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Grumpy John
1st December 2008, 10:51 AM
I spent the morning roughing out some tea candle holders from some Banksia that was felled in Dec. '06 (pictures will follow). I cut the timber into ~130mm dia x 60 blanks sealed them and stored them on my racks. The tree they were from was growing on the Seaford (Melb. bayside suburb) foreshore so there is probably a fair bit of sand in the timber and this would account for having to sharpen my gouge every second cut :((. I ended up roughing out with my home made Ci1 rougher. The timber was so agressive it even dulled the carbide tip.
Is Banksia normally tough on tools, or is it because of the (probably) high sand content of the pieces I have?

DJ’s Timber
1st December 2008, 11:53 AM
I'd say it be the high silica in the timber, I've turned some and it was sweet to turn, no blunting with my bits :no:

In fact I'm pretty sure I've still got some stashed away somewhere, so I'll see if I can find some of it and you can compare it with your piece if you like.

rsser
1st December 2008, 01:20 PM
I've turned some green with no dramas GJ.

TTIT
1st December 2008, 03:20 PM
Comes back to "You are what you eat!". My stash of Banksia came from a Coffs Harbour creek bank - ie river silt and mud so it was easy turning. If it had come from a tree growing on the beach at the river mouth it would be on a diet of silica like yours GJ.
Look at it as good sharpening practice :U:;

Robomanic
1st December 2008, 09:25 PM
The same Banksia I got from you in that lot GJ? I don't remember it being very abrasive. It was tinder dry though. I think I was very lucky and my P&N's have very good steel in them though.

Grumpy John
1st December 2008, 09:32 PM
The same Banksia I got from you in that lot GJ? I don't remember it being very abrasive. It was tinder dry though. I think I was very lucky and my P&N's have very good steel in them though.

Fair call Shannon, I was using a McJing bowl gouge whick has served me well for a few years now, but the silica content of the Banksia may be a bit much for it. I'm in the process of sharpening my P&N bowl gouge and will have a go with it to finish them off.

Robomanic
2nd December 2008, 07:05 PM
Don't know anything about your technique so I'm just throwing this up there. Since a bit of timely advice at Robo's from Ern, I have been really focusing on my gouge technique. I found that I was letting the tool scrape more than I though whereas now it is slicing 90% of the time. I have found my grinds last 5-10 times longer in hard pieces so that may or may not be a factor for you.

Grumpy John
2nd December 2008, 07:13 PM
Shannon, pretty sure it's not technique we'll compare notes at DJ's.

Robomanic
2nd December 2008, 07:27 PM
...pretty sure it's not technique...

Not surprised.


...we'll compare notes at DJ's...

Sounds good - looking forward to it.

Grumpy John
3rd December 2008, 08:27 AM
Piccies as promised.

silentC
3rd December 2008, 08:40 AM
I made a cabinet from some last year. It does seem to be tough on tools. I went through a bandsaw blade and a set of double-sided thicknesser knives in the process. Mine came from a black sandy soil at Tura Beach, which is basically sand dunes.

Ed Reiss
3rd December 2008, 12:28 PM
Have seen pics of Banksia pods, but never the wood itself....neat looking wood.
Nice oil lamp turning John:2tsup:

silentC
3rd December 2008, 12:33 PM
Have seen pics of Banksia pods, but never the wood itself....neat looking wood.You should see it in the flat:

RETIRED
3rd December 2008, 01:32 PM
You should see it in the flat:You shifted Silent?:DProbably looks good in a house as well.

silentC
3rd December 2008, 01:38 PM
:hahaha:


:yeahright: