Magnolia Advice please

[Bryan Milham]

Someone I know in the village has just dropped a very nice magnolia, a shame but there you go.

Anyway I managed to blag a big lump of the main trunk. It's very green and yes I got wet turning out a vase from a piece of it.

But I've never worked magnolia before so is there any advice anyone can offer of what to do or not do. Drying time, likely hood of cracking or warping.

Also while hollowing the inside with my Exocet, possibly cutting a little hard, I saw this spiral form and got it out before it broke.

[Les Symonds]

There's not a lot that I can say to answer your questions, but I'll ask another.....Did your magnolia have a distasteful smell? I worked some dry magnolia branchwood from our garden and it stank!
Les
p.s. ... nice shavings!

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Bryan I have only turned Magnolia a couple of times, one wet and the other dry. I did not enjoy getting wet ,it seemed to be wetter than other timbers and so I left a bit to dry and although it turned alright it had split open  and I did not like the result, sorry can't help any more than that except to say if I was offered another piece I would decline.

[seventhdevil]

magnolia is not unlike soft maples usually but it can vary quite a bit. the stuff i've had was a dream to turn and dried quite happily but was winter felled. i had magnolia grandiflora which is the most common and usually the larger types of plant.


in theory it is just a slightly harder timber than american yellow poplar (liriodendron tulipfera) as they are fairly closely related. i tend to think of magnolia as just a small tulip tree really.

a prime wood for dyeing...

[Bryan Milham]

Les,

Not sure I'd call it distasteful, but not particularly nice either.

John,

Oh yes, it's very wet, once I was in balance and wound the speed up a bit, the wet went everywhere.

Steve,

Yes I can see the resemblance where you say a soft maple. And of course, I'll be staining it.

[seventhdevil]

this is the colour it goes when it dries.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5x-Magnolia-Woodturning-Pen-Blanks-rare/183412364489?hash=item2ab43a94c9:g:S1gAAOSwKjha7xym

[John]

Hi,
Here is a piece of magnolia which I turned a couple of years ago.
The wood was freshly cut so quite wet, very easy to turn no splits etc,
The smell was not to bad.
I have made other items using magnolia, most people who have seen it like it.
John

[Bryan Milham]

John,

Thank you for the picture. My first piece has a large knot in it as well. I was worried about it cracking but seeing your picture, maybe it will survive the drying process as well.

Bryan

[ALAN THOMAS RPT]

Nice shaving Bryan, don't show it to Mark Hancock though he spends hours trying to make those!

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Nice shaving Bryan, don't show it to Mark Hancock though he spends hours trying to make those!

[Bryan Milham]

Nice shaving Bryan, don't show it to Mark Hancock though he spends hours trying to make those!

Hmmm, now you've challenged me to be able to do it again. Can you fluke something twice?