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Woodturning (rec.crafts.woodturning) To discuss tools, techniques, styles, materials, shows and competitions, education and educational materials related to woodturning. All skill levels are welcome, from art turners to production turners, beginners to masters. |
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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 |
#2
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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/ -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- |
#3
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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 newsan.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 |
#4
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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 ;-) |
#5
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Willow
"Anonymous" wrote in message newsan.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 |
#6
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Willow
Lousy firewood. Holds moisture forever. I swear, you can put a fire out
with willow. "Anonymous" wrote in message newsan.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. |
#7
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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 newsan.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 -- http://cannaday.us (genealogy) http://organic-earth.com (organic gardening) Uptimes below for the machines that created / host these sites. 22:07:00 up 32 days, 23:45, 3 users, load average: 0.14, 0.11, 0.09 21:56:00 up 84 days, 5:57, 3 users, load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00 |
#8
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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. Remove 123 from email address to reply. |
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