Crushgrind in Yew

[Bluefoxy]

Hi All,

I have recently turned a couple of crushgrind salt and pepper mills with modest success (not good enough to show on this forum ) but they have given me the confidence to try more. I have a 3"x3" Yew blank which looks very promising in terms of its mix of sapwood and heartwood but I am aware that Yew has a reputation for being poisonous. As it is the ceramic mechanism that does the grinding and the wood is only a storage container for the peppercorns would it be safe to use Yew?

Ray

 

[loz]

Hi All,

I have recently turned a couple of crushgrind salt and pepper mills with modest success (not good enough to show on this forum ) but they have given me the confidence to try more. I have a 3"x3" Yew blank which looks very promising in terms of its mix of sapwood and heartwood but I am aware that Yew has a reputation for being poisonous. As it is the ceramic mechanism that does the grinding and the wood is only a storage container for the peppercorns would it be safe to use Yew?

Ray

1st off - get some pics up !!!

2nd - not sure about this, i'd be worried out any wooden parts that might touch and rub dispensing yew dust on my dinner.

 

[Bodrighy]

I wouldn't personally. Yew can be very toxic, more to some than others and so the risk isn't worth taking IMHO.

Pete

 

[Bluefoxy]

I am neither pleased with the form or the finish but as I say lessons have been learned!

 

[loz]

Thanks for posting - looks good to me,

You missed the 3rd F from your list - Function - i bet it works doent it !!,

Form looks ok to me - look comfy enough - I know some mostly round the tops but thats just personal choice.

Finish - Can't tell too much from the pic - but looks damn good,

How long you turning Ray ?

 

[Bluefoxy]

Thanks for posting - looks good to me,

You missed the 3rd F from your list - Function - i bet it works doent it !!,

Form looks ok to me - look comfy enough - I know some mostly round the tops but thats just personal choice.

Finish - Can't tell too much from the pic - but looks damn good,

How long you turning Ray ?

About 10 months but mainly pens. This and a couple of small bowls is my first foray into doing something bigger, and yes it works perfectly!

 

[Bodrighy]

I wouldn't be ashamed of that. Evey piece you make will have something you don't like about it. Shape / form looks fine. Modern sort of feel about it. Finish I can't really tell. If it works ir does what it was made for so I'd be happy as a first go and see what I'd like to improve on.
Pete

 

[Dalboy]

As said before Ray yew not for food stuff

Good looking Pot makes a change to see something other than pens from you :lol:

 

[gandy]

i like it its not something i think i could have done

 

[Bluefoxy]

Thanks guys. As I say I am encouraged to have another go but not in yew!! Last thing I want to do is to poison my dinner guests

 

[gandy]

well it depends how much you like the guests...

 

[duncanh]

I posted the same question on the GMC magazine website a while back and got no definite answer.
In the end didn't make a grinder from Yew and I'm still wondering what to do with the blank that I found in the shed - it's the perfect size for a grinder

 

[Bluefoxy]

Duncan that's my problem exactly! If you think of something let me know.

Ray