Enquiry

[Vestas]

Hi all ive  just joined so please forgive if I ask question already covered -
1.if an oak tree fell down in my garden and I chopped it up with a chainsaw - would I be able to turn it or does it need drying out ?
Ta

[Twisted Trees]

Hi, welcome, all questions are good especially those that don't have a straight answer as it gets everyone thinking even if they have answered it before.

It will probably need some drying, unless it is a ghost, i.e. died while standing and fell later in which case it will depend!

There are ways to speed it up...
e.g.

• Rough turn bowls to about 1" thick
• Plank it to 1" or 2" thick
• Gently heat it

The key ingredient is air, always stack it with spacers to let the air get to all surfaces, the other key is to seal the end grain to even out the drying (PVA, old emulsion paint, wax, even cling film) which will generally give you a better crop of un-split timber.

If you have a lot then go to the local turning club see if you can swap it for some of last years timber which is dried, you would need to negotiate an exchange rate to cover the storage.

IF you rough turn it, please remember to clean and re-oil your tools as required lots of water does lathes and HSS no favors.
 
Bottom line is if you have a tree to play with and some space to play then try lots of different things. Oak is not good for spalting as the tannin stops most fungus, but if you have excess timber cover some in garden compost, give it a year then see what happens.

Avoid where possible the first few feet of any branches, that is best kept for firewood. the weight of the branch will compress the grain on the bottom and stretch the top so as it dries it tends to split.. except  sometimes that can be a good piece to play with...

Depending on many factors the principle one is space, consider yourself lucky and timber rich, all you need now is time and space

[burywoodturners]

Good answer, Twisted trees.  You raised the point whether the tree was alive when felled. Does it make a difference to the wood if the tree was dead/ Myunderstanding is that atree is 90%+ dead wood any way, only the sap and leaves are alive.
Ron

[Bryan Milham]

Vestas,

welcome to the forum, good to have you onboard.

As for your oak tree, I've seen many trees cut across the trunk and the sections put up as 'Good for Woodturning', they are not (well, not generally).

A tree needs to be planked and then put in stick or a dryer to reduce the water content in them. The planks are then cut into squares for spindle turning or have rounds cut out of them for bowl (faceplate) turning.

Wood left in the round will split and become unusable.

[Twisted Trees]

Good answer, Twisted trees.  You raised the point whether the tree was alive when felled. Does it make a difference to the wood if the tree was dead/ Myunderstanding is that atree is 90%+ dead wood any way, only the sap and leaves are alive.
Ron

Trees use the leaves to evaporate water which acts like a pump and pulls water up through, (you can tell by the weight water is not just in the sap wood!). I had a large amount of timber from a tree that had stood dead for over 5 years before it was cut, it's moisture content was about <15% the day it was felled. but have also had bits of trunk that have been felled over a year and left in the round that had moisture content over 30% which is not far off living timber.

If all Vesta's has for milling is a chainsaw, I would be aiming to split some rounds into halves slightly longer than they are round and if that is big rough bowling it with the chainsaw for BIG future bowls, or if not so massive then turn on the lathe into 1" thich rough cut bowls, then aiming for lengths around 4' cut into 2" and 3" planks as that is easier to handle stack and dry.

Use the outside pieces to make a rain shelter over the stacks which as I said must have air circulation.

But if you are a hobbyist, and timber rich then you may as well play and experiment. any Burrs may already be dry enough to turn something out of, get it down to 30mm or so, and put it in the microwave when the wife isn't looking! (best not in the house... it can smell really bad!) weird as it may sound you can also speed dry wood in a dishwasher (but not the tumble dryer!)

Always coat the end grain, be a bit selective and remember it takes space and time so see if you can trade up with someone who has already put some time in.

I like turning some wood  that is wet, Beech and Cherry particularly, turn it thin and watch it evolve as it drys. wastage can be high but if you have free wood that is only time lost but practice gained.

[Vestas]

Thanks very much for the answers that’s really helpful information. I’ll get sawing !
I haven’t turned for many years but am now getting back to it. Ive used a mates lathe which has got me hooked again.
Having just divorced my budget is limited - does anyone have any good reccomendations for a £500 or less lathe ?

[Twisted Trees]

I bought my Myford Mystro from Ebay for £500, 10 years ago, it was only lightly used and has worked very hard for the last 10 years without anything except standard lubrication of the bearings.  A friend bought a Record lathe from Ebay similar price great condition, so bargains are out there.

choose the size you want, then the models that meet your needs and go hunting.

[Paul Hannaby]

One other option for turning green wood is to turn it thin so it will distort but won't crack as the wood dries. If you turn to around 3-4mm it shouldn't crack as long as there are no stress points such as knots etc. This does depend on you having mastered the techniques for bowl turning but perhaps something to aim for if you aren't there yet.

[Vestas]

Great many thanks all
Anyone got an Axminster craft lathe ?

[alex_heney]

Great many thanks all
Anyone got an Axminster craft lathe ?

Yes.

I started woodturning in January, when I asked for a lathe for my 60th birthday present.

I got an Axminster AC370WL lathe, which was £400. It is probably bigger than I really need at this stage TBH, but seems to be a really good piece of kit.

[Vestas]

Many thanks for the reply - that’s the lathe I was thinking of getting - did u get an Axminster Chuck and / or set of tools ?

[bodrighywood]

That lathe has a mechanical variable speed which cannly be used when the lathe is running. Also can get jammed up with dust etc so needs regular maintenance. Not overly impressed with the Axminster quality and service lately since they expanded into several stores but may just be unlucky with the items I have had from them. Looking at the package that they are offering at the moment on that lathe however it seems remarkably cheap and if you go for it grab the bit of tuition as well,

Pete

[Vestas]

Thanks for the advice
It does look like a good price and I’ve had some good reviews as well as not so good
Will go and have a look 👀

[alex_heney]

Many thanks for the reply - that’s the lathe I was thinking of getting - did u get an Axminster Chuck and / or set of tools ?

No, my siblings bought me a set of Robert Sorby tools, and I got a chuck package with several sets of jaws from Rutlands  https://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+power-tools-woodturning-lathes-woodturning-accessories-3-xact-precision-chuck-xact-3-precision-wood-turning-chuck-complete-kit-rutlands+xt8000  It is supposedly compatible with jaws from the Record power SC3 and SC4 chucks.

It was on special offer when I bought it, at £119 rather than the normal £149. They also have a 4" model, which is £169 for the similar package.