Getting the most out of the log

**turnerted** · 2nd December 2010, 05:18 PM

G'day
About six months ago my wife and I were visiting some public gardens on the southern outskirts of Sydney when I heard the whine of a chain saw . On investigating I found the gardeners were cutting up a large log with brilliant red colouring in it . I introduced myself and asked if I could have a bit . No problem . The boss loaded a log into his wheelbarrow and took it to my car and helped load it in . He said the tree was Acer negudo . Looking this up when I got home I found this was Box Elder and the red colouring is caused by a fungal infection ,presumably the reason it was being removed.
When cutting it up , I got two slabs from the middle about 90mm thick . The timber outside still had good colour so I got two more slabs about 60mm thick .
One of the centre slabs gave me the large bowl shown 330mmx80mm and from the core I got the smaller bowl shown 260mmx40mm .The other four bowls are roughed out waiting for me to finish them off .
The log was a fair bit longer than the diameter so from the offcut I got about a dozen bangle blanks . When I make bangles I core them out with a hole saw and the plugs still had good colour in them so I made a set of pendant earings out of a plug but that didn't use all the plug so I made a key holder too. Even though these were endgrain they still finished well .
The bowls are finished with DO and the others were sprayed with gloss estapoll
I don't like to waste wood.Unfortunatly the rest of this brilliant timber probably went to the tip.
Ted

**John T** · 2nd December 2010, 07:43 PM

HI FROM JOHN T in tassie some very nice turned bowls

its a shame the rest of the box elder went to the tip to good for that.

**Sawdust Maker** · 2nd December 2010, 09:03 PM

Bluudy nice
'shame about the bit that I didn't get

**Pat** · 2nd December 2010, 09:33 PM

Nick, I think it's Ted's turn for a little meeting.

Good work Ted, always inspirational to see your work.

**Ad de Crom** · 2nd December 2010, 10:13 PM

Ted, wonderful turnings, what a very beautiful colored wood.
Very good hearing a chainsaw, happens not so much, at least not to me.
The last time that I heard a chainsaw, was last year in the garden of my neighbor, with cutting down a magnolia tree, and a bit later the tree was mine

Ad.

**TTIT** · 2nd December 2010, 10:20 PM

Like neopolitan ice-cream - Yummy

**thefixer** · 2nd December 2010, 11:42 PM

Why does that never happen to me. Whenever I hear a chainsaw it's either a conifer or another bloody gum tree.

**Nai84** · 3rd December 2010, 02:07 AM

Hey Ted

WWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW that is some lovely wood you got thier those bowls look fantastic and the jewellery is to die for

I am gonna be a bit checky

do you have small of cuts that would be good for making pens

once again nice pieces

Ian

**robo hippy** · 3rd December 2010, 05:13 AM

Box elder is a lovely wood. The red/pink color does come from a fungus or bacteria that is particular to the tree, and does not seem to cause any health issues. Only down side is that the color oxidizes to browns as it ages.

robo hippy

**artme** · 3rd December 2010, 07:14 AM

Beautiful timber there Ted and very nice turnings too!!

**Ed Reiss** · 3rd December 2010, 01:18 PM

Nicely done

**Ozceltic63** · 3rd December 2010, 01:23 PM

Nicely done

**turnerted** · 3rd December 2010, 03:49 PM

Nai84
Ian I'll have a look tomorrow . Busy watching the cricket at the moment.
Ted

**Ozceltic63** · 3rd December 2010, 03:56 PM

yeah me too

**TTIT** · 3rd December 2010, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by turnerted

Nai84
Ian I'll have a look tomorrow . Busy watching the cricket at the moment.
Ted

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Thread: Getting the most out of the log

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Getting the most out of the log

bowl turning

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