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Sawdust Maker
11th February 2008, 09:41 PM
A young lady I work with (all ladies are young when you're my age :rolleyes:) has to remove a liquidamber from her backyard. It was apparently hit by lightning and it's a fairly large tree.

She'll put aside as much as I want.:)

Is it any good for turning? Dry or wet? :?

Tony Morton
11th February 2008, 09:46 PM
Hi Sawdust Maker

Yes liquid Amber is a good timber for turnin, Ive turned it green but there is a lot of shrinkage turns better seasoned can be prone to cracking during seasoning. Acrisp cutting timber fairly hard and dense creamy rey colour.

Cheers Tony

wheelinround
11th February 2008, 10:27 PM
need any help SDM :D

I have seen turning out of Liquid Amber :2tsup:

rsser
12th February 2008, 09:32 AM
Only done one bit.

Little figure, boring colour and it soaked up oil finish like it grew on trees (ahem).

Maybe it was just that specimen.

joe greiner
12th February 2008, 10:32 PM
Had to Google that one. One of the hits indicates our Sweet Gum is one of its species. I've turned a few pieces. Ho-hum grain, but nice to turn. Bowls turned green warp like mad and develop small cracks if the pith is included. Here's a small bowl with burnt rings: http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=49961

The fine grain also makes nice finials. You could probably pierce skin with this one: http://n-fl-woodturners.org/images/2007-02/2007-02-15.jpg

Joe

Sawdust Maker
16th February 2008, 03:36 PM
Thanks everyone
I'll give some a go and see what comes of it
cheers

Skew ChiDAMN!!
16th February 2008, 06:44 PM
I thought I'd already replied to this, but obviously not, so...

I felled a Liquid Amber quite some time back - long enough ago for it to have dried a year or two ago - and found it to be much as Ern says. Little figure and bland grain. I found it held nice, crisp lines and took texturing from a chatter tool well. (Better on the end-grain than the long grain but that's chatter-work for you anyway. [shrug])

All in all, it was nice stuff to turn when dried and, as with most bland woods, would be a good choice for an ornate piece where the turning is the feature. Or if you want to experiment with forms without needing to worry about showing the grain to it's best advantage...

TTIT
16th February 2008, 11:34 PM
................ Little figure and bland grain. I found it held nice, crisp lines and took texturing from a chatter tool well. (Better on the end-grain than the long grain but that's chatter-work for you anyway. [shrug])

All in all, it was nice stuff to turn when dried and, as with most bland woods, would be a good choice for an ornate piece where the turning is the feature. Or if you want to experiment with forms without needing to worry about showing the grain to it's best advantage...So is this stuff going to replace the pittosporum Skew??:; Ain't it grand that there are woods like this for us to experiment with instead of using the 'good stuff'! For me it's albizia lebbek and Sally wattle - easy to get hold of and easy to work :U

Skew ChiDAMN!!
17th February 2008, 02:21 AM
:D

Actually, 'twas what I was using before the Pittosporum. I still have a bit left and think I'll switch back to it, 'cos the Preposterous has dried fully now and is a bit like turning rock.

I must admit that I think it's very kind of Maw nature to supply us with something besides crapiata to practice on. :;

Caveman
17th February 2008, 04:49 PM
So is this stuff going to replace the pittosporum Skew??:; Ain't it grand that there are woods like this for us to experiment with instead of using the 'good stuff'! For me it's albizia lebbek and Sally wattle - easy to get hold of and easy to work :U

:o Albizia lebbek to practice on???

Must be different to the one I know!
Does it look like this little bowl???
Had some little borers in the sapwood so had to turn this quickly the other day.

Cr@ppy photo's but you get the idea - wish I could find more.

TTIT
18th February 2008, 12:13 AM
:o Albizia lebbek to practice on???

Must be different to the one I know!
Does it look like this little bowl???
Had some little borers in the sapwood so had to turn this quickly the other day.

Cr@ppy photo's but you get the idea - wish I could find more.That's the stuff! It's a declared pest out here now Andy :o - pops up everywhere. Most of the big ones around the towns and stations ('farms' for the non-bushies) were planted decades ago for shade and now their offspring are common as muck. All the stuff I got has mold in the sapwood instead of borers 'cos I had some storage problems when I first got it - doesn't pay to store it under plastic I found :B. The one in the picture was the only thing I got before the mold kicked in :C


Ooops - I think we've hijacked a thread again!!!:doh:

Sawdust Maker
18th February 2008, 10:05 AM
Doesn't look as dead boring as I thought you were saying:U I might get a little bit more than I first thought - bit of a problim this wood scavenging, SWMBO is making comments about woodpiles taking over the backyard:rolleyes:

Is that a bit of your brass filling down the bottom TTIT?

TTIT
18th February 2008, 12:48 PM
................ - bit of a problim this wood scavenging, SWMBO is making comments about woodpiles taking over the backyard:rolleyes:

Is that a bit of your brass filling down the bottom TTIT?Wood scavenging is NOT a problem!!!! Like I keep telling the guy's chasing me with the straightjacket, it's the people who don't scavenge that have the problem :;:U

I think there was a bit of brass fill on that one SM - handy stuff for holey wood!:2tsup:

rsser
18th February 2008, 12:58 PM
LoL.

Sawdust, tell the missus you're building up a bank.

Leaving it quietly to appreciate for your old age. Tell her you're saving by spending etc etc.