Grape vine

[Jim Podsedly]

Has anybody turned grape vines? More specifically the trunk of the vine.

Before tracking down any grape wood i wanted to see if it was even worth it? My hometown is known for many vineyards (Lake Erie coast area) and have some connections to the wineries where i could probably get a hold of the grape wood.

If the wood is worth it then it would be a neat wood for wine bottle stoppers.

thanks,
jim

[curtis rosche]

i would imagine that it would be very very stringy, like the worst willow ever. i have ready articles about people who collect every type of wood they can. on of the articles the guy was turning something out of everywood he could find. he turned grape vine, he also turned poison ivy vine, and horseradish.

[Steve Clardy]

Not sure. Never turned it.
I just got back from cutting firewood.
Found a 2" diameter vine at the ground, and cut a chunk off. Going to put it up to dry.

[Dale Miner]

We harvested some wild grape once, and turned a crotch piece while still green, laid the rest up to dry. The piece was about 4" dia. The roughed piece was put into a bag to dry. Within two days, the piece had literally split into several pieces. The section that was put up to dry split from end to end in several places, and while drying a gelatinous sap wept from the ends making a sticky mess until dry. Once dry, the vine wood appeared to be very hard. It does have a nice contrast between the sapwood and heartwood (almost white to a nice purple brown).

Having said the above, I did see a post somewhere where a person had turned a vine from muscatel. The piece was about 10" dia, turned thin green and allowed to warp. Did not crack and looked pretty nice.


If you give it a try, post the pics, would love to hear how it turns out.

Later,
Dale M

[curtis rosche]

Steve, make sure that the vine you found isnt something like poison ivy or something else that will cause harm from the dust or sap

[Ruth Niles]

Hi Jim,

I did turn grape vine a few years ago. I turned 6 little goblets, the only thing that happened was the stems warped but they didn't crack. I'll try a picture.......... I think!

[Ruth Niles]

I posted before I said they are only about 3" tall and the diameter is exactly the total diameter of the vine.

Ruth

[Dolan Brown]

Has anybody turned grape vines? More specifically the trunk of the vine.

Before tracking down any grape wood i wanted to see if it was even worth it? My hometown is known for many vineyards (Lake Erie coast area) and have some connections to the wineries where i could probably get a hold of the grape wood.

If the wood is worth it then it would be a neat wood for wine bottle stoppers.

thanks,
jim


Jim,

Here is a pen I turned from a wild grape vine.









http://www.sawmillcreek.org/picture.php?albumid=223&pictureid=2301

Be warned the vine splits really bad when it is drying. If you can slow down the drying process it might not split so bad. Maybe sealing it all over and placing in a bag filled with shaving might help. I hope to find some more one day and try again. I got enough for a couple of pens and a few bottle toppers out of a piece about 4 feet long.

The wood is really beautiful and turns okay.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I was going to reply that Ruth Niles did turn some vine, didn't remember what it was anymore Ruth :o, must be old age creeping in over here:rolleyes:
Glad to see you post here Ruth, it's been a while :D :D

[Norm Zax]

Tilted goblets are nice! They moderate your drinking to half an inch less of liquid.

[Scott Lux]

Not to be a killjoy, but it would be very hard for me to turn grape. I have hundreds of feet of it available in 2"-4" diameter, but I can't bring myself to turn it.

Definitely, get some of it. Next time you're grilling poultry, pork, or fish, throw some grape wood in with it. Yum is not a big enough word to describe it.

Lux

[Mark P. Brown]

If there is a Pier1 Imports in your area check them out. I saw a vine completly dried and hard as a rock. it was a little knobby on the outside. they had them in sizes of about 4" dia. to 12" dia. and a foot or more long.
Mark