what size to ask for from a wood surgeon?

[miles_hot]

I have just discovered someone who is willing to pass on wood to me and he has just asked the question - what size would you like it in. Surprisingly this stumped me a little.

I know that I need to allow for checking etc so 4' was arrived at but I'd value any suggestions that you have! I don't have a chainsaw so conversion will be either by hand saw or wedges.

Many thanks

Miles
PS how gutted - he said "wish I'd known last week we just burned a 4' diameter walnut, a silver birch and 3-4' yew!"

PPS any species which it really isn't worth having? I've already put laylandi and willow on that list but is there anything else?

 

[cornucopia]

hello miles

deffo leylandi and willow and i also refuse sycamore and ash

as for size the bigger the better- but weight and handling will determine when to stop

my stuff is usually 2' diameter by 24-30" lengths

 

[miles_hot]

hello miles

deffo leylandi and willow and i also refuse sycamore and ash

as for size the bigger the better- but weight and handling will determine when to stop

my stuff is usually 2' diameter by 24-30" lengths

Thanks for that George - I had in the back of my mind that ash was a good practice wood and I could have sworn I'd seen some good sycamore so thanks for that - I could have ended up with more firewood! Never trust my aged memory!

Miles

 

[cornucopia]

theres nothing wrong with it- and yes it can be good pratice wood- but i find ash is boring unless its rippled/olived/crotch figured. i find sycamore is great to turn but it degrades very quickly in storage so i tend to stick with oak and beech.

 

[petercharlesfagg]

Unlike George, I welcome Ash and Sycamore, mainly because of their versatile grain structures.

Anyway, it is a question I too have been asked many times, I too do not have a chainsaw but around 3-4 feet is about right for most items. It does of course depend on what you want to make, how big your lathe is and how strong you are in picking up a piece to mount on the lathe!

Peter.

PS. I have never successfuly turned Willow or Poplar or Elder.

PPS. If the timber is free, I will never say no!

 

[user 5053]

Ash and sycamore are classic turning and woodworking woods and if you ask for it to be left in as long as you can physically lift and have room for in your vehicle that should be fine. Lleylandii is a very interesting wood with its knotty nature and irregular shaped trunk and branches and cuts very nicely. I turn and do flat stuff in willow and is good for colouring and pyrography and has good elastic properties. It grows like a weed where I am and there is endless piles of it. I would give the common poplar a miss but I have made quite a bit of stuff from it in the past. There is not that much that you cannot use for something or other and an electric chain saw is a very good investment for converting logs.

 

[wizer]

yeh nothing wrong with Ash and Sycamore for practise. They can also be good for practising things like colouring, carving and finishing.

If you just want to do bowls for now, then get him to cut them a little longer than they are round. If he's a nice bloke then getting him to split them down the middle for you too. When you get them, paint some PVA on the ends. Idealy you need to rough turn them asap and either stick them in a paper bag or seal the end grain with either pva or paint.

I'd be inclined to save any big bits of Walnut or Oak until you have some practise, both in turning and the green turning procedure.

 

[miles_hot]

Ok so the "don't bother" list is now: Willow, Lylandi, Poplar, Elder.

Dimensions - the agreed 4' seems to be OK (so long as I can lift it) and if possible split down the middle.

Cool - thanks all

Miles

 

[Chrisp]

Like Soulfly said investing in an electric chainsaw would be good, or finding out if someone you know or in a local club can convert the timber for you, 90% of the timber I use is found/given or re-cycled and as some of the other guys have said use the wood you don't think is any good as practice and who knows you might be asking for some critique after finding a hidden gem under all the shavings!...... above all enjoy it.

 

[CHJ]

Ash can be a devil to dry unless you can slow it down (seal the ends very well)

But if it does split it usually does so in segments that are usable for tool handles.

If you slab it and dry it slowly to start with then it can be salvaged in some very usefull pieces.

 

[big soft moose]

finding out if someone you know or in a local club can convert the timber for you, .

miles as you know i have a chainsaw (or two ) and would be happy to do some conversion for you.

btw i'd be inclined to add birch to the dont bother list as imo its pretty borring.

size wize i'd take anything over 10" dia and in lumps upto 3 ft long (longer than that will be a pig to handle on your own (tho a sack barrow can be very useful - screwfix sell them if you dont have one) - key thing is for the rounds to be no shorter than they are wide

 

[miles_hot]

finding out if someone you know or in a local club can convert the timber for you, .

miles as you know i have a chainsaw (or two ) and would be happy to do some conversion for you.

btw i'd be inclined to add birch to the dont bother list as imo its pretty borring.

size wize i'd take anything over 10" dia and in lumps upto 3 ft long (longer than that will be a pig to handle on your own (tho a sack barrow can be very useful - screwfix sell them if you dont have one) - key thing is for the rounds to be no shorter than they are wide

Thanks BSM - that's a kind offer which I'm pretty sure I'll take you up on

In terms of electric chain saws I am working on the assumption that they are just as dangerous petrol ones, jsut queiter?

Good point on the longer than wide - I will remember that.

Miles

 

[big soft moose]

In terms of electric chain saws I am working on the assumption that they are just as dangerous petrol ones, jsut queiter?

pretty much - with the added problem that you can cut through the cable and electrocute yourself (RCD is a must). Thats said a chainsaw is no more inherently dangereous than other woodworking tools like band and table saw , so long as you know what you are doing and treat it with respect.

Which includes wearing full PPE

IMO most electric saws arent powerful enough for full conversion, and on the cheap ones the drive sprockets are plastic and can strip under high load.

they are very handy for knocking corners off in the'shop , but for ripping and major conversion a powerful petrol saw is the way to go ( I favour the Stihl 361 with 18" bar - but that is an expensive and heavy bit of kit for amateur use - although i'm an amateur woodworker, i'm a professional chainsaw user - and most people go for something more modest like the 241 and 14" bar )

 

[duncanh]

Ok so the "don't bother" list is now: Willow, Lylandi, Poplar, Elder.

Dimensions - the agreed 4' seems to be OK (so long as I can lift it) and if possible split down the middle.

Cool - thanks all

Miles

I was given some leylandii and despite my doubts the end result was way better than expected, with siwrling grain and areas of ripple...

It was tricky to get a decent finish but the shed had a nice pine fresh scent for several days afterwards.


Poplar is worth turning if you can find burrs in it. It's a bit soft but worth persevering.
2 of my best turnings are in burr poplar...

In terms of electric chain saws I am working on the assumption that they are just as dangerous petrol ones, jsut queiter?

I read somewhere that electric ones are actually more dangerous because they have more torque and will not stall if they cut through protective clothing. I did look into this but couldn't find any definitive info.

Duncan

 

[loz]

btw i'd be inclined to add birch to the dont bother list as imo its pretty borring.

I have got some nice bits of birch - but then again some can be largly boring.

Its nice and easy to turn though.

 

[big soft moose]

I read somewhere that electric ones are actually more dangerous because they have more torque and will not stall if they cut through protective clothing. I did look into this but couldn't find any definitive info.

Duncan

thats only true if you get one that doesnt have a nose sprocket wheel on the bar (all the reputable makes do) as chainsaw protective equipment works by putting out loads of cotton wool like kevlar fibre which will jam the bar sprocket before the chain gets anywhere near your leg.

and lecky saws dont have anywhere near the torque or power of a big petrol model.

the other thing to watch out for is that cheap electric saws dont always have chain brakes which leaves you unproctected against kickback, and they virtually never (stihl excepted) have chain catchers as standard which are handy to have if you are unfortunate enough to break your chain (for instance if you encounter a big bit of metal while resawing reclaim)

bottom line is that its not an either or proposition - an electric saw is a nice thing to have in the 'shop but not a replacement for a petrol saw for outside use (for one thing to take an electric saw into the woods you need a really long extension lead )

and if you are contemplating a chainsaw either electric or petrol it is essential to also buy ppe (chainsaw boots, gloves, leggings and lid with eye and ear pro) and i would strongly suggest a decent training course too.

 

[dickm]

I read somewhere that electric ones are actually more dangerous because they have more torque and will not stall if they cut through protective clothing. I did look into this but couldn't find any definitive info.
Duncan

Wouldn't think they have more torque than even the small petrol saws. But they do have enough to strip the plastic internal gears if you encounter anything that stops (or even just seriously slows) the chain, because they don't have any clutch mechanism. As usual, DAMHIKT. (and before anyone suggests I should have bought a Husqvarna electric because they don't have plastic gears, I've recently taken one apart, and they do )

 

[big soft moose]

I read somewhere that electric ones are actually more dangerous because they have more torque and will not stall if they cut through protective clothing. I did look into this but couldn't find any definitive info.
Duncan

Wouldn't think they have more torque than even the small petrol saws. But they do have enough to strip the plastic internal gears if you encounter anything that stops (or even just seriously slows) the chain, because they don't have any clutch mechanism. As usual, DAMHIKT. (and before anyone suggests I should have bought a Husqvarna electric because they don't have plastic gears, I've recently taken one apart, and they do )

stihls dont tho

actually i'm suprised it strips the internal gears - normally it is the teeth on the drive sprocket that go.