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Will my luck hold out? Gloat???!!

On my way to work this morning (I work as a computer programmer), at the entrance to my village, I saw some people taking down an Olive tree. This Olive tree was planted as a decoration of sorts for the village entrance, and sadly had died...

It is sad in more than one way to see such a tree (a very old olive tree) die, especialy since one can blame those who moved it in the first place to the current location, from the other one where it was prospering in peace. I'm thinking this post could go in the alt.woodloving group :-)

Anyway for an aspiring wood turner like me, this is the find of the century almost, a fully grown tree with a very wide trunk (can not be lifted without a crane). Sadly I was in a real hurry, otherwise I would have turned around and brought my chainsaw - but there is a lot of pressure at work now, so I had to pass.

I hope that when I get back tonight it will still be there, since no one can just move it... I did ask them to leave it there so I can take it (they were planting a new tree instead). I will get the saw and pray that I don't cut anything worthwhile badly.

Cross your fingers for me... This is turning stock for a long time, the grain patterns of an old,old tree should be something amazing. I will update tonight again.

Reply to
Moshe Eshel
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That's great, Moshe... I know that you have a problem getting wood, and though I've never turned olive, I've heard that it's a beautiful wood that turns nicely..

Mac

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Reply to
mac davis

Moshe,

Olive is a beautiful, aromatic wood to turn, finishes beautifully and _checks like crazy_!! So, make sure you split the pith out and end coat it, ASAP. I've acquired and turned both California and African olive, and like any other fruit tree, the wood is beautiful, but is sometimes heartbreakingly unstable.

Reply to
Chuck

Ohhh Moshe

Darned Moshe, why don't you live some closer, I would come and help get some of that olive wood to my lathe, before it is all splitting and turned on your lathe.

O you sure are lucky if you can get that wood home to turn, it is right up there for most wanted wood, good luck, like they say up here YOU SUCK !!!!!!!!!!

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Reply to
l.vanderloo

I have my fingers crossed for you... what a find that would be. I have seen some beautiful bowls turned from that stuff, but have never seen a bowl blank for sale. I would think that would make it all the more fun to have.

And since I cannot have any, as Leo said, YOU SUCK!

But good luck anyway!

Robert

Reply to
nailshooter41

Finding "the pith" in olive is easier said than done. Those old trees are usually so gnarly you'll mostly be fighting voids that are all but invisible on the surface.

If it's like the olive I've dissected, you'll find the hardest thing is figuring out how to get a bowl out of it without having holes through it. don't worry about "the pith" except to remember it's going to have the best chance of having good solid wood without holes and bark and dirt hidden in it. If you cut it in pieces to "cut out the pith" and only later realize you've cut out the only solid wood, that's a shame.

MOST IMPORTANT THING: clean out all the dirt and rocks with water and crow bars or re-bar or something before you go cutting anything with dirt and rocks.

Reply to
Mark Fitzsimmons

Quick update...

yesterday, after writing the post I sat at work (I won't tell you about my work, nothing to tell) and all I could think about was that tree just lying there. I guess I'm realy addicted to this, all I could do was speculate what it would look like on the inside, is completely dry, or does it have some good parts, etc... and mainly is it still there.

Today on the jewish Purim festivities (it's a neat holiday with a lot of drinking, eating, family gatherings and even costumes...), after everything was over, on a full belly. My younger brother and I went to see what we can do with the tree.

We managed to get more than half of it in a single load in my "truck" (actauly a regular car, but what I load on it qualifies it to the title I think :-)), however, the other half is very problematic since it is covered in mud, and most of it is the begining of the roots. My brother claimed that the mud will wreak havoc on the chainsaw. No way I can get a hose there to wash it away, and no way that I can move it from there without some sort of crane.... Maybe I'll buy an axe and have a go...

Pictures will follow, once I get my brother to download them from his camera. however just one more thing I wanted to share. It still has a lot of oil inside so I think it is very usable, although the middle is hollow. The grain is amazing! I'm not sure if this is spalted or the natural olive color, I have encountered this before in olive but not on such a scale (only small pieces). Pictures will follow...

Reply to
Moshe Eshel

Oh and yes, now I am definitely gloating, a very wide smile on my face, and not from the alcohol, two reasons:

  1. I got the tree.
  2. My brother (the other one) just got engaged.... Happy Happy!
Reply to
Moshe Eshel

Hi Moshe You really have to rub it in don't you . Do you have some hard wood that you can saw into wedges ?? And a big mallet/sledge is also needed. You could maybe split the remaining part of the log, and haul it home, after which you are able to clean and cut up as you see fit. Have fun and take care Leo VanDer Loo

Reply to
l.vanderloo

Hey Leo,

Once I create something that I'm realy proud of I'll let you know, right now I just talk a lot... So don't feel bad, I guess most everyone in this group has turned much more than me and also created things that are much more complicated and nicer than me. Let me gloat about something . after I got the wood I am now of course petrified about ruining it.... I'll seal the logs today and start thinking.

Reply to
Moshe Eshel

Hi Moshe

WE ALL ARE WAITING !!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't think too long, start turning.

HAVE FUN and TAKE CARE Leo Van Der Loo

Reply to
l.vanderloo

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