Wood ID please

[PAC]

I've just acquired some logs from a freshly felled Eucalyptus. It cuts well, dries quickly, ebonises easily and is full of ripple figure. Does anyone recognise the species?

Thanks.

 

[MikeG.]

Eucalyptus........

Not sure which one......(Blue Gum, maybe?), but certain that it is a foreigner from Australia!

Mike

PS What am I doing in the lathes forum? Ahhhhhhhh :shock:

 

[Paul.J]

Mike Garnham wrote

PS What am I doing in the lathes forum? Ahhhhhhhh

You can't resist looking at the great work that's on here

 

[Bodrighy]

PS What am I doing in the lathes forum? Ahhhhhhhh :shock:

Another one bites the dust? :twisted:

Pete

 

[wizer]

hee hee I do enjoy watching Mike get seduced.. Want to buy a WoodFast M910 Mike? Cheap to you

 

[user 5053]

Yes, definately eucalyptus. Top of the turning wood from hell list I'm afraid

 

[cornucopia]

the most common eucalyptus sold in garden centres is Eucalyptus Gunni (cider gum) but the leaves don't look right for it to be the one you have here-
the majority of the u.k ones (about 700 varieties i belive if you count the frost tender ones) turn very well and are extremely nice to cut- i love the stuff hopefully you will too.

 

[PAC]

turn very well and are extremely nice to cut- i love the stuff hopefully you will too.

Hi George,

I've already rough turned a few bowls from it and it cuts as easily as a fruit wood - really nice. It's also packed full of shimmering ripple figure.

I've got a fair amount of this timber so I'm experimenting with it. I green-turned a 10" bowl to completion and it warped quite dramatically and dried really quickly without splitting. The other rough turned bowls range from 6-12" in diameter and I've found that there is a much better grain pattern if the bowl is orientated with the base nearest the pith. You can't achieve quite as big a bowl with this orientation (12" max) but the figure is superb.

The rest of the logs are drying quicky so I've spent this morning chainsawing them up into blanks to help reduce end splits. Still a couple more to go but I'm going to call it a day for now as my neighbours have probably had enough of the noise.

There's plently more timber where the tree used to stand, including a 3 foot diameter slice from near the base of the tree. It's about 3" thick. I'm wondering whether to grab it before it ends up on the bonfire as it looks a lot like a table top. :shock:

 

[cornucopia]

sorry Pac i've just re-read your email and see that you said you'd already turned some :roll:

it is great stuff my only reservation on getting some more is are you going to be able to keep it wet enough till you get chance to turn it? if you can go for it

i wouldint have cut it all up i would have left it in the logs and only cut what i was going to turn on the day- as it dries soo quickly

i keep mine out of the sun and coverd in wet sheets which i water morning and night with the hosepipe to stop it splitting

more pics please when you get chance

 

[big soft moose]

PS What am I doing in the lathes forum? Ahhhhhhhh :shock:

come over to the round side mike ... it is your destiny

 

[MikeG.]

Get off my case you spinny people!!!!

 

[PAC]

i wouldint have cut it all up i would have left it in the logs and only cut what i was going to turn on the day- as it dries soo quickly

Hi George,

I now have about 10 blanks in bin bags with wood shavings. Over the next few evenings I'll convert them into rough bowls. Hopefully they will be ok until then. The logs still left over are currently getting rained on and I've sealed the ends. Unfortunately, SWMBO has limited my use of protective sheets to the ones currently covering my yew logs so the other logs will just have to fend for themselves. :roll:

I've also cut some other vase/goblet blanks about 10x10x30 cm and sealed the ends with wax. This is new territory for me so it will be interesting to see how well they dry.

 

[cornucopia]

good luck pac but i've never known squares of eucalypt to dry without cracking or roughed out bowls-
i thought you were turning thin and finishing them in one go without roughing? this is the only way which i have ever known to work with eucalpytus-i hope you get the results you want.

 

[PAC]

i thought you were turning thin and finishing them in one go

Mmmm. Maybe I should do a bit of that too!

My first bowl was green turned to completion with walls about 7mm thick (10" diameter) and that didn't split at all - but it did warp A LOT! :shock:

 

[stevebuk]

looks like the normal Gunnii to me, the leaves are just from an adult branch instead of younger stuff.

 

[Jenx]

Get off my case you spinny people!!!!

Stop playing 'hard to get' :wink: :wink:
Honestly... you're such a blo*dy tease ! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

You're slipping Mike... give it a month maybe, and you'll be 'netted' :wink: :wink:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[MikeG.]

I feel a bet coming on............who wants to hold the money?

Mike

 

[Jenx]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Would one care to offer some ( attractive ) odds ?
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Bodrighy]

I feel a bet coming on............who wants to hold the money?

Mike

Naah, that's too easy. We'll just sit back and wait for that first 'I just happen to have seen this lathe' post. :lol:

Pete