Thread: Remember when camphor laurel was a weed?

What is the problem?

• Little one are weeds,
• Big one are nice timber.

Easy.

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

What is the problem?

• Little one are weeds,
• Big one are nice timber.

Easy.

It's an, to each their own, sort of taste. I think the wood is ugly beyond anything. For me personally I couldn't stomach making any sort of decent furniture out of it. YMMV

It's its like every tree that grows as fast as bamboo, it's crap even to burn.

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I picked up some sizeable chunks from a local arborist for bowl turning for some practice turning

Ive read so much about how poisonous it is in fine woodworking and other magazines that I’m not sure I want to turn it on the lathe even either a respirator

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Yeah, nah. Makes good drawer sides. Smells good too.

That does look good for drawer sides, I keep Douglas fir for this purpose also. Great to work with but camphor comes up way nicer.

I should try cut some up for sides

It’s a good timber to use in winter. Cleans the sinuses out. And the big stuff is great for fine slab furniture because it holds batten screws really well eh. Seriously I don’t know about price but some of it is quite pretty, it’s easy to work and it’s a resource…

Any time we can turn something officially classified as rubbish, or even worse, noxious, into a useful product it can't be all bad surely. Granted it may not be everybody's cup of tea. I think back in history it was favoured for blanket boxes as the camphor smell deterred moths. The smell is distinctive and not unpleasant to my nose, but the grain is very open.

Regards
Paul

+1 for smells good. It's oil one of the key ingredients in Vicksburg vapour rub!

Well for starters it is not a lousy wood.
Nor is the tree an ugly weed.

I've milled Camphor in the past and can report the timber is exceptionally figured and displays a wonderful range of colours.
Most worthy!

Log Dog

Only an opinion folks!!

Just to clarify. I don't consider turned pieces as furniture. For me it's an entirely different craft that has it's own rules regarding choice of wood.

But I'll say why I think that with the pics below. By n large I'm suspecting that most here would consider the Georgian tallboy examples below are ugly, but that's not the point here, it's the choice of wood and how it impacts the overall design and outcome. When you have highly figured wood it can easily overwhelm and become an assault on the eyes, even if the piece is of a spectacular quality. Proportions, style and design are all of an incredibly high standard on both of them, but for me the mahogany one is much better because the wood doesn't overpower it. Obviously no one would ever consider making antique reproductions from camphor laurel but even in modern furniture I find the grain to be too figured and contrasting and quite frankly - ugly. It robs the maker of showcasing their skill because it commands too much attention. Even on a simple but elegant trestle table in a kitchen/dining room. Instead of the design and joinery of the wedged trestles being part of the showcase it's lost in the top. Might was well throw the slab on some metal legs and be done with it. YMMV.

Originally Posted by The Spin Doctor

Only an opinion folks!!

Yeah well, you know what they say about those.

Obviously there are pieces for which it isn't appropriate. But your opening shot was "It's still an ugly weed". Doesn't quite have the nuance of your second post.

Originally Posted by The Spin Doctor

Only an opinion folks!!


But I'll say why I think that with the pics below. By n large I'm suspecting that most here would consider the Georgian tallboy examples below are ugly, but that's not the point here, it's the choice of wood and how it impacts the overall design and outcome. When you have highly figured wood it can easily overwhelm and become an assault on the eyes, even if the piece is of a spectacular quality. Proportions, style and design are all of an incredibly high standard on both of them, but for me the mahogany one is much better because the wood doesn't overpower it. Obviously no one would ever consider making antique reproductions from camphor laurel but even in modern furniture I find the grain to be too figured and contrasting and quite frankly - ugly. It robs the maker of showcasing their skill because it commands too much attention. Even on a simple but elegant trestle table in a kitchen/dining room. Instead of the design and joinery of the wedged trestles being part of the showcase it's lost in the top. Might was well throw the slab on some metal legs and be done with it. YMMV.

Only an opinion folks... I never understood why people say this when they offer an opinion and then others offer a different opinion. It's almost like stating mine is an opinion and the other is something else...


How do you think those antiques would have looked when made? Certainly not as muted as they are now. You only have to search for images of antique kusunoki cabinetry to find examples of beautiful antique Japanese cabinetry made with camphor wood. Beautiful muted cabinetry.

I find both of those chests are beautiful.

YKMMV