Willow and Hackberry question

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Haven't used Willow, but I have turned Hackberry. It is sweet to turn green, but as it dries, it gets hard as a rock. Doesen't do well for pens. Not enough area to see natural figuring, But bowls and platters are very nice.

The Other Bruce. =====================================

Let the hackberry spalt and it will make one of the most spectacular woods for bowls. The contrast between the dark and light areas is outstanding. Also turns great in this state of decay.

Jim

Willow's soft, hackberry light - in color. Willow's darker, hackberry heavier in composition.

If they're logs, lop off a chunk a bit longer than the diameter, rip up the middle and have a turn. I like willow, others don't, so I think there's a lot of how you work involved in "any good."

Oh, hackberry will pick up spalt - signs of fungal invasion - if left wet and warm, willow just seems to rot, so depending on your initial assessment, you might want to process that log first.

Willow is indeed soft and it fuzzes up pretty bad even with very sharp tools and much sanding is needed...having said that, some willow has nice figure and color and is certainly worth the effort, but most of this timber is plain and not very exciting. Hackberry on the other hand is in the elm family and usually has very nice figure and as others have said best rough cut green (dry hackberry is indeed hard) and allowed to dry before finishing...it moves and warps quite a bit. Spalted hackberry is gorgous and rivals spalted maple in my opinion and besides maple is almost non-existent in Central Texas (we do have a rare big toothed maple that grows here). Oh, by the way, you can label a hackberry bowl with its spanish name Palo Blanco. Sorta gives it an exotic air. Keep turning pardner.

Thanks for your help folks! That's what this group is all about. GCS