Wood Question

[John Altberg]

What experience has anyone had with turning aspen? I have a friend taking some down and am curious to know if it is worth getting any.

Regards,

John

[John Keeton]

John, I have never turned any, but in flatwork some of the folks where aspen is available use it for drawer sides. It is rather plain, soft, and straight grained. Easy to work with chisels, though. I would suspect it would spalt easily.

[Allen Neighbors]

What experience has anyone had with turning aspen? I have a friend taking some down and am curious to know if it is worth getting any.

Regards,

John

As John said, it spalts easily. Sharp tools, light cuts, beautiful light colored, very soft wood, that looks like Holly. It makes beautiful turnings. I've turned quite a bit of it, and if I could get some large pieces, I'd turn some utility bowls with it. A hollowform is light as a feather when it's turned to about 1/4" thickness.

[Thomas Canfield]

It better be worth turning. Alan gave me a section about 5" D x 2' long last year at SWAT that I have not turned yet (don't tell him). I did turn a endgrain hollow form about 8" D x 6" H from a section given to me several years ago that was a little punky and had to be stabalized with some wood hardner to allow turning. It is a light color and weight wood and does require sharp tools and likely will require some type of hardener or sanding sealer to get a good finish.

[Greg Just]

John:

I have turned quite a bit of aspen. The best pieces are the crotch pieces as the other wood tends to be rather plain. The plain pieces are good for dyeing. Here are a couple of bowls I turned. The one on the left has a little burl in the bark that I was able to save.

Good luck and I look forward to seeing what you create.

Greg

[Allen Neighbors]

For shame, Thomas!! :D

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have turned some aspen. It is a light colored wood as has been said and I want to get some more if I can because I think it will make for some great turnings to airbrush.

[Al Wasser]

Aspen is fun and easy to turn. It is soft so it tends to tearout easily but is easy to sand. The wood can be very plane jane or awesome. The pieces with some knots tend to have more "character"

[John Altberg]

As always, my questions get answered on "The Creek". I will add some aspen to my collection of wood. Thank you, all.

John

[David E Keller]

I haven't turned any of the plain wood, but Aspen burl is one of my favorite woods for pens. i can't find the post, but I put some photos up of some pens I turned a while back including one made from aspen burl... Wonderful caramel colors and a pleasure to turn.

[Matt Newton]

If you want to see some awesome things made from aspen, then go to Peter Bloch's website: www.woodshades.com (http://www.woodshades.com) Peter was a demonstrator at the AAW Symposium.

[Allen Neighbors]

That's a bad link, Matt. Sorry.

[John Hart]

Keith Burns did a cool dyed aspen piece a few years ago. I immediately thought of it when I saw this thread.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=57548

[Wayne Spence]

We have plenty of aspen here in Colorado. I don't know how it differs from that grown further north. It doesn't last long, decays quickly once it hits the ground so seal it and get it off the ground asap. A number of turners put it in a bag with some water and turn the spalted pieces within 2 years.

It would lend itself well to stains. Don't know why I have never stained any as I like staining and coloring plain wood. Taking some of the spalted wood or carving it and then filling with turquoise is also popular here. It gives a distinctive southwestern flavor to the bowls and platters.

[John Altberg]

That's a bad link, Matt. Sorry.


That link worked earlier today. The lampshades are really cool!