wood identification please....

[NikNak]

Hi all


One of my sisters (i've got 5...) works at Winchester Cathedral. She came round a few months ago saying they're chopping/felling some trees and would i like some of the wood..? "Yes please..... what is it"..? Don't know came the reply, but thinks it might be Ginko..?

Well i've done a few searches, and i don't think it's Ginko, but i'm hoping you guys might be able to either prove me wrong or tell me what it actually is....

here's a few pics.....

sorry this one's a bit blurry....

plus, it has some lovely pinkish markings on the wood itself.



She asked why i hadn't made anything from it yet..... told her it had to sit for 18 months to 2 years to dry first. "What......"!!! came the exclamation... so i cut a bit and made a bowl and a (proverbial) 'T' light for her.....

and of course as you can see, within 24 hours they had started to crack, split, warp etc etc...... don't have the bowl any more (gave that away) but it had warped and split so much for something so small i was amazed.


Thanks in advance




Nick

 

[johnny.t.]

Cherry, I believe.

JT

 

[CHJ]

I would go for Cherry also, possibly an ornamental flowering variety.

The picture of the log end says it all, damage already done.

The Ends must be sealed within hours if not minutes of cutting logs of Cherry.

Maximum salvage for turning can then be achieved by splitting/sawing any short logs through the middle (pith area) so that core splits (radial) will be reduced.

If logs are large then further sawing them lengthways into slabs 50-75mm thick may prevent them from splitting and just warping as they dry out.

Whatever you do you need to slow the drying down to give the core moisture time to migrate out to the outer wood.

 

[NikNak]

Many thanks guys...


to be fair to my sis CHJ, by the time she got the wood to me a couple of weeks had passed by.... but i have sealed most of what she's given me already.

Let me just try and get this right then.... are you saying that if i've got a lump say 6 - 8 ins dia & 2 ft long..... split/cut it lengthways or into slabs 50 -70mm now to save either splitting or greater splitting later..?


Nick

 

[Paul.J]

Looks similar to some Cherry Plum i have.
It does split easy i've found

 

[John. B]

definitely cherry.
I'd cleave it down the centre. The end-splits hopefully don't go too far into the log,
you then can cut off the split ends seal them up for a few years to dry or you can cut them into bowl blanks rough turn them,
put em into plastic bags for a few weeks, turning the bags inside out every few days to get rid of the moisture buildup and voila you may have some turnable blanks.
Failing that you can turn them wet, but be prepared for them to warp as they dry.

John. B

 

[Alie Barnes]

100% cherry

 

[stevebuk]

yep, definately wood :lol:

 

[robo hippy]

My guess would be plum. Too much purple in it for the cherry I am used to. Lovely wood, cuts nice, starts to split when you fire up the chainsaw. Rough turn and seal, and keep in a cool, draft free place, in paper bags, down on the floor and with shaving in the bag. Will probably crack anyway. Drying the log without cutting it into blanks will result in more cracks. But that is why super glue was invented.
robo hippy

 

[CHJ]

....
Let me just try and get this right then.... are you saying that if i've got a lump say 6 - 8 ins dia & 2 ft long..... split/cut it lengthways or into slabs 50 -70mm now to save either splitting or greater splitting later..?
Nick

Yes at the very least cut it down the middle through the pith, leaving you with 2 semi-circular halves.
If it's big enough to leave worthwhile bowl segments each side take out a 25-50mm slice out of the middle (including the pith) then cut this slice in the midle pith area giving yourself a couple of chunky planks.

The wood will still warp when drying but with the ends well sealed you should get away with fewer splits.

This is Cherry dried this way.