Thread: Camphor Laurel Root for Turning

Roots have wonderful crazy grain structure. They also have embedded abrasive dirt, rocks, broken glass and metal chunks.


When you get it out of the ground, wash off with stream of water or pressure washer. Lacking that, let it dry and beat it with a club or big hammer to get as much of the dirt off as possible. Gouge out dirt and rocks with an old screw driver. Wire brush where you will make the saw cut and cut into manageable pieces.

For roughing on the lathe, I use a sharpened scrap rotary lawn mower blade. It is sharpened frequently as needed like a scraper, about 80 degree angle. I also have a tool of 5/8 inch square mystery metal ground like a scraper. Anything easily sharpened that you don't care too much about will work.

Once you are down to mostly clean timber use your regular tools. If or when you hear tic, tic, tic, shut down and look for and gouge out the rock, glass, or metal.

It is almost always worth the extra work and wear of tools because of the wonderful swirling grain / figure. Show photos please.

Thanks Paul
Alredy on my third chainsaw blade. Rough turned a bowl and vase and drying them out. The wood is still very wet so I will need to be patient.
Chris

Originally Posted by Paul39

Roots have wonderful crazy grain structure. They also have embedded abrasive dirt, rocks, broken glass and metal chunks.


When you get it out of the ground, wash off with stream of water or pressure washer. Lacking that, let it dry and beat it with a club or big hammer to get as much of the dirt off as possible. Gouge out dirt and rocks with an old screw driver.
Show photos please.

use the local car wash,, late in the evening, Ive done this before loaded 4 big mallee stumps into the ute, down to self car wash, use their water dump the crap at their yard,