Turning Paper Bark

[stevew]

Evening,
Have managed to get hold of a few 15 inch diameter paper bark logs.
They seem to have excellent grain quality when split.\
Have cut the logs lengthwise and prepared them as bowl blanks.The logs have been on the wood heap for about 4 years so I do not expect a lot of cracking or shrinkage ,or ...am I wrong ????,Will the timber crack now that it has been split down the middle.????
Any tips or tricks to turning paper bark would be appreciated.
Stevew

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Nothing specific to paperbark, I've never turned it, but...

I'd still expect some shrinkage/movement for that size/time. Applying the ol' "inch per year" rule, 15" dia. logs wouldn't have fully dried in a mere 4 years. Of the course, that rule is only general rule of thumb, not to be taken literally. eg. the odds are good that it would've split through the pith so you'd really be looking at two 8" thick pieces stuck together with a tiny air-gap... but there wouldn't be enough air-flow through that gap to be able to say it'd dry properly in only 8 years. There's probably more guesswork than science involved in this sorta thing. [sigh]

If you'd split the logs down the pith when you first stacked 'em, I'd hazard to guesstimate they'd take 7 or 8 years to dry. (Assuming they were here, where I've a good idea of drying times for my area. )

The good news is that now you've cut 'em down to blank sizes, you should be able to rough turn to around an inch of thickness and they'll reach EMC within a few months - at most a year - with, hopefully, minimal movement.

O' course, the above is all pure speculation... if you really want to know if they've dried enough to use, go buy yourself a decent moisture meter!

[artme]

'Tis indeed nice timber with subtle grain patterns.Knots add character too.
It turns nicely and will darken when finished, particularly with increasing age.
Perhaps you could prepare a blank, turn it down to about 3/4" so you can check out the internal moisture. Let it sit for 6-12 months and see what happens.
Good luck!

[powderpost]

If you turn it 'greenish', write the weight and date on the bottom and pack it in a box full of shavings. Check the weight each month, when there is little weight loss, finish it off.
Jim

[robutacion]

Hi everyone,

I just would like to know it what you guys call "paper bark" trees, is indeed the common Melaleuca?
The only other paper bark I know and worked with is the "paper bark gum" up in the NT. Is there others?

Cheers
RBTCO

[artme]

There are several Melaleucas called Paperbark, The most common being Melaleuca Quinquinerva which can grow to be a pretty decent tree. They are very tough and will withstand drought but also grow in wet areas.

[artme]

Just saw your post in the other thread Routacion. That is a Melalauca but not one commonly referred to as Paperbark - for obvious reasons.
That particular Melaleuca - whose name escapes me at the moment - is often referred to ( by the incognoscenti ) as a Bottlebrush ( Callistemon spp. ) because of its bark and its flowers.

[robutacion]

Thanks, artme.

Cheers
RBTCO