Author Topic: Exotics  (Read 6488 times)

Offline fuzzyturns

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Re: Exotics
« Reply #15 on: August 27, 2019, 03:04:14 PM »
Firstly, I do second GBF's opinion that we have wonderful woods here in the UK. There are however situations where I see the use of small amounts of tropical hardwoods is justified, to provide an accent without having to use artificial colouring ( and I am not an enemy of colouring, it's just that some pieces call for natural colours).

With regards to the clearance of tropical forests, I do not think that even if all woodturners in the UK stopped buying tropical hardwoods it would make any difference at all. Where illegal logging is going, most of that wood goes into China for furniture, or is consumed locally for the same purpose (or for boat building or construction purposes). Illegal logging should not be confused with complete clearance, which is done to create space for farming, and in that case most likely the trees are just burned. Also, make no mistake: only a small percentage of trees in a tropical forest are actually valuable timber trees.

So if anyone wants to completely stop using tropical or exotic hardwoods to find peace of mind, go right ahead. Just don't delude yourself that it makes any difference to what happens all across South America, Sub-Saharan Africa or South East Asia.

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: Exotics
« Reply #16 on: August 27, 2019, 03:12:08 PM »
The biggest problem is not the waste of timber by harvesting for use but the environmental result of mass deforestation. The rate at which the tropical forests are being cut or burned down is nothing less than enironmentally criminal. Species of wild life becoming extinct and the consequnces on the pollution problem is horrific. We live comparitively comfortably here in western society and just see the occasional images but the fact of the matter is that we are fast approaching a point of no return. If not for ourselves then for our children and grandchildren we need to change our attitude. Use of 'exotics' for the small amout of decorative work we and other turners and cabinet makers do is not the problem it is the gross indifference from most of us the the real problem.

Climbs off hobby horse.

Pete
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Offline GBF

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Re: Exotics
« Reply #17 on: August 27, 2019, 03:18:10 PM »
To be honest I am not entirely against using Exotics  i just dont find them more attractive than our own native timbers.
One thing I have noticed is when we start out on our Woodturning journey we all use a lot of exotics but as we move on we start to appreciate our native woods for one thing they are a damn site cheaper.
I did not start this thread to give Members a guilt complex I just thought it would be a thought provoking subject and I think it has been.

Regards George
The man that never made a mistake never made anything

Offline Twisted Trees

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Re: Exotics
« Reply #18 on: August 27, 2019, 03:20:14 PM »
Hope that hobby horse was made from FSC timber :)

You are right, trees and timber are only indirectly related especially the interesting grain we tuners want, or the wide boards and repeating grain pattern that cabinet makers desire. Most of the destruction is fire to clear the land for palm oil or grass land.

But it is good practice not to be wasteful, and respect the attempts to control deforestation.
TT, AKA Pete, but that name is taken :-)

Offline Paul Hannaby

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Re: Exotics
« Reply #19 on: August 27, 2019, 09:40:10 PM »
George, you still haven't told us what you mean by "exotics".

Do you mean any imported wood?
Or wood from specific parts of the world?
Or just specific types of wood?

Offline The Bowler Hatted Turner

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Re: Exotics
« Reply #20 on: August 28, 2019, 10:22:08 AM »
I consider Boxwood to be an exotic.

Offline Martin Lawrence

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Re: Exotics
« Reply #21 on: August 28, 2019, 10:33:56 AM »

  Decision made, I'm making no more purchases from Amazon until they put those fires out  :P

Cheers Martin.
Martin Lawrence

Offline GBF

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Re: Exotics
« Reply #22 on: August 28, 2019, 10:52:30 AM »
George, you still haven't told us what you mean by "exotics".

Do you mean any imported wood?
Or wood from specific parts of the world?
Or just specific types of wood?

To me Exotics are woods from other country's that have traveled from all over the world and you cannot be 100% sure of the origin
I do not want to feel that the wood I am using might have contributed to putting some Tribe or animals out of a home unecessarly what others do is up to them.
Does that answer your question Paul

Regards George

Regards George
The man that never made a mistake never made anything

Offline burywoodturners

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Re: Exotics
« Reply #23 on: August 28, 2019, 08:40:31 PM »
If exotic means 'introduced from a foriegn country' what does that make some oak burrs I got froma friends woodpile in Spain?#Ron

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: Exotics
« Reply #24 on: August 28, 2019, 09:20:21 PM »
Oak burrs occur in this country as well, purple heart, ebony, gom[ncalo alves etc etc don't. Simple.

Pete
Turners don't make mistakes, they have design opportunities

Offline Derek

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Re: Exotics
« Reply #25 on: August 28, 2019, 09:27:03 PM »
Reading Goerges first post would it have been more a case of Imported woods rather than saying Exotic woods just thinking out loud.

Offline Twisted Trees

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Re: Exotics
« Reply #26 on: August 28, 2019, 09:46:41 PM »
If exotic means 'introduced from a foriegn country' what does that make some oak burrs I got froma friends woodpile in Spain?#Ron

I think you know that is not what George is referring to. Timber from the Amazon, Asia, Africa etc. that may be taken illegally without consideration for re-planting often with massive destruction to surrounding new, or less valuable timber is one problem. Also timbers that are smuggled without pest control measures that bring disease into our native timbers (though that tends to be living saplings rather than cut timber) these things are a problem to the future of timber workers generally. While we as turners have very little impact on the global scale here, we do have a voice and a vote with our wallets option to do less harm to the infrastructure generally.

Also, why do we need them? As George said our native species are pretty damned impressive and thanks to Kew and the Victorian gardeners we also have quite a range of exotic timbers growing in English gardens to play with. Along with a pretty healthy stock of broken furniture, off-cuts from musical instrument manufacturers and other sources of exotics for enhancing a piece or repairing an antique.

TT, AKA Pete, but that name is taken :-)

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: Exotics
« Reply #27 on: August 28, 2019, 09:51:31 PM »
Ic you look around some of the traders who specialise in timber blanks you will often see a squre spibdle of timber with the ends turned round. It is usually a wood that is not allowed to be exported as a timber but can be exported if 'manufactured' and the turned ends get it around that clause. I have seen a few supposedly restricted woods for sale in that state, That has to be wrong?

Pete
Turners don't make mistakes, they have design opportunities

Offline GBF

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Re: Exotics
« Reply #28 on: August 28, 2019, 09:58:01 PM »
African Blackwood is a good example of that Pete the lumps they sell at Yandles are exactly that

Regards George
The man that never made a mistake never made anything

Offline The Bowler Hatted Turner

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Re: Exotics
« Reply #29 on: August 28, 2019, 10:04:52 PM »
If you look at the endangered species list ,the Cites list, African Blackwood is not listed.