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Another feast or famine

When I first got addicted to turning I scrounged around for wood to turn. Now it turns up in my yard. A friend had a sweetgum blow down on his farm. He cut it up in chunks about 20 inches long and 19 inches diameter. He wanted to bring the whole bunch but I told him 5 pieces would be enough. He brought 7. After cutting a 3-4 inch slice out of the center to remove the pith, I was left with 14 blocks weighing average 70 pounds. Too heavy for me to cut out on the bandsaw any more, so I drew a circle on the flat side and cut it into an octagon with the chainsaw. Using the Bowl Saver I got 28 bowls roughed out. Finished roughing them and hauling two truck loads of scrap and shavings off on Monday. Tuesday I heard a chainsaw in the neighborhood--two good-sized dogwoods had bit the dust. Have them sealed and mostly sliced, some roughed out. Looks like another 25 bowls to rough out. Dogwood is one of my favorite turning woods. A lot of work for not much money, but like a shark I have to keep moving or else.

Reply to
G. Ross
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Sounds like the spalted Poplar the BIL gave me (only I burn the scap in the fire place and the shaving go to friends with chickens ..

Reply to
Ralph E Lindberg

Sweetgum is not fireplace wood due to it propensity to pop and spit and blow out red-hot coals. I do not have a heater to burn it in. I put an ad in the local shopper's guide about the shavings. A man who has horses called. When he learned I had only 5 large bags full he said that wasn't enough to bother coming to pick up. I did give some to a man who raises rabbits. He said he would check later for more. Never heard from him again.

Reply to
G. Ross

Another consumers of wood-chips are the potters that do "pit firing". If you find one that does a lot, they are after every bag they can get

Glen Lucas (?), a production turner in Ireland sells all his chips to a local dairy.

Reply to
Ralph E Lindberg

The first time I attempted to split some sweet gum for the fireplace I found out why the guy who was giving it away smiled as I cut it down and hauled it off. Impossible to split. One of my 2 wedges got stuck in the middle and it resisted all efforts to remove it. Finally threw the whole piece in the fireplace and when it finally burned up I got my wedge back.

I am assuming that the heat of the fireplace ruined the temper of the wedge. The next time I used it a large piece broke off the side and left me with a nasty cut on my shin.

Jim

Reply to
athiker

Yep. Like splitting plywood. I did the same in my earlier years but managed to retrieve the wedge. Generally useless wood but it turns well and makes a beautiful bowl.

I will put a snapshot of my last one on ABPW. Filled in a knot with black epoxy, turquoise and brass chips.

Reply to
G. Ross

Thanks for posting the bowl picture. Nice work, nice wood. Amazing that a tree so worthless for much else except pulp wood, can be used in turning.

I turned a few pieces about 20 years ago and have just recently became interested in turning again. I can use my ShopSmith as a lathe until I am sure that I want to make the investment in a lathe. I am saving up for some tools.

Probably 2 years ago I had a very funny looking tree down in the pasture next to a ditch. About 30 inches acroos at the bottom and tapered to the top at probably 30 feet. Very few limbs. I decided to take it down and asked a 75 year old retired minister who sells firewood if he would like to have it. He was eager so we cut it down and started making short logs. Strange wood pattern was noticed. We finally had everything cut to length. Pieces were very heavy and we had to roll the thicker pieces into the loader on the tractor to get them in his pickup.

About lunch the first load was finished and he left to unload and have dinner. Before he left I suggested he see how his powered splitter handled the wood.

He returned after lunch with the results. Not at all good. Impossible to split.

Turned out to be what the locals call a pencil sweet gum.

The remains of the tree is still on the ground in the pasture. I am thinking I might see if it is still usable.

Jim

Reply to
athiker

Sweetgum - sticky and draws ants. I had two 100' trees - one died and the other started dropping limbs - 4-6" in diameter as the top was eaten up by heavy winds and storms. Both required special hauling ability due to the weight of the large diameter logs. The two went to a local BIO-electric plant- chipping machine and use.

Mart> Ralph E L>> >>

Reply to
Martin Eastburn

On Thu, 20 Mar 2014 4:44:32 -0500, G. Ross wrote (in message ):

I've never worked with sweetgum or dogwood. Know nothing about them, but I am told you can recognize dogwood by its bark. tom

Reply to
tom koehler

Absolutely!

Dogwood trees are generally small, but the wood is homogenous. No sapwood or heartwood. In an 8 inch tree the pith is about 3/4 to 1 inch diameter, all the rest is nice solid wood all the way to the bark. No real grain pattern, just pink, smooth cutting wood. It is very hard. Used to be used for loom shuttles because it didn't wear and the more it is used the smoother it gets.

I can send you a roughed out bowl if you want to wait for it to dry and turn it.

Reply to
G. Ross

On Fri, 28 Mar 2014 18:15:17 -0500, G. Ross wrote (in message ):

I have been remiss in my duties as a moderately responsible adult, in responding to your offer. I appreciate your generous offer. I will, however, have to decline. I can't clearly explain why, other than I would feel odd, somehow...not able to reciprocate. I will thank you, and take the thought for the deed. tom

Reply to
tom koehler

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