Palm Tree

[Skewturn]

Hi All:U

Ive got a couple of questions the first being can you turn timber from a palm tree. Has anyone tried and how did you go. Next a stringy bark tree whats it like to turn I have a little that someone has given to me. Last of all I was cutting some timber into blanks and I understand that you have to cut the pith out but how far each side of the centre point do you go. If anyone has any ideas that would be great. Happy turning.

[TTIT]

I just recently turned egg #498 (http://www.ttit.id.au/eggpage/alleggs.htm#481.) from a common Alexandra palm - really not worth the effort! It's softer than Balsa and grows mould worse than bread. If you wanted to try soaking it in a PVA solution or something else to bind the fibres you might get something out of it but it looks a bit like dirty MDF with strands of cane running through it. :puke: . . . .. IMHO

[Oiliver]

I don't know what type of palm you are refferring to, but I was reading a 'book of bowls' (can't remember it's actual title sorry!) at the library, and someone had turned a bowl from palm. It was VERY fuzzy, so the artist had worked with that and deliberately picked up the fibres as much as possible. They then either dyed the fibres or bleached them, I can't remember which. It looked quite attractive, but obviously that could have just been the photo. And TTIT mentions mould; if that is the case, then all your hard work would be for nothing, there would be no way to clean that off!
So my newby recomendation would be to try a few small rough pieces and see if you can find an acceptable way to handle the fibres and also a good way to preserve the piece. If you succeed to find a good way then best of luck to you! (and you should post it here) :D

Never worked with stringy bark Im sorry.

And for the pith, surely it would matter the size of the log you start with? Im interested to know about this now too, any answers out there people? :)

[TTIT]

The 'how much of the pith to remove?' question is a bag of worms. I have my own theories and practices developed from my own experience but they go against the status quo and probably wouldn't go down too well here. To save arguments and this thread going for forever, just split the log down the pith or as close as you can get to it - there is no need to remove material each side of it.

Stringy bark - only ever turned an egg from it - but typical eucalypt from memory.

[Drillit]

Hello Skewturn,
Only comment...I am advised the fibres stick like glue to your lungs so ensure you are fully kitted up. Ordinary masks are not adequate. Drillit.

[Quinny01]

I have never turned any Palm myself, but am interested to try after seeing the Chista website. They have a number of items made out of what they term Coconut Palm.

I have attached a photo from their website, of a Lamp made out of Coconut Palm. They also have benches constructed from it.

[artme]

You CAN turn palm - provided you have the right type and the right part of the tree.

I have turned several pens from the outside 30mm or so of Cocos palm. Comes up a treat.

Black palm turns well enough as it is very dense.

Ther are several types of Coconut palm. I don't know which one s the best for turning but there is furniture made from a Coconut palm grown commercially in Fiji.A mate of mine gave me couple of offcuts from Coconut palm posts used to build his Bali hut.It has a dense and even distribution of fibres.

you must use VERY SHARP tools and be gentle. Aggression raises the fibres and hell too.

[dai sensei]

There are many many different types of palms and they can be very different. All have the woody portion only on the outside, the inside is fibris or hollow, so can be Ok for hollow forms. The woody part can vary considerably, some a porous crap and other dense fibres.

There is a palm from NZ that is beautiful black and white, the black like ebony, the white like balsa, and also has a lot of voids but can be turned into beautiful things. Coconut palm can also be good and solid, but mainly for very old trees.

Cheers

[Oiliver]

Drillit; I don't suppose you know if that is all palms or just a specific type/or a coconut palm?

Dai Sensei; Being a NZer I am intrigued. Is this palm you are talking about the Nikau palm, or something else? If it is Nikau, then I definitely want to have a play with it! :2tsup:

[dai sensei]

Being a NZer I am intrigued. Is this palm you are talking about the Nikau palm, or something else? If it is Nikau, then I definitely want to have a play with it! :2tsup:

Fernwood, see Fernwood - Home (http://www.fernwood.co.nz/)

[Skewturn]

Thanks for all the info. I can tell you that the bark or skin is a grey colour and the inside is a dark orange red colour. It sounds like I will give it a miss though. I will stick with olive I just found.:U

[ogato]

I have turned a couple of palms and was quite happy with what I produced. Best results with palms that are relatively solid right across the diameter. I found that the bottom meter or so of Bangalow Palms were the best, and I found a couple of Cocos Palms that were OK too.

I turned a couple of Bangalow bowls end grain; using wood hardener to firm up the softer centre section, and I made a couple of flatter Cocos Palm bowls/platters where the outer section was solid but the pith was too spongy.

The browner Bangalow bowl was relatively aged/dry when turned, the bowl in the foreground was turned wet, dried and re-turned which accounts for the colour difference.

Jeff

[KBs PensNmore]

Hi All:U

Ive got a couple of questions the first being can you turn timber from a palm tree. Has anyone tried and how did you go. Next a stringy bark tree whats it like to turn I have a little that someone has given to me. Last of all I was cutting some timber into blanks and I understand that you have to cut the pith out but how far each side of the centre point do you go. If anyone has any ideas that would be great. Happy turning.

Hi Skewturn,
I've made a couple of pens from Palm (dunno what sort though) it was orange with a white string look in it. I rough turned it, coated with CA, then turned to shape with a SHARP Skew adding CA as required, 8 coats of CA and then finished with Micromesh.
Kryn

[Paul39]

The browner Bangalow bowl was relatively aged/dry when turned, the bowl in the foreground was turned wet, dried and re-turned which accounts for the colour difference.

Jeff

The figure on the bowl in the foreground is spectacular! Definitely worth the trouble.

[Seventh Wood]

I was given some palm of unknown species and rough turned a few bowls, but after a rodent invasion in my shed, found that the rats loved the stuff. One bowl blank was almost completely eaten before I discovered the damage. So make sure you keep the palm timber well away from possible attack.

Seventh Wood
Sevenhill, SA