RSD
26th August 2020, 07:05 PM
Just wondering if anyone has ever woodturned pittosporum? I've been offered some to play with.
TTIT
27th August 2020, 01:31 PM
Depends on which of the Pittosporums you're referring to but the one we have out here (Cattlebush - P.angustifolium) is fine for turning.
Cattle bush (http://www.ttit.id.au/treepages/cattlebush.htm)
RSD
27th August 2020, 02:17 PM
Depends on which of the Pittosporums you're referring to but the one we have out here (Cattlebush - P.angustifolium) is fine for turning.
Cattle bush (http://www.ttit.id.au/treepages/cattlebush.htm)
Sorry should have been more specific - I think that it is a sweet pittosporum.
TTIT
27th August 2020, 04:46 PM
As long as you do something to prevent the borers it should be fine - can't be too different to CattleBush. Might also be susceptible to a bit of fungal attack but if you are roughing it out green you'll be OK.
I seem to remember Skew ChiDAMN turning some of this stuff many years ago - he might spot this and tell you more if you're lucky.
code4pay
27th August 2020, 07:20 PM
I'm not sure which we have here on the coast but when it dries it is tight grained, quite hard timber seems pretty featureless though
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Skew ChiDAMN!!
27th August 2020, 08:32 PM
In the past I've turned several species of Pittosporum, mainly those endemic to suburban Vic.
The only two I can remember off-hand are P. Eugenioides and P. Tenuifolium. (sp?)
I can't say that I've turned any that were suitable for hedges, as seems to be popular now, but they might have been. The wood I sourced was all from largish trees with 10" or larger trunks... perhaps with care they could've been kept smaller.
That being said, I found it quite alright for turning although some species seemed prone to splintering. That could've been due to the way I dried it at the time... at one stage I had about 4 tonne of the stuff that needed drying, so was doing a lot of experimentation with 'alternative' methods. I'm pretty sure I still have some naturally dried in my turning blanks, :rolleyes:
'Tis a pretty bland timber, although several times I noticed that microwaving added quite pretty honey coloured swirls that were independent of the grain direction.
IMO it's best used when you don't want flashy grain; perhaps to highlight the form or let some other timber or feature stand out.
brainstrust
30th August 2020, 11:18 PM
I'm not sure which we have here on the coast but when it dries it is tight grained, quite hard timber seems pretty featureless though
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i'm with you, nothing to write home about or even think of picking up a pen!