Thread: Norfolk Island Pine

Slabs for tables and boards for furniture come to mind but I'm toooo far away!

Turners like log sections of NIP around where the branches are to get the knot pattern in large bowls and hollow vessels.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=n...w=1123&bih=851

Made my telecaster from NIP.
Its not as dense as most so not to heavy.
Think my 1 inch blackwood body is heavier than 2 inch NIP.

Because the knots go all the way to the centre of the log, my understanding is that this causes a weak point across the slabs, depending on depth cut I guess. Old growth logs of the size you mention usually has the beautiful central spalting started. This is certainly preferred by woodturners (see link in TL's post) in lieu of the blue stain in TL's posted photo

Originally Posted by dai sensei

Because the knots go all the way to the centre of the log, my understanding is that this causes a weak point across the slabs, depending on depth cut I guess. Old growth logs of the size you mention usually has the beautiful central spalting started. This is certainly preferred by woodturners (see link in TL's post) in lieu of the blue stain in TL's posted photo

Yes the blue stain is a bit ugly, but I was just trying to find a pic of the logs.

Recall some turner here did a piece with the knots nicely aligned with the form. V. spekky.

I'm not seeing much local NIP showing the colour (the red and green before oil treatment).

Once had a trailer load of the stuff with traces of it and a Hawaii turner advised that it could be promoted by spraying a sugar solution on the end grain and keeping the log ends wrapped in plastic. Didn't work on my stash.

Apart from that, I did some green turning to final thickness of the load and it was the most stable timber I've ever seen (having been felled in winter would've helped).

Thanks to all who have posted but it appears that the log has no future other than bowl blanks and most turners have no money for blanks so it will end up on the burn heap unless I decide to slab it but i'm probably too late for the staining. Fingers crossed something comes us as it seems too good to burn. Ps the bees love the sap at the end of the logs.

why not mill them and then make them into boxes and sell them to bee keepers for their hives?
Cheers WC

Originally Posted by rsser

Recall some turner here did a piece with the knots nicely aligned with the form. V. spekky.

I'm not seeing much local NIP showing the colour (the red and green before oil treatment).

Once had a trailer load of the stuff with traces of it and a Hawaii turner advised that it could be promoted by spraying a sugar solution on the end grain and keeping the log ends wrapped in plastic. Didn't work on my stash...

Try to find some orange wood fungus growing on dead wood, crush it up to make a porridge like mix and place on some preferable mouldy concrete, then place the logs end grain down into it. Make sure it is in the direction the tree grows, ie top up, and cover top but with air gap. Keep the porridge mix wet and the log should suck the moisture and spores up. If you can't get any fungus, just mouldy concrete can work.

Originally Posted by comgreserv

Thanks to all who have posted but it appears that the log has no future other than bowl blanks and most turners have no money for blanks so it will end up on the burn heap unless I decide to slab it but i'm probably too late for the staining. Fingers crossed something comes us as it seems too good to burn. Ps the bees love the sap at the end of the logs.

Such a shame to burn it. You are right though, woodturners are a stingy mob .

How long are the distances between the branches? Do the trunks have the old growth star spalting in the middle seen at the ends? See here for example I did a while back https://www.woodworkforums.com/f8/nip-wip-121263/

Perhaps cut either side of the branches for woodturning blanks and slab the between sections for smaller coffee tables etc.

I'll be by you way in Mar/Apr, happy to lend a hand if not too late, send me a PM if you want to catch up.

Cheers