Slash

What part of the country is that from? Is it from the US?

There are a lot of different kinds of pine, and most have fairly localized nicknames, so a location might help those who might recognize it.

I would say on the whole that pine cuts OK, but leaves a good amount of tearout. If the growth rings are close together, it >might< be one of the harder, yellow pines.

Robert

Robert, the Slash Pine, Yellow Slash Pine AKA Swamp Pine, latin name Pinus elliottii. A hard pine, fast growing, native to the most south eastern part of the US. I have no knowledge as to turning quality, but it is pine, so probably relatively soft and tearout might be a problem, also the sanding, for the difference in soft early wood and harder late wood. Might be good for architectural turning though, best way to find out is to "give it a spin" ;-))) Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Hi Delbert

Turning softwoods, it depends a lot on what you want to turn from it, spindle turning is probably just fine, faceplate turning might be a problem, but I don't really know. For I don't have turned any slash Pine, but I would say, Best way to find out is to try it. Maybe Arch has turned some and will chime in. Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

If it is this stuff

I have turned it. As a house framer in my younger years this is what we made beams, roof strutures, and engineered pieces from. It is hard when cured out to dry, and brittle. But the straighter grained pieces can be really strong, and I still use them as the wood of choice for any structure needs when remodeling.

It also make great jig materials (remember - no cheap maple around here!) and as fences, patterns, and eventool cabinetry will wear like iron. I have used it many times to make cupped wooden quill and drive spurs.

Because of its high sap content, it smells great when you cut it or turn it. But there tear out (on the older pieces - chip out) is enormous. No telling how much sanding was done to get to this piece:

Great to practice on, but there is a lot more fun wood to turn. As always, just my .02.

Robert

Deb, The slash pine I know and once cruised grows in S.E. USA, particularly in S. Georgia and N. Florida. Unless you don't have any other timber to turn, I don't advise turning it. It's southern yellow pine (SYP), a strong straight timber, but can be resinous and gummy. The bark is rough, loose and unattractive and the tree usually grows rapidly with wide growth rings. SYP is great for making marine piles, dimension lumber, turpentine, rosin and paper, but it's not great for turning, at least in my opinion. However some people turn ficus, but I think it was John Jordan who said that life's too short to turn sorry wood or something like that. :)

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

elliottii.