monkey puzzle

[crazylegs]

I have just picked up a load of monkey puzzle. I know very little about it except it is oozing nasty sticky sap. What is the best thing to do with it regarding drying and storage. The logs range from 18" to about 24".

[GBF]

Best turned wet

[bodrighywood]

Just make sure your lathe, walls and you personally are well covered as the sap goes everywhere. Oh yes, there is a bit in the middle that will probably fall out and need to be filled at some point. Despite all that it is a lovely wood that has amazing features.

pete

[fuzzyturns]

The nasty sticky sap is exclusively in the bark. It's best to remove the bark (wearing gloves) before doing anything else. Like most coniferous woods, monkey puzzle is not prone to cracking/checking. Compared to pine or spruce it is relatively hard, but not as hard as yew. There are some silicates in the wood, and they do have a distinct dulling effect on your tools, but overall it is of very even consistency.
The big exception are the knots. Monkey puzzle grows its branches at regular intervals along the trunk, and the branches form very even circles. This can be used to spectacular effect on end grain bowls or platters, but watch out: the branch knots are very dense and hard, much harder than the rest.
You turn it wet or dry, and there is very little movement in the wood. Pete is right about the pith: it is very soft and should either be avoided, soaked with CA glue or replaced.

[Tim Pettigrew]

I had the good fortune to be taught how to turn an end grain Monkey Puzzle bowl  by Andrew Hall.  It was a blank I won in a turning club raffle. Andrew filmed my attempt and you can see it on his  You Tube Channel  HERE.  I can certainly endorse the comments about it being very hard - especially the knots!  It was great fun and I learnt a lot from Andrew.

Tim 

[John Plater]

I agree with everything said so far. I love the grey streaks found in the main part of the stem and the contrasting oranges in the knots/roundels.  I like it best when I can get a natural edged form with the knots/roundels at the top of the piece. Others like to have a clean top edge with the roundels in the main body of the form. Working along the direction of the knots/roundels on the inside of an open form or the outside of a hollow form can be a joy ! The axis of the knots/roundels is not usually perpendicular to the main stem.
I would add that turned wet it can be quite "punky" and a lot of effort needs to go into avoiding tear out. This might of course be a lack of skill on my part. This I have found over four batches of the timber over the last ten years or so. Turned green or turned dry, always the same. The main part of the stem turns really well, long streams of shavings in the main. The knots are a different story, being very dense and hard and it can take a while to choose a particular way of working to best advantage as there are conflicting grain directions involved. The tarry sap can be a nuisance to clean off surfaces and tools so best avoided if possible. It always creates a lot of interest at craft events as people can relate to the tree usually and are fascinated by the effects which occur naturally in the timber. Enjoy !!
Attached is an image of a lidded form from a recent batch of the timber. The lid is made from a core of the main body and the "finial" is a piece of branchwood from the same tree (which also lost the pith!). A little while ago I posted an image of a lamp stand made from the very top of the tree, which showed some lovely swirling grain pattern which I haven't seen before.
ATB John