Hi, I have just been gifted two gunny sacks of Manzanita root. Question is what to do with it? I have never worked with it and I hate to just throw it out. I done a google search but not much came up. I would welcome any tips, suggestions, projects, methods etc on working this wood on the lathe. Thanks,
Hello George,
I've turned quite a bit of it. Generally, you can't turn anything very large because of the breaks and dirt filled areas. Rocks are a real negative thing with manzanita root. They dull your saw blade and your lathe tools.
The stuff is very hard when dry and finishes beautifully. Mostly, I like to use it for high light pieces or inlays.
Fred Holder
I have done a few things with it, and I know another turner who does about the same sort of thing I do..... here is one picture of a large piece which I simply sanded a flat spot on and screwed it on and turned a bowl shaped depression in it...This was perhaps the hardest 'work' I did on the lathe, as the weight wanted to bounce my lathe around...I ended up bracing it against the shop ceiling with a length of 4X4 timber..
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