Holly Logs

[narrowboater]

My neighbour recently cut down a large holly tree, I managed to get all the wood. It varies from 2-3 inches up to the main trunk which was about 12 inch dia.

The big stuff had been cut into approx 18inch logs, I moved them into my garage and sealed the end grain with paint, all this at the end of August.

Yesterday I split one of the logs and rough turned two bowl blanks one 11x3 inch the other 10x4 inch. both about 2inch thick walls, this morning they are both splitting, the larger one right through the side.

Have I cut them too soon? too late? can I recover them? and how should I treat the others in order to get something out of them.

Regards
Rod

 

[tekno.mage]

Holly is notoriously difficult to dry without splitting. Your best bet is to split any large logs through the pith, seal the ends and leave them somewhere cool & dry for a year or more. Then cut up whatever remains unsplit into usuable pieces.

If you want to make them into bowls, you could try turning them quite thin, with an even wall thickness and then either keeping them in dry shavings to dry out (change the shavings as they get damp from the wood) or else microwaving them gently to dry.

What I do with holly for boxes is to leave the split logs for as long as possible before use, then rough hollow the pieces for a box, then I keep them in the airing cupboard until the wood stops losing weight (ie is really dry) before finishing them. Most survive the process - a few still split. I've found that applying plenty of thin superglue on any defects (small knots, pith from side branches etc) does keep splits from developing during the drying process.

I'm afraid your bowl that has already split is probably destined to be firewood - unless you feel like carving or stapling the split and making it to a feature!

 

[Paul.J]

Here is some info from a previous thread.I have since turned some fresh Holly very thin,this didn't split but did warp a lot which looks good,and i turned a thicker piece to finish,and this has just gone oval,with no splits.It was dried in paper bags and weighed every few days until it reached equilibrium.
I also stored all the logs on end and left them in the long lengths.

 

[miles_hot]

apparently holly does well with boiling - you boil it for a few hours (preferably rough turned) and then let it dry out for a few weeks in the normal way before turning it again. I seem to remember that the surface will go black but that turns away easily...

HTH

Miles

 

[wasbit]

I remember reading somewhere, & it is a point that was only mentioned in passing, that wet holly (& sycamore?) should be stored upright otherwise something happens to their colour.

I've only ever had a few holly branches which were stored upright anyway so I don't know whether laying them down does have a detrimental effect or not.

If I've got it wrong, no doubt somebody will correct me.

Regards
wasbit

 

[Bodrighy]

Sycamore goes a grey colour if dried horizontally, don't know about holly.

Pete

 

[jpt]

The first holly tree I had I stored lying down mixed in with other wood and it came out grey with black patches. I now store Holly standing upright and away from other wood this way it keeps its nice white colour.

john

 

[maltrout512]

I turned a small beaker out of holly. It was turned wet and didn't split BUT, within 30 seconds it started to move. This is what it looked like the next day