Moonlight

[fuzzyturns]

Leylandii is generally considered a useless wood. The trees grow fast, the timber is very soft, and has no value as firewood or for any other purpose. In that regard, it is similar to sycamore, which is also considered a weed by many people. However, I have found that it provides excellent material for hollow forms. All those little twiglets create little knots and swirly grain, and with sharp tools and a bit of sanding a good surface can be achieved.
This hollow form was turned about a year ago and then sat on the shelve to dry out. It didn't need that long, but I could quite figure out what I wanted to do with it. So here's the end result. Under the right light, it almost looks like a night sky with clouds, where the full moon creates a soft shine.
It's just under 8" across and 4" high. Leylandii, t-shirt dyes and acrylic lacquer.
As usual, all comments welcome.

[seventhdevil]

i've never understood as to why everyone seems to despise this lovely timber?

it's excellent for hollow forms and vases as it is so stable and like you've shown it dyes so well so is a blank canvas...

older trees actually have some harder timber at their core which turns beautifully and of course smells magnificent.

if i'm ever offered it i will be accepting the larger dimensions anyday...

[edbanger]

Nice work Wolfgang

Like the way the colour sits on the Leylandii giving the light and shade

All the best

Ed

[bodrighywood]

I agree it is a great wood to turn. I never understood why it isn't grown commercially instead of the naff pine that seemed to be so popular. Sometimes it has some lovely colours in it as well.
Like the hollow form shape Fuzzy.

Pete

[fuzzyturns]

Thanks for the comments. I find the natural colours of Leylandii often quite bland, but the different densities always make it a good candidate for dying or staining.

[bodrighywood]

Like a lot of woods it can vary a lot. This was made from leyandii and as you can see there are some definite makings in the wood apart from the pyro of course.

[Derek]

I like this one and the colour is just enough to allow some areas to show some grain which in my eyes enhances the piece.

I have a large conifer which is at least 3 foot diameter at the base keep thinking of giving it the chop now getting very temped

[fuzzyturns]

I would never cut down a tree just to get access to the wood in it. If there is some other (good) reason why it needs to be felled, then so be it, but there is plenty of good timber that otherwise only goes into firewood.

I can understand the itch, though, and ever since I took up woodturning I have looked at trees from a completely different perspective (hmm, some nice bowls in this one, and that should make for a very decent crotch platter...). But honestly, pick up the phone to your local tree surgeons and landscape gardeners, and you should have no problem.

[Derek]

I would never cut down a tree just to get access to the wood in it. If there is some other (good) reason why it needs to be felled, then so be it, but there is plenty of good timber that otherwise only goes into firewood.

I can understand the itch, though, and ever since I took up woodturning I have looked at trees from a completely different perspective (hmm, some nice bowls in this one, and that should make for a very decent crotch platter...). But honestly, pick up the phone to your local tree surgeons and landscape gardeners, and you should have no problem.

Seriously I have been looking at giving it the chop for some time it has got too big for the garden. The only problem is if I do then it leaves the shed in full sun for most of the day making it unbearable. I would not give a tree the chop just for woodturning otherwise the monkey puzzle would have gone a long time ago .
As it is there are three coming down one because it is right in the middle of the veg plat the other because it is out of control and the cherry as it never bears fruit and seems like it could be diseased. The monkey puzzle will not go as I am very fond of that along with a pear tree and a fig tree plus one other which I am not sure what it is.

[Bryan Milham]

I'm also going to come out in favour of Leylandii. We don't turn enough softwoods (Yew not included) as ornamental items. A friend turns some stunning vases from the stuff with all the close together knots they really look great.

Tee Shirt Dye! Give me a clue, Dylon or something like that?

[fuzzyturns]

Kemtex Procion MX. I bought 4 pots of 25ml about 3 years ago, and still have more than half left. From the 4 basic colours (yellow, red, blue and black) I mix all the other shades myself, but you can also buy premixed colours from their site.