Son Tyler calls - somebody's taking down a BIG magnolia tree next to the house he's working on - a kitchen remodel. So I jumps in the little white car (Miata) and tool over to check it out.
While not a Giant Sequoia, for a magnolia - it's a BIG tree - maybe 20+ inch diameter at the ground. And because this was a front yard tree, it was pruned over the years as it grew. So - there's all kinds of crotches and healed over branch pruning cuts. As boards, magnolia is pretty bland
- no contrasting heart wood - basically pale semi-white wood. But crotch and burly pieces, though it's subtle, can have some interesting figure to it.
So I calls The Wood Gatherers of our turning club. These guys know how to use a chainsaw to get the good stuff out of the tree - and cut it up into great starting points for bowls and hollow forms. And as The Finder, I get first picks on stuff.
Mmmmmm - magnolia!
Think I'll borrow back the MiniMonster Captured System I got last May or June - and have a go at doing and end grain hollowed form - and FINALLY use it.
Green wood is fun to turn, especially when it's a wood that's easy to turn. Not a bad start for 2009!
charlie b