Thread: A nice score

Thank's for that bit of info Jock. I was only planning on removing one core anyway, as the wood wasn't big enough to get three bowls from when you allow 10% extra for movement. Should I allow 15% on the red alder if it moves so much?

Originally Posted by steck

You are a lucky man ! I didn't want the wood burners to get it!

I roughed out a bowl of the "alleged Birch" this arvo. I got quite wet while turning it! It was easy to turn and looks similar to oak at the moment. There is a bit of tannin in it as some of the lathe bed turned black.
To add some confusion to the debate here is a picture of Birch leaves and of American Beech!

Steve, how thick did you leave the wall and is it in a placcy bag with shavings, or did you wax it? Pictures please, if able

Originally Posted by Grumpy John

Thank's for that bit of info Jock. I was only planning on removing one core anyway, as the wood wasn't big enough to get three bowls from when you allow 10% extra for movement. Should I allow 15% on the red alder if it moves so much?

Yeah , might as well . It could just have been the tree I was working with , but better be safe than sorry.
The wood , when seasoned stays soft , it doesn't harden up like birch and sycamore do . so you should be able to leave a few half rounds un-cored , and see to them in a few years time .
Double wax them tho,

Another alternative John is to finish turn a piece to 2mm thick and wet sand it, an inch at a time from the outside in, and using a light to get uniform thickness. Then let it dry for a month before lightly finish sanding it and oiling. If it doesn't stay round enough, you can hand sand it, or pierce/colour it.

Originally Posted by dai sensei

Another alternative John is to finish turn a piece to 2mm thick and wet sand it, an inch at a time from the outside in, and using a light to get uniform thickness. Then let it dry for a month before lightly finish sanding it and oiling. If it doesn't stay round enough, you can hand sand it, or pierce/colour it.

I'm wasn't game enough to turn this stuff to 2mm thick .
I stuck to 15mm for the big 'un to about 8mm for the third . Salad bowl weight . .
4 out of the one lump so far , might get 1 more out of the top one
The big one is 350 x 145

Originally Posted by Grumpy John

Steve, how thick did you leave the wall and is it in a placcy bag with shavings, or did you wax it? Pictures please, if able

Here is a picture of the 2 of the 3 bowls I got out of the bit of log. I made 1 deep bowl, a shallow bowl and a platter.
It's just over 30 cm diameter and the walls are 3 cm. I use a bowl guage to check that the thickness is roughly uniform.
At the end, I spun it at about 2500 rpm for a couple of minutes to try and get some of the excess moisture out, while blowing it with air from the compressor. ( New experimental technique).
It is now wrapped up in heavy paper, unwaxed.
I don't store my green bowls in the shavings anymore as I found I had more of a problem with mould. Maybe they will work better in warmer weather?
The second bowl I was able to soak in Metho for a few hours. The bigger bowl wouldn't fit in my Metho tub.
As an aside: my little finger turned orange from all the sap it copped while I was turning the wood.

Com'n now John...don't make me come over there to get you stratened out...by now you should be an expert plus on all those woods and you've even got a super-duper shed to play in most of us cellar-dwellers got it rough yet somehow we manage...should be easy for you

Originally Posted by Manuka Jock

Dunno John
, the shape of that serrated leaf tells me no .
Another pic of an undamaged leaf laid out flat , and some catkins (seed cones ) will be a help .

Originally Posted by DJ's Timber

The colouration of the fresh cut log and the leaf sample that GJ has provided makes me think it could be Red Alder (Alnus rubra)

Originally Posted by gtwilkins

John,

Looks like an alder to me, big give away with alder is when freshly cut it turns orangey colour plus it gets brown about the heart.

E-Flora BC Vascular Plant Atlas Page

Now with it being way down there it could be some kind of a hybrid.

Here's a section on maples and birches.

E-Flora Trees of British Columbia

Are these trees native or do you think they were imported?

Trevor

You're all wrong, it's a money tree.
I found this in one of the blanks I was roughing out today.

Attachment 145657 Attachment 145658 Attachment 145659

It's an Australian 2 cent piece. It's been yonks* since they've been in circulation.







*For the benefit of those up-over
yonks. Ages, a long time, as in I knew him for yonks.

Originally Posted by Ed Reiss

Com'n now John...don't make me come over there to get you stratened out...by now you should be an expert plus on all those woods and you've even got a super-duper shed to play in most of us cellar-dwellers got it rough yet somehow we manage...should be easy for you

Don't really care what the wood's called Ed, just like to know that if I get a bad reaction from it I know what to stay away from, or at least take the necessary precautions.

Originally Posted by Grumpy John

You're all wrong, it's a money tree.
I found this in one of the blanks I was roughing out today.

Attachment 145657 Attachment 145658 Attachment 145659

It's an Australian 2 cent piece. It's been yonks* since they've been in circulation.

.

Sounds like a lose-money tree mate!

I'll bring down the metal detector.

I know it's been a few days now, but I would bet it is an Evergreen Alder. (Alnus acuminata also called Alnus jorullensis) They got planted everywhere around Melbourne back in the seventies/eighties before it dawned on people that being a Mexican rain forest tree that they have highly invasive roots and grow really really big.




Ron

Definitely evergreen alder, as mentioned. Planted in their thousands in the eighties. Also known as the Toorak Gum Tree cause so many were planted in that area as a quick screening plant. Grows like the clappers but as mentioned have invasive roots and also requires a lot of water. Currently keeping the tree removal industry busy.