Coolibah??

[Brent Smith]

Can anyone give me some feedback on turning this wood? Bowls, spindles whatever. My local supplier has a few good sized pieces I was looking at this morning.

[Harvey Mushman]

Coolibah is typical Aussie Burl......Very hard and very beautiful. Keep your tools sharp. It has a tendency to form hairline cracks vertically from the eyes of the burl, if the burl is still fairly green....Nothing bad though. Coolibah behaves in a similar manner as Red Mallee......Try it! You'll like it!

[Brent Smith]

Thanks Harvey. I ended up going back and buying the 4 pieces they had.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Harvey pretty much said it. I will say again sharp tools are a must.

[Pat Keefe]

Sharp tools, good dust extraction, good reflex's and ability to compromise on your design mid turn. Finish with oil, keep lint, brushes and fingernails away from the piece. I learned to turn on burl, especially Coolibah.

The first photo is a very basic bowl out of Coolibah, very plain to me now. The next are of a lidded box out of Coolibah Burl. The Light is Jarrah Burl and the large bowl is also Jarrah Burl ( I named the bowl Fear & Loathing). I have hand carved Brown Mallee Burl and that is just plain old hard work, but the smiles from MBGitW and my friends when I give them the item as a present are worth all the Blood, sweat and blue language:)

Give the Coolibah ago, I have heard it previously described as easier to turn Concrete then to turn some of Australia's hardwoods, but it is what you are used to.