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The Turning Green Paradox

Turning, by its very nature, is a dynamic process. From fresh cut tree to roughed shape can be a matter of an hour or two. But then you wait - for weeks or several months, before you can do the "finish" turning

- and finishing. On the other hand, if you want to go rough to finished piece in one turning session - you have to start with dry wood - which took months or maybe a year or more to dry, and more than a bit of care to keep it from cracking, checking or splitting - too badly.

Green wood is often readily available - and free. Dry wood is a bit harder to find - and seldom free. In either case, whether you pay in time or money, your going to pay, even though the actual turning is quick - and almost free (unless of course you have one of the Gonzo Humongous lathes that dim the lights in the neighborhood when you turn it on).

Turning sure is an odd branch of woodworking.

charlie b

Reply to
charlieb
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Not really. If you can accept some non-roundness, finish turning green is an interesting twig off this odd branch, and cheap/easy enough that you should give it a try. You turn with the intention that it will go oval, or even potato-chip (or hat...)

Reply to
Ecnerwal

One of the advantages of CRS is that the piece you roughed and set aside back when is almost a new thing when you grab it to do some turning of an evening. I leave my stuff thicker - maybe an inch - than it needs to be to regain circularity at desired thickness because I have a number of roughs of this and that stashed in various places around the house I can pick, restyle and even re-finish. When impatient I cut them a little thinner, sacrificing restyling room so they're dry in a month, but it takes some really special need. Mostly I rough when the wood's fresh and re-turn when I need a piece or stock for a show.

I get the fun of creating in my mind, if not in reality, when I turn green, and the instant gratification (OK, an hour or two maybe) of mounting a dry blank and getting the first coat on in one sitting. Works for me, and it's way ahead of buying dried squares or drying squares with the risks involved there. Of course I do occasionally run across weird shapes that prompt me to ask "what was I thinking?" Some have been reshelved a dozen times pending return of original inspiration. No sense spoiling a good idea with the requirements of the present.

Betting every one of us who's a flat worker also has some obviously pre-cut pieces for a project we can't remember stacked out of the way for space and cleanliness.

Reply to
George

umm.... I think you just told them about that free night, Darrell... *g*

Reply to
mac davis

Exactly

Reply to
Ralph E Lindberg

Another issue of course is the use of fancy wood (read exotic, read pricy). This always comes in dry format but can probably not be avoided. Hmmm, maybe we can start a new business of importing chunks of green cocobolo. max

Ralph E Lindberg :

Reply to
Max63

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