Just acquired some Strawberry Tree!

[arcos]

Hi John...

This is just a fragment and a piece that I am using to learn how it turns and what I can hopefully expect to get from the wood.

It's the main root that I really do NOT want to mess up! It's a huge, for me, piece of timber with a very non uniform exterior. It WILL need chopping into manageable pieces and its that chopping process that I am going to need some advice on.

I have been given a very large trunk of apple tree that, thankfully is fairly uniform and, through seasoning has a split almost dead centre which I have started to split. Started to split as my splitting chisel is not completely up to the job and I will be borrowing a second splitting chisel tomorrow to try and finish the job.

Likely, tomorrow, I will take some photos of the wood I have acquired the last two days and seek some proper advice on cutting and usage!

[thebowlerhattedturner]

Hi arcos,
             I have no idea what type of wood this is, but what I would do if I was in your position is put a really good coat of wax or PVA glue on the ends and put it somewhere to dry out slowly and then in a few months time when you have gained more experience, not just at turning but with shapes and form and"seeing " the wood have another look at it. As it dries out you may lose some colour but you may not, and this looks to be such a nice piece of wood that it would be a shame to rush into it.
        I was given a beautiful Oak burr many years ago and kept it in the workshop for 5 years before cutting it, I have to say it was very hard not to just cut a bit to see what it was like(I had turned a lot of burrs prior to this but this one was exceptional)but in the end the wait really was worth it.
Regards
John BHT

[arcos]

Hi John BHT

I'm not sure if these grow in the UK but I will take a photo of one standing and a photo of the root I have been given.

It is such a MASSIVE lump of wood and in plentiful supply as no one here even bothers burning it on the fires!

There will a photo of a test turn I just finished in the gallery shortly. Just the 'fatter' piece of what you see in the photo... It was not a big piece and wedge shaped so the piece you see is the thin end of the wedge to balance a bit before I started turning the little bowl.

I hear what you are say about leaving it and you are probably right...

When looking at the root it 'appears' to have burrs on it and this is what I really want to ask about tomorrow.

[Bryan Milham]

Arcos,

turning timber into usable blanks can be a whole other thread, a chainsaw (electric for indoor use) and a bandsaw are always first thoughts, but

there are some old time methods that are still useful if you have access to some metal. Wedges can be used to split a tree trunk lengthways - don't get me wrong it's hard work but does work. Also a Froe (Google it) can be quite easily made and for turning section of trunk into spindle blanks is a great tool.

[arcos]

Hi dr4g0nfly

I am beginning to relise that I have one piece of equipment missing.... A Band Saw!

I have some very odd shaped pieces that would be easily dealt with using a band saw, however.

I'm currently splitting, lengthways, a large section of apple with wedges. Unfortunately I have used my last wedge and about to head out and borrow one.