Wood color aging question

[Jim Underwood]

I recently had a potential customer that wants some turned fruit ask me a very good question...

I had told her that Osage Orange made excellent apples and pears, and had a color to match golden delicious apples or bartlet pears to start with, but unfortunately would age to a mellow brown. I told her that's why I liked to choose several different species for groupings- so that they'd still be a bit different as they darkened.

So she said she was thinking of 3 apples and 2 pears. Then she asked if I could "mix the woods so that as they age, they look a little different?"

So... Can you think of woods that I could choose where this is possible?

I have turned them in; Honey and Black Locust, Osage Orange, Red Cedar, Cherry, Peach, Bradford Pear, Poplar, Red Mahogany lookin Pallet wood, Maple, Spruce (some kind of conifer pallet wood), Mulberry, Elm, Ash, Walnut, and finally, OSB (oriented strand board).

[John Hart]

Bloodwood is nice for a deep red
Yellowheart would make a nice apple
Purpleheart for grapes?


cool question. Gotta think some more.

[Nathan Hawkes]

I recently had a potential customer that wants some turned fruit ask me a very good question...

I had told her that Osage Orange made excellent apples and pears, and had a color to match golden delicious apples or bartlet pears to start with, but unfortunately would age to a mellow brown. I told her that's why I liked to choose several different species for groupings- so that they'd still be a bit different as they darkened.

So she said she was thinking of 3 apples and 2 pears. Then she asked if I could "mix the woods so that as they age, they look a little different?"

So... Can you think of woods that I could choose where this is possible?

I have turned them in; Honey and Black Locust, Osage Orange, Red Cedar, Cherry, Peach, Bradford Pear, Poplar, Red Mahogany lookin Pallet wood, Maple, Spruce (some kind of conifer pallet wood), Mulberry, Elm, Ash, Walnut, and finally, OSB (oriented strand board).



I'd think your osage would look great for a pear--the brown sort of matches a d'anjou pear. I don't know if I spelled it right, but they're the ones that have a dull brown skin that is almost rough to the touch, but they're super sweet and juicy. It might also do well from green (meaning heartwood only) poplar, which will brown a bit with time as well. Mulberry is very similar to osage in its transition to a chocolaty brown. Walnut of course will lighten with time.
Edit: Cherry might look like a gala apple when fresh turned, then a red delicious or other apple with time. You'd want to pick stock with a relatively deep pink/orange color to start.

[Scott Lux]

Where are our dye experts? I should think a yellow dye on a very light maple or holly would be nice.

[James Combs]

I can't help with the aging question but I would love to see some pics of your fruit turnings.

[Sean Hughto]

vera (argintine lignum), ironwood, pink ivory, cocobolo, holly, blue mahoe, purpleheart, yellowheart

a couple years back I carved a bunch of knobs from different woods in thinking through a project:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3611/3618602198_65132317c1.jpg

the green is vera, the red, bloodwood, the yellow is yellowheart layers over canarywood, and the gray is blue mahoe.

Here's some junk practice from scraps that includes the beads from pink ivory:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2495/3972780503_907a57fc39.jpg

Here's a couple bits of purpleheart (the top in the first pic and the ball inthe second):

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2751/4074028670_23121d9b95.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4175207957_1886f62322.jpg

The bowl is myrtle and the tail vise it's sitting on is padauk.

I included the pictures just so you could see some of the wood colors, I do not mean to hijack this thread in any way by talking about any of the objects in these pictures. Hope that's okay.

Oh, one more:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4452660808_0cfddcd9db.jpg
The large egg at the bottom is ironwood. Next to is is a piece of walnut with some sap wood. On top I think is tulipwood (the exotic, not poplar).

[Jim Underwood]

As requested.

All I did was follow instructions from Keith Rowley's Fundamentals book, and use a cardboard template made from real pieces of fruit.

[Ted Evans]

Boy Jim, those look great to me, I could never get one to come out so well.

[Cathy Schaewe]

Wow, those are cool. Jim, what kind of wood is the apple in front in the last picture? (the sort of "stripey" one)

[Bernie Weishapl]

Look good to me Jim. Really nice pieces.

[Jim Underwood]

Wow, those are cool. Jim, what kind of wood is the apple in front in the last picture? (the sort of "stripey" one)

It's made from OSB = Oriented Strand Board (and coffee and a lot of CA glue). It's a bit challenging because there are so many voids and it's Pine, which tears out something fierce. If you ever work it, don't run your hand over it while it's spinning...

Funny thing is that it was a block I almost threw away. When we had our roof replaced, they used a block of OSB and one of PS Pine under the dumpster to keep from tearing up the concrete driveway. They left them behind, and I was on the verge of tossing them, when I realized what it was... Put the block of PSP under the downspout for a splash, and cut up the OSB and made fruit out of it.

[Cathy Schaewe]

It's made from OSB = Oriented Strand Board (and coffee and a lot of CA glue). It's a bit challenging because there are so many voids and it's Pine, which tears out something fierce. If you ever work it, don't run your hand over it while it's spinning...

Funny thing is that it was a block I almost threw away. When we had our roof replaced, they used a block of OSB and one of PS Pine under the dumpster to keep from tearing up the concrete driveway. They left them behind, and I was on the verge of tossing them, when I realized what it was... Put the block of PSP under the downspout for a splash, and cut up the OSB and made fruit out of it.
No kidding. Our whole house is framed with that stuff. I wouldn't have even thought of turning it.