Eucalyptus...

[Bloosman]

Anyone have any experience of turning eucalyptus...?

I received a few off cuts (most about 3-4" in dia) about three feet long during 2004.

I've let them dry out in my workshop and tried turning a couple of pens with them today...

However, both attempts were consigned to the bin as the wood is riddled with longitudinal splits which aren't visible until I started removing wood...

Is this normal with eucalyptus, or has it dried incorrectly...?

Dougie.
:shock:

 

[Bloosman]

Managed to produce one from the blanks I'd cut...

Maybe the first batch had been to close to the original pruning area and it was end splitting I was seeing carrying into the blanks...

Dougie

 

[Paul.J]

Dougie.
I think Eucy is one of those timbers that is very difficult to dry without any splits.
You might be better trying it with a larger piece of log.
Nice looking pen by the way

 

[CHJ]

........However, both attempts were consigned to the bin as the wood is riddled with longitudinal splits which aren't visible until I started removing wood...

Is this normal with eucalyptus, or has it dried incorrectly...?

Dougie.
:shock:

I have some that Pete, (Bodrighy) gave me that has likewise split into dozens of longitudinal cavities whilst drying.

I believe Pete turned some whilst still green and got away with it.

 

[Bodrighy]

I yurned a few things wet before I knew what I was doing. It was all about 4" dia stuff that I was using and none of it split. Beginners luck :lol:

The piece I gave Chas was a bit bigger and was a log. If he couldn't save it then chuck it. It's really wet stuff, heavy as lead.

Pete

 

[big soft moose]

ive done a fair bit of eucy but have never found a way of drying it succesfully in blank - my prefered ethod is to turn it green, very thin then let it distort creating pretzel shaped bowls - you lose about 25% through splitting but if the wood comes free .....

of course this is only good for bowls and forms - ive no idea how best to get pens etc out of it.

 

[SVB]

As far as I know it should always be turned wet and expect A LOT of movement.

See below for the type of effect though!

Note - This image is on Melvyn Firmager's web site - wonderful stuff!

http://www.melvynfirmager.co.uk/SchoolOfWoodturing.html

 

[greggy]

dougie, i made a pen from eucalyptus burl

 

[Bodrighy]

dougie, i made a pen from eucalyptus burl

Different Eucaluptus. The one that is causing problems is the one that is grown in this country, young ones have the small silvery grey leaves loved by flower arrangers.

The one that the pen is made of is an Aussie one...dozens of 'em and wonderful figuring and grain on all of them.

Pete

 

[cornucopia]

I turned some last year, you have to be quick if working with it whilist its wet- i only went for a bit of lunch and when i came back it had already started to distort!!
I turned some simple bowl shapes to as thin as possible and the final dried shapes were far from cocentric!!
if i could figure out how to post pics i'd show you what i did

 

[Bodrighy]

Hi Cornucopia, welcome to the forum

Are you the same Cornucopia from AWGB by any chance?

Most of us load images into Photobucket and link to the images there.

Can't remeber the tutorial on here but I'm sure someone will put it up soon

Pete

 

[greggy]

thanks pete, i thought it was the aussie ones you were refering to.

 

[cornucopia]

Hi Cornucopia, welcome to the forum

Are you the same Cornucopia from AWGB by any chance?

Most of us load images into Photobucket and link to the images there.

Can't remeber the tutorial on here but I'm sure someone will put it up soon

Pete

hello, yes i am.
i will have a look at the photo thingy soon

 

[cornucopia]

[/img]

here should be one

 

[cornucopia]

and heres another

[/img]

 

[cornucopia]

are they too big? I'm not great with computers!!!

 

[Anonymous]

are they too big? I'm not great with computers!!!

...just a little, some folks will have to scroll across the page to see the whole pic. (I'm a puter numpty so can't help ...but I'll bet that someone can)

I do like the first one! Are the 'waves' natural or did you help them along? :wink:

 

[cornucopia]

hello you are you coming to beacon hill this year? :?:

In anwser to your question, all this movement occoured within 24 hours of turning, i've found that you have to get the logs within a week of felling, then cut to size and put in buckets of water whilist you find time to turn them, then whilist turning keep the wood wet, then wet sand, then finally bring them into the house.

you can actually hear the wood popping like a mini bowl of breakfast ceral whilist it dries.
its an incredible timber and its transulucent at just over a 1/4" !! :!:

 

[Anonymous]

You've got me wracking me brains now...you don't own a VB36 by any chance?

No, I won't be going to Beacon Hill this year due to personal circumstances... it makes a good day out though for any wood nuts :lol:

 

[cornucopia]

:lol: sorry graham i couldint resist :lol:
yes i do own a vb36.
pity you wont be coming to beacon, I always enjoy are chats