Almost wood...

[TTIT]

Doing a bit of googling recently and found a wikipedia thingy saying that Kurrajong is used for cabinetry!!! :confused: I always thought it was just pith like it's close cousin, the Bottle tree (often mistakenly called 'Boab' by mexicans holidaying up here! DAMHIKT ). Figured the only way to find out was try it. Within 2 days of cutting it, there were cracks 5 or 6mm wide so I thought rough-turning and nuking might be the only way to hold this blob together. Imagine whacking an 8" diameter carrot on the chuck on hoeing into it and you've got some idea what it is like to turn!:eek: Nuking it reduced it's weight by a whopping 39% after about 35 'cooks'.(Pic.1)
Heaps of shrinkage and a bit of buckling but I had left enough meat to get it true (Pic.2) and get a reasonable shape out of it. Turning revealed some cracks that were not visible from the outside as the fibres around the end of the cracks had folded over. Filled the cracks with my dwindling supply of Qbond to highlight them. The Kurrajong turned and sanded like chalk or cheese once dry - very weird - but was strong enough to work . Finished with about 6 or 7 coats of Danish - like trying to polish a sponge. The end result is pretty ordinary really but it was a very interesting exercise. Not gonna be in any great hurry to get any more though.

Yes it is a crotch! What else would I try!

Next project - find an 8" diameter carrot!

[mongrell]

it came out ok in the end tho vern .looks a little bit like banksia and sounds like it may have similar properties. when ya gonna turn and give us a look at some of that wood i bought up for ya im gettin curious as to what its gonna end up lookin like

[Christopha]

I have never attempted Kurrajong and having read your post I doubt whether I ever will but I have to say that your persistence sems to have paid off.... well done Grasshopper!

[OGYT]

You folks got trees with the strangest names
TTIT, even in Texas, we can't grow carrots that big. :eek:
I still don't know if her highness would want me nuking wood in her Nuke Machine. It's too small for much, anyway.
But that one dried out nice... 35 cooks seems like a lot... how long'd that take?:confused:
Never tried to sand chalk or cheese, but with that description, I almost know what it was like.
"... polish a sponge."
Is Qbond like dark epoxy? Looks like coffee grounds or some sort. Real nice, too. I like the look of the fillings.
Far from ordinary... that's a beautiful bowl. Like the form, too. Good instructions, too. Really nice job.

[TTIT]

But that one dried out nice... 35 cooks seems like a lot... how long'd that take?:confused:

Each cook was just 100 seconds on high for this piece Al - just enough to make it warm to touch. I would probably push it a little harder if I did another - just don't know how some woods will react. Started nuking a Wilga vase at the same time as this and stopped after just 3 cooks as it was cracking badly.

Is Qbond like dark epoxy? Looks like coffee grounds or some sort.

Qbond is an automotive product used to fill holes in the plastic-work (dash etc). Still looking for a cheaper source of the stuff - or someway of re-creating it. Any chemist types out there that know what powder would give off a little puff of smoke when it comes into contact with CA???

[Bleedin Thumb]

There is another Kurrajong around. The most common (Sydney area anyway) is the Brachychiton acerifolius the other is B populneus which grows in more arid areas and is a lot slower growing. My guess is the wood would (edwood ) be a lot denser and a lot better to turn.

[TTIT]

There is another Kurrajong around. The most common (Sydney area anyway) is the Brachychiton acerifolius the other is B populneus which grows in more arid areas and is a lot slower growing. My guess is the wood would (edwood ) be a lot denser and a lot better to turn.

You're right there BT - I think acerifolius is also known as 'Flame tree' and there are actually about a dozen or so other varieties. This one actually is Brachychiton Populneus so I reckon it's about as solid as any Kurrajong is ever going to get.

[hughie]

[Next project - find an 8" diameter carrot!

[/QUOTE]

Dunno Vern it came out alright from my point of view, still having probs with posting...this may come out twice...oh what the' anyway

[Zsteve]

Nice Looking bowl TTIT, just wanted to ask what was that semi transparent rechucking plate thing that you are using to finish off the bottom? Is it from a local supplier? any more shots of it?

Thanks

[rsser]

Time to graduate to grass tree TTIT ;-}

Or in the other direction, Alabaster.

Always good to push the boundaries.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I envy your patience, TTIT!

Here in the south we've got some damned chinese weed, an annual that quickly grows to 4-5m in height in a matter of a couple of months, around 4" dia with leaves like elephant ears, measurable in feet! When it dies off, come winter, the "trunks" dry out and only weigh a fraction of a Kg.

So, I thought I'd give one a try, instead of mulching it with the mower. 10mins and a gallon or two of CA later, the thing left my shed through the back door at extremely high velocity.

[TTIT]

I envy your patience, TTIT!
Here in the south we've got some damned chinese weed, an annual that quickly grows to 4-5m in height in a matter of a couple of months, around 4" dia with leaves like elephant ears, measurable in feet! When it dies off, come winter, the "trunks" dry out and only weigh a fraction of a Kg.
So, I thought I'd give one a try, instead of mulching it with the mower. 10mins and a gallon or two of CA later, the thing left my shed through the back door at extremely high velocity.

Not so much 'patience' as 'pig-headedness' Skew - once I start a piece I get real funny anout never letting it beat me That stuff you torpedoed wouldn't be Pawlonia would it?

Time to graduate to grass tree TTIT ;-}
Or in the other direction, Alabaster.

Been thinkin' about the grasstree after seeing Hughie's links but I'm not sure what part of the tree I'm supposed to get - there's plenty just out the road a bit!
Alabaster!!:confused: Thought that was rock???:confused:

Nice Looking bowl TTIT, just wanted to ask what was that semi transparent rechucking plate thing that you are using to finish off the bottom? Is it from a local supplier? any more shots of it?

Thanks

Steve - It's one of my perspex Longworth chucks - can be made from ply or MDF - worth their weight in gold - have a better look here.

[rsser]

Grasstree: there's some pics on the web of turned items and one of my teachers had a go. By the look of them it's the trunk and it's soft and fibrous stuff.

Alabaster: yep, it's rock but can be turned with scrapers. There was an article in the Woodturning mag a couple of years ago.

Good to see the Longworth surface again TTIT. Might be a market out there for some full-scale patterns.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Not so much 'patience' as 'pig-headedness' Skew - once I start a piece I get real funny anout never letting it beat me That stuff you torpedoed wouldn't be Pawlonia would it?

That rings a bell... but no, the head gardener says 'twas an alocasia(sp?) or something.

[cedar n silky]

That rings a bell... but no, the head gardener says 'twas an alocasia(sp?) or something.

Thanks for the info on the Longworth guys- a neat bit of gear. saved it for a project down the track!! I have a Palonia tree (2 actually) right near the shed, and was wondering how it "went". Fastest growing tree i have ever seen- especially in this sub-tropical climate. Thanks again for that Longworth design, or thanks Mr Longworth, for offering it up for all the woodies!