsin
http://www.token.crwoodturner.com/
Member, Coulee Region Woodturners AAW chapter
http://www.crwoodturner.com/



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Willow
 

Read up on its close relatives cottonwood and true poplars. Stringy,
stinky, as it holds (stagnant) water extremely well, but I didn't think it
was either more difficult to turn nor less attractive than other domestic
hardwoods. With the thick bark, mine looked really neat turned bark up,
but if it dropped, as mine did, during a summer storm, be prepared to help
with some CA along the cambium line. Oh yes, it's just about as
bullet-proof in drying as aspen or cottonwood.

Best finish I found for it was a no-oil type like shellac. That way it kept
its natural shimmer, though the Minwax wipe-on poly didn't darken it too
much, presumably because it didn't have a lot of oil. Save some branches
with bark on for ornaments. It's light, easy to keep in the round, and very
pretty with contrasting icecicles or caps.

"Anonymous" wrote in message
news:pan.2004.07.26.12.20.53.30268@notarealserver. com...
I'm about to receive some largish hunks of weeping willow. My new/scanty
reference library doesn't say anything about willow. Does any one in the
group have any tips for turning it?

Bill

Willow
 

It's "Stringy" like string cheese. It's VERY white, like ash. It chips out
easy. I didn't like it all that much, but you may get higher quality
pieces... mine was from the abck ayrd ;-)

Willow
 

"Anonymous" wrote in message
news:pan.2004.07.29.02.11.36.683481@notarealserver .com...
SNIP.........
Mine had growth rings over 1/2" wide (~.530" ... but who cares?) and
tearout rendered the piece totally useless. It's too dense for a drinking
straw and too porous for much of anything else. It might make good
kindling if you soaked it in some sort of oil first.

I think I've found the reason you see so little furniture made with
willow.
=====================
Actually a lot of furniture is made from willow. It's the rustic or twig
furniture made from willow pieces that are bent or formed to a shape. My
wife is crazy about it, but I don't care for it myself.

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX

Willow
 

Lousy firewood. Holds moisture forever. I swear, you can put a fire out
with willow.

"Anonymous" wrote in message
news:pan.2004.07.29.02.11.36.683481@notarealserver .com...

It might make good
kindling if you soaked it in some sort of oil first.

I think I've found the reason you see so little furniture made with
willow.

Willow
 

I've found with willow that you need to turn ASAP after cutting. Two weeks
and the stuff turns to mush. It also seems to dry out very quickly. I have
a 3" dia. branch of weeping willow from a tree felled about 2 weeks ago in a
storm. The branch has lost well over half of its weight in that time. In
comparison I have a similar sized branch of golden rain tree cut at the same
time and it has lost very little weight.
Tony Manella
ndd1"at"prolog.net (remove "at")
http://home.ptd.net/~ndd1/
Lehigh Valley Woodturners
http://www.lehighvalleywoodturners.com/

"Anonymous" wrote in message
news:pan.2004.07.29.02.11.36.683481@notarealserver .com...
On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:44:04 -0500, Pain Devine wrote:

It's "Stringy" like string cheese. It's VERY white, like ash. It chips
out
easy. I didn't like it all that much, but you may get higher quality
pieces... mine was from the abck ayrd ;-)


Mine was from the front yard. No improvement. I have just two words for
it:
Ug Lee.

Mine had growth rings over 1/2" wide (~.530" ... but who cares?) and
tearout rendered the piece totally useless. It's too dense for a drinking
straw and too porous for much of anything else. It might make good
kindling if you soaked it in some sort of oil first.

I think I've found the reason you see so little furniture made with
willow.

Bill

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Willow
 

I've turned half a dozen pieces of willow and agree that it's soft and
stringy when wet. Best results were got by roughing out slightly
thicker than normal as it warps badly, and then leaving to dry. Sharp
tools are needed to finish, and if you can get a crotch piece then
it's worth having a go at, as the figure can be impressive, but
otherwise I'd not bother with it.
I've got a couple of pics of 3 of the bits I've made if anybody's
interested.

David Webb.

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