Can anyone point me to an online list or other source of native US
woods and their suitability for turning and other characteristics?

I live in a large metro area, and someone is always cutting trees and
throwing them into the chipper. I would rather reclaim what I can and
do something useful with it. Wood like dogwood, pine, poplar, maple,
small cypress, holly, and oaks. Some of this has got to be useful.

I searched the group but didn't come up with anything that covered the
spectrum - only isolated examples.

Thanks,

Greg G.

Greg, G. wrote:
Can anyone point me to an online list or other source of native US
woods and their suitability for turning and other characteristics?
I live in a large metro area, and someone is always cutting trees and
throwing them into the chipper. I would rather reclaim what I can and
do something useful with it. Wood like dogwood, pine, poplar, maple,
small cypress, holly, and oaks. Some of this has got to be useful.

They all cut well, seal them as fast as you find them or LDD
them. Woodfinder.com is a good place to start looking for
suppliers. What metro area? There may be sawmills near you.

Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.Patinatools.org/

dave in Fairfax said:

Greg, G. wrote:
Can anyone point me to an online list or other source of native US
woods and their suitability for turning and other characteristics?
I live in a large metro area, and someone is always cutting trees and
throwing them into the chipper. I would rather reclaim what I can and
do something useful with it. Wood like dogwood, pine, poplar, maple,
small cypress, holly, and oaks. Some of this has got to be useful.

They all cut well, seal them as fast as you find them or LDD
them. Woodfinder.com is a good place to start looking for
suppliers. What metro area? There may be sawmills near you.

So, just about anything goes - that's good to know. I guess I'll
learn the subtleties as I gain experience.

As for sawmills in my area - I live in Atlanta, GA - nothing left here
but masses of SUV driving, cell phone yacking morons... :-\

That's why there are so many trees being cut - they're paving paradise
to make room for more of them...

It's over 60 miles to the nearest sawmill that I know of - and they
deal mostly with pine for the building industry.

LDD?

Thanks,


Greg G.

Greg, G. wrote:
LDD?

I believe that this is the point where Leif jumps into the
conversation. A 1:1 mix of water and Costo Liquid Dishwashing
Detergent (hand not machine). Soak the wood until you are ready
to turn it, return it to the mix if you don't finish in one
session or have to stop for some reason, finish with whatever as
soon as you are done turning. DO NOT allow it to dry.
Leif?

Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.Patinatools.org/

I believe it was Dave in Fairfax that responded to a similar question by me
almost a year ago. To whit: free wood is good wood.

-kevin
Greg G. wrote in message
...

Can anyone point me to an online list or other source of native US
woods and their suitability for turning and other characteristics?

I live in a large metro area, and someone is always cutting trees and
throwing them into the chipper. I would rather reclaim what I can and
do something useful with it. Wood like dogwood, pine, poplar, maple,
small cypress, holly, and oaks. Some of this has got to be useful.

I searched the group but didn't come up with anything that covered the
spectrum - only isolated examples.

Thanks,

Greg G.

Cottonwood and some other very soft hardwoods can be avoided. Likewise
anything without much color or grain. Other than that, I would try about
anything. Even more plain woods like maple are good with natural edges or
with the interesting grain of crotch wood. Go for interesting colored
woods.

I have done apple, walnut, maple, sycamore, cherry, plum, maple burl,
ponderosa pine, aspen, black locust, and many more. Tony Manella recently
noted that he had turned about 60 different types of wood.

Derek

http://www.arborday.org/trees/treeID.html


Greg G. wrote in message
...

Can anyone point me to an online list or other source of native US
woods and their suitability for turning and other characteristics?

I live in a large metro area, and someone is always cutting trees and
throwing them into the chipper. I would rather reclaim what I can and
do something useful with it. Wood like dogwood, pine, poplar, maple,
small cypress, holly, and oaks. Some of this has got to be useful.

I searched the group but didn't come up with anything that covered the
spectrum - only isolated examples.

Thanks,

Greg G.

A valuable source for this type of info would be a local woodturner's
club..why not check out the aaw site for the closest to you and give them a
call...In addition,I don't know of any member of any club who isn't a wood
horder, but will always share with a fellow turner..Good luck,Rick
Greg G. wrote in message
...

Can anyone point me to an online list or other source of native US
woods and their suitability for turning and other characteristics?

I live in a large metro area, and someone is always cutting trees and
throwing them into the chipper. I would rather reclaim what I can and
do something useful with it. Wood like dogwood, pine, poplar, maple,
small cypress, holly, and oaks. Some of this has got to be useful.

I searched the group but didn't come up with anything that covered the
spectrum - only isolated examples.

Thanks,

Greg G.

dave in Fairfax said:

Greg, G. wrote:
LDD?

I believe that this is the point where Leif jumps into the
conversation. A 1:1 mix of water and Costo Liquid Dishwashing
Detergent (hand not machine). Soak the wood until you are ready
to turn it, return it to the mix if you don't finish in one
session or have to stop for some reason, finish with whatever as
soon as you are done turning. DO NOT allow it to dry.
Leif?

OK, I Googled on this LDD technique and think I understand it now.

Now my concern is how to quickly dry a piece. I'm trying the
microwave in a bag idea, in the hopes that I can salvage intact the
lidded bowl turning I completed yesterday from wet, green cherry.

Having cut cherry for flat woodworking, I'm all too aware of how
easily it cracks and checks. I hope a slow, gentle nuking in a humid
environment will persuade it to dry intact. I want to give it to
SWMBO when she returns Monday. I'll probably have to clean up the lid
somewhat, as I noticed the vessel shrinking in diameter more than the
lid - but it is thicker, so it may just dry more slowly - they may end
up the same circumference when dry. Who knows - I'm new at this...

Thanks,

Greg G.

kwilhite said:

I believe it was Dave in Fairfax that responded to a similar question by me
almost a year ago. To whit: free wood is good wood.

And let us hope for lots of it! I cringe when I think of the trees
around here that ended up firewood, 'cause I didn't have a lathe at
the time...


Greg G.

Derek Hartzell said:

Cottonwood and some other very soft hardwoods can be avoided. Likewise
anything without much color or grain. Other than that, I would try about
anything. Even more plain woods like maple are good with natural edges or
with the interesting grain of crotch wood. Go for interesting colored
woods.

Heck, I'll try anything once...

I have done apple, walnut, maple, sycamore, cherry, plum, maple burl,
ponderosa pine, aspen, black locust, and many more. Tony Manella recently
noted that he had turned about 60 different types of wood.

So far, I've done two. :-\

I wonder how peach turns? We've got a decorative peach tree that has
reached end-of-life and will probably have to be removed this fall. I
hate to do it 'cause SWMBO simply loves it's spring flowers, but it
has become old and weak and has lost most of it's limbs. I can think
of no better way to perpetuate her memories of it's multicolored
spring blooms than to immortalize it as a box or vase on her desk.

Thanks for the info!


Greg G.

Ray Sandusky said:

http://www.arborday.org/trees/treeID.html

Thanks. I actually had this bookmarked already because of our
naturalist tendencies. Great tree ID site, but there is nothing about
the characteristics of the trees for woodworking - at least that I'm
aware of.


Greg G.

rick pixley said:

A valuable source for this type of info would be a local woodturner's
club..why not check out the aaw site for the closest to you and give them a
call...In addition,I don't know of any member of any club who isn't a wood
horder, but will always share with a fellow turner..Good luck,Rick

Interesting idea, although I tend to be of the mind that "I wouldn't
want to be part of any group that would have me as a member". ;-)

Several of the woodworking stores around here have suggested attending
their "group" meetings as well. The ones I know about are on the
wrong side of town, and my loathing of this city's traffic makes that
a remote possibility - but there may be some around here I am unaware
of. I'll just have to keep my eyes peeled... turned... open.

Thanks,

Greg G.

Greg, G. wrote:
Interesting idea, although I tend to be of the mind that "I wouldn't
want to be part of any group that would have me as a member". ;-)

Take a look at my sig line and follow the links for local
chapters. You'll find people who are interested in helping and
don't have a monetary interest, unlike the local stores.

Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.Patinatools.org/

dave in Fairfax said:

Greg, G. wrote:
Interesting idea, although I tend to be of the mind that "I wouldn't
want to be part of any group that would have me as a member". ;-)

Take a look at my sig line and follow the links for local
chapters. You'll find people who are interested in helping and
don't have a monetary interest, unlike the local stores.

Boy, you guys take this stuff seriously! Very similar to the Orchid
Society my in-laws are involved with in Southern California.

I'll have to take time to peruse your site - looks very interesting.

The Georgia Association of Woodturners at Highland Hardware is the
closest one to me - and it's not all THAT close. I guess I'll just
have to resign myself to the fact that I live in an intellectually
blighted area... ;-) Nothing new there, however. I've known it
from childhood - and stood out for ridicule because of it.

Thanks again,

Greg G.

Greg, G. wrote:
snip
I'll have to take time to peruse your site - looks very interesting.

Whoa! Not MY site, just a group I'm a member of.

Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.Patinatools.org/

dave in Fairfax said:

Greg, G. wrote:
snip
I'll have to take time to peruse your site - looks very interesting.

Whoa! Not MY site, just a group I'm a member of.

Sorry about that.


Greg G.

Greg G. wrote in message ...
....

I wonder how peach turns? We've got a decorative peach tree that has
reached end-of-life and will probably have to be removed this fall.

Peach, and other fruit woods, generally turn very well BUT have a lot of movement when
drying and a strong tendency to crack when drying. If the tree is coming down anyway,
there's no reason to NOT work with the wood. You might have to try a few pieces, but
nothing ventured, nothing gained.


Thanks for the info!

No problem...Have fun!

Matt Heffron
Inland Woodturners
http://www.inlandwoodturners.org/

Greg G. wrote in message . ..
Derek Hartzell perceptively asked:

[snip...]
I wonder how peach turns? We've got a decorative peach tree that has
reached end-of-life and will probably have to be removed this fall. I
hate to do it 'cause SWMBO simply loves it's spring flowers, but it
has become old and weak and has lost most of it's limbs. I can think
of no better way to perpetuate her memories of it's multicolored
spring blooms than to immortalize it as a box or vase on her desk.

Gorgeous! I don't have access a.b.p.w., or I'd put out a picture for
the world... :-(

John Pierce
Maker of Fine Wood Chips and Sawdust