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Author Topic: My favourite wood to turn  (Read 4068 times)

Offline The Bowler Hatted Turner

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My favourite wood to turn
« on: April 13, 2015, 08:22:17 PM »
seeing George's thread about his favourite wood, that being free, I thought I would start a thread on what is your favourite wood to turn and why?
Mine is Boxwood purely because of the quality of the cuts that you can obtain.
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Offline Les Symonds

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Re: My favourite wood to turn
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2015, 08:26:03 PM »
Well, it's definitely not black palmira - that's at completely the other end of the spectrum.....but it's probably yew. I love the finish that I can get off it and the bag full of surprises that you have every time you work it.

Les
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Offline GBF

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Re: My favourite wood to turn
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2015, 08:34:29 PM »
This is not an easy question.
For some coloured work my preference is Sycamore for scorched and Gilded I prefer Ash.
For bud vases Yew is my favorite.
for natural work Spalted Beech,Chestnut,Oak Elm.
Coloured Hollow Forms Sycamore.
Plain Hollow Forms Ash or Spalted Beech.
For teaching Sycamore or Beech.

Most disliked:Any Exotics,Holly.

Regards George
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Offline Bryan Milham

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Re: My favourite wood to turn
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2015, 09:16:42 PM »
Favs (for for nice clean turning) Fruit (except Cherry) & Nut woods.

Dislikes Exotics, especially the dusty ones like Purpleheart.
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Offline Graham

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Re: My favourite wood to turn
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2015, 09:26:07 PM »
Quote from: The Bowler Hatted Turner on April 13, 2015, 08:22:17 PM
seeing George's thread about his favourite wood, that being free, I thought I would start a thread on what is your favourite wood to turn and why?
Mine is Boxwood purely because of the quality of the cuts that you can obtain.
I have just acquired a few small pieces of box, looking forward to having a go with it.
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I have learnt the first rule of woodturning.
The internal diameter should never exceed the external width.
Nor the internal depth, the external height.
Does that make me an expert now ?

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: My favourite wood to turn
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2015, 10:29:58 PM »
Not sure I have a favourite wood, probably blackthorn if I could get it big enough. Had some large pieces out of an old hedge once and it was amazing, easy to turn, great finish and you never knew what colour you were going to get with the next cut.

Pete
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Offline seventhdevil

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Re: My favourite wood to turn
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2015, 01:27:50 AM »
Quote from: gwyntog on April 13, 2015, 08:26:03 PM
Well, it's definitely not black palmira - that's at completely the other end of the spectrum.....but it's probably yew. I love the finish that I can get off it and the bag full of surprises that you have every time you work it.

Les


the thread is asking for wood les, black palmera is a grass. ;D

i have a soft spot for catalpa at the moment but i will have to think about this to see if have a true favorite.
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Offline Sevilla

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Re: My favourite wood to turn
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2015, 01:39:29 AM »
Sugar maple is the easiest in my opinion but black birch is also an excellent turning wood. Often, when turned green to its final shape it does not even need sanding. Black walnut and cherry are also very nice.
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Offline GBF

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Re: My favourite wood to turn
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2015, 07:32:56 AM »
Quote from: seventhdevil on April 14, 2015, 01:27:50 AM
Quote from: gwyntog on April 13, 2015, 08:26:03 PM
Well, it's definitely not black palmira - that's at completely the other end of the spectrum.....but it's probably yew. I love the finish that I can get off it and the bag full of surprises that you have every time you work it.

Les


the thread is asking for wood les, black palmera is a grass. ;D


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Offline edbanger

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Re: My favourite wood to turn
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2015, 08:12:53 AM »
I think that I would go for Cherry or Horse Chestnut burrs

Ed
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