ID and cut please?

**P1w2** · 22nd July 2013, 11:06 PM

Hi All,
I expect to have good supply due to the council removing these trees in my area over the next few years.(Rowville) At the moment it’s destined for turning practice and firewood. 

I would like some help on how to prepare these logs for turning and its identification; 

What is the best way to cut the logs to make the most of the grain/figure etc?

I intend on turning the timber wet and hope my patience will allow it to dry before finishing. (Otherwise i'll burn it in the microwave (I have my own microwave for this job)). I’m currently turning bowls, platters, lidded boxes and the occasional special request. The logs are on average 400-500mm in diameter by 400-500mm in height.

As for the identification, Goggling Gum tree identification I get close, but not 100%. In my ignorance, I call it a Ghost Gum. What do you think? And will it be any good for keeping my work? 

Peter

**Paul39** · 23rd July 2013, 04:15 AM

Do a search on Google and on this forum. Here is a start:

https://www.google.com/#gs_rn=21&gs_...iw=853&bih=484

**Drillit** · 23rd July 2013, 08:57 AM

Hello P1w2,
I chainsawed some yesterday about this size. Wet camphor laurel.
What I do is I mark out with chalk the width of the slabs from the centre line (through the heart). So from the centre line measure off
(say) the width of a piece each side of the centre line. This means the outside with bark will be waste unless
you want to turn some thin slabs with bark on or remove it. I used it as firewood for a neighbour. I then use a level and chalk mark around the log progressively so that
the (2) slabs are about equal in depth. I then chainsaw progressively around the log folloowing the chalk marks starting on the top, down
one side, across the bottom and the other side. Thus 2 slabs. Today I will mark out the blanks and cut them on the big bandsaw.
You can then either seal and leave or turn wet and leave to dry. Some guys actually put the slabs into a mix of water and detergent an leave
submerged for about 10 days so as to strip the juice out of the wood and let dry. If you are going to use a microwave, be very careful not to boil
the wood as it will explode and destroy all and sundry. Some say 20 seconds in micro and 5 minutes out to cool and then repeat. A long and arduous process, me thinks,
that I have never used. I mark the blanks with the timber specie, date and put away. If you rough wet turn, most seem to put the piece into a brown paper bag or wrap in newspaper
with the shavings and leave. I generally cut the blanks, seal and leave for a couple of years. I often give 2 coats of end grain sealer. You can buy this commercially
or make it up yourself. There are plenty of recipes around, like PVA & talc to a creamy consistency. Hope this helps. Drillit.

**quercus** · 25th July 2013, 01:40 AM

looks like yellow gum to me - Eucalyptus leucoxylon, which can be a variable tree. Commonly planted as a street tree in some areas. Could also be Yellow Box - Eucalyptus melliodora. Flowering about now around melbourne with a nice sweet smell, but the bark looks too smooth. could also possibly be Eucalyptus scoparia - white gum.
My money based on the fuzzy photos is Yellow gum. Not sure of its turning qualities.

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