African Wild Olive

[Caveman]

G'day all - here's some wood that should be a bit of a change to what you're used to seeing.

Turned these recently out of our wild olive - Olea europaea ssp. africana - t'is a lovely wood to use - really hard (only tolerates real sharp tools and fairly fine 'nibbling' cuts), but leaves a great finish off the tool and generally needs little sanding. Heartwood can be quite varied in colouring & pattern.

Natural edged effort is about 7" x 3.5" - the bark was starting to fly off so I had to remove it by hand. The other bowl is about 9" x 5" and a piece I particularly like.
Finished with B.L.O. & then beeswax.

Hope you like 'em - sure was fun making them.

[BernieP]

G'Day Andy

Very nice and unusual wood, love the contrasting grain detail and also turning work, thanks for sharing

Cheers
Bernie

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

At first glance I thought "Camphor Laurel." On closer look, Wow! :D That first bowl is a beauty!

I like the organic edge of the second one but somehow it doesn't seem (to me) to really suit the grain. I'd have liked to have seen it before the bark seperated, but... :shrug:

[Cliff Rogers]

I'm with Skew.... I like the 1st one the best. :2tsup:

Beautiful.

[hughie]

Andy the first one is definitely a keeper :2tsup: , shame about the bark flying off it, it has not done the bowl any favours.

[joe greiner]

Hope you like 'em - sure was fun making them.

Your prayer has been answered. I had fun just looking at them.:2tsup:

Joe

[Rum Pig]

Well done Andy:brava it is sensational looking wood. I'm still learning about turning but seeing work/wood like this just gets me wanting to turn anything and everything just to see if it has hidden beauty like your bowl:eheheh:.

Cheers Justin

[ciscokid]

Very nice wood. Never heard of that variety. First rate turning and very good photography. Wish I could take pictures like that.

[Toolin Around]

That's a really nice wood (oops timber :D ) Nice bowls also :2tsup: Does anyone know if it can be had here.

[Frank&Earnest]

I do not know about the subspecies, but I have stored a largish quantity of mediterranean olive timber for 25 years. There was no "significant trees" legislation then, so when the neighbours made me cut them down I felt obliged to save at least the timber. From their size they must be very close, if not the very first batch imported here from Sicily around 1850. Given that I plan to use mostly small pieces for netsuke, I might be convinced to part from some of it... Unfortunately I think I have more timber than years to work it. You know the saying: can't take it with you...

[Gil Jones]

Fine work, Andy, and very nice wood!!

[rsser]

... mediterranean olive:

That can be beautiful stuff too F&E, esp natural edge. Fine swirling figure. Let me know if you'd like to consider a timber swap.

[Frank&Earnest]

Hi Ern. Thanks for the offer, but at the moment I was not thinking swaps (unless you have a special timber that we can take with us...:D :D :D ), more about spreading it around to people who can appreciate it as a gift. I have not yet found a local woodies club, will see how it pans out. I might also mill part of it and flog it for $20 per 100^3 like the guy who put an ad on this forum some months ago (look at the link: the timber looked rather cr**py and there were no takers, it seems :U ).
If you have a specific project in mind let me know. If I just happen to have what you need, we might find a way...
Cheers
Frank

[old_picker]

Beautiful work, nice timber and great pics.
well done I have no preferance, each piece is a work of art for me.

I would love to get hold of some of this wood for a guitar project I am planning.
Would prolly split and book match the grain. Dunno how we could do it but maybe a link to your supplier?

Also interested in seeing pics of your olive frank. Would love to swap some for money
If thats what you have in mind. Needs to be striking for a showcase type guitar

Here is one I am working now with a canadian big leaf maple face.
pm me if you want to cut a deal.

http://www.carltonguitars.com.au/resources/Image/thinline1/pre_body-routs_001.jpg

I've done a bit to it since this pic but gives you an idea of what i'm after.
doesnt need to be flame or quilt etc but a stiking grain pattern bookmatched always looks killer

[Wayne Blanch]

I tend to agree with Skew, I also like the first one, that timber is great and I like the shape of the lip on the first bowl. All in all yet another great effort Andy.:2tsup:

[Frank&Earnest]

Hi Rayc. Yes, I have timber that would look good as in your photo. I made a few photos of a couple of old items made on the ancient equivalent of a GMC lathe to show you the figure (not the skill unfortunately :D ) but i can't work out how to post the @#$% things yet. Virtually identical to Caveman's bowls, though. (Again, the figure, not the skill :(. Well done C!) As he says, this timber is hard and rather unforgiving. Large pieces tend to crack, although 1/4 century of natural drying should be a reasonable bet. Are you sure it is suitable for what you want? If you are, let me know what size pieces you are after and we will see what we can do.

[TTIT]

Fantastic looking timber Andy. Pity I'll never find any around here. Lovely work mate!:2tsup:

[Frank&Earnest]

Finally managed, I hope. At half time, Frank 1, senility 0

[Caveman]

G'day - thanks all for the real nice comments.

I believe that mediteranean/european olive is very similar in how it looks - certainly should do as ours is a sub species - the pictures I've seen of other work using it look very close to it.

[old_picker]

Hi Rayc. Yes, I have timber that would look good as in your photo. I made a few photos of a couple of old items made on the ancient equivalent of a GMC lathe to show you the figure (not the skill unfortunately :D ) but i can't work out how to post the @#$% things yet. Virtually identical to Caveman's bowls, though. (Again, the figure, not the skill :(. Well done C!) As he says, this timber is hard and rather unforgiving. Large pieces tend to crack, although 1/4 century of natural drying should be a reasonable bet. Are you sure it is suitable for what you want? If you are, let me know what size pieces you are after and we will see what we can do.

That timber looks real nice. the size of a guitar top is roughly 480mmm X 200mm by as thick as you like minimum of 20mm to resaw into bookmatch set. Obviously thicker gives more sets. Got anything that size ? The more figire the better That guitar shown earlier has a cap of big leaf maple which is as hard as the hobs of hell and twists in front of your eyes as soon as you put a machine near it.
Absolutely a nightnare.:oo:

like to see pics if you have.anything

[Frank&Earnest]

Hi everybody. My apologies for having hijacked this thread, later on I might open another under timber if I want to flog some. Just not to leave this hanging, here are a few more explanatory photos. The first one is another gobled turned fom a smaller branch of the same trees. All three are 186 high, the goblet is 96 wide at the top and the balloon glasses in the previous photos are 110 wide. Wall thickness 3mm for the goblet, thickening to about 10 in the middle for the balloons.

The other pics are of a small log 500 high that I have had cut (don't own a bandsaw yet) to get a 105 thick slab from the centre, with the idea that it could be cut in the middle to get two 50 thick, or squared off to get a 105x150x500 blank. The outside pieces I was thinking of cutting crosswise in 3 roughly 150x150 <> 200x200 pieces for shallow bowls, to take advantage of the rounded back. (TTIT and other aussies: if you like, you could send me a prepaid addressed postpack <500 grams and i'll give you one - you will have to post the picture of what you got out of it though!:) )

Any ideas about this and how to get the most out of the trunks and the gnarled huge boles would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Frank

[paul collins]

real nice grain in those bowls ,first one is a stun:2tsup: ner.