Catalpa characteristics

[Roger Chandler]

Hey everybody.........


I was wondering about the characteristics of catalpa wood. I got some a few months back, and decided I wanted to get into a piece of it today, Here is the thread on the wood, if you want to see it:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?156521-Catalpa-wood&highlight=

Anyway, when I went to cut this flat blank [about 7 inches thick] I could not get it to cut, even with my large 18" bandsaw. I have a 1/2 inch blade by 3 tpi on the saw at present, and the thing just would not cut, but only smoke the blade.

I even put it on my radial arm saw, [3 hp] which I have a 60 tooth blade on it, but figured I could feed the saw into the wood slowly, but it bogged down several times as well, so I ended up just cutting the thing with my chainsaw.

When I put it on the lathe, it poured out the water [ a brown mist] and would collect on the end of my gouge.

I am doing another southwest pottery form with it, because it has beautiful grain, but I got it mostly rough turned and it is now soaking in DNA.

I was wondering if anyone knew why that it is so hard to cut? I was wondering if it is a stringy type of fiber in this wood..........it seems even the curlees were a bit stringy [if that is the correct way to describe it?]

It also rusted the ways on my lathe within minutes of starting to turn. I had to clean them, and put some Boeshield T-9 on them.

This was my first time turning this kind of wood, and just was wondering if others who have turned some had the same experience?

[Terry Quiram]

Roger can you post a couple pics of side grain and bark? Your description doesn't sound like any Catalpa I know. Catalpa is a pretty soft wood and should be very easy to cut and turn.

[Mark Hubl]

I can only imagine it is giving you troubles because of it's wetness. Agree with Terry, we had some at our turning club and it cut pretty easily.

[Roger Chandler]

Terry,

Look in post number 5 of the thread I referenced and you will see the 2 blanks on the back of my tailgate. The picture of the bowl that Mark Cothren posted looks just like this wood I turned today. It was wet for sure, and the guy we got it from is a woodturner and university professor.........I am pretty sure he is knowledgeable on the wood from this tree at his summer cabin.

Anyway, it turned okay, but cutting it was something I have never experienced with any other wood.

[Harry Robinette]

I just looked at the pictures on the other thread.I have no idea way, but the catalpa I've turned from here in Ohio has a very light brown and soft smooth bark.It has huge leaves about 6" wide and 8" long and long thin seed pods.But it don't look like that.If I still have some in my stash I'll snap a pic. and send to you on PM.

[Roger Chandler]

I just looked at the pictures on the other thread.I have no idea way, but the catalpa I've turned from here in Ohio has a very light brown and soft smooth bark.It has huge leaves about 6" wide and 8" long and long thin seed pods.But it don't look like that.If I still have some in my stash I'll snap a pic. and send to you on PM.

Thanks Harry...........this was a very large tree, and I wonder if that has anything to do with the bark looking different. Those seed pods were reportedly on this tree in the summer. This tree had to come down because it was affecting the well [water] system at this cabin.

[steven carter]

Roger,

It seems that I remember when I band sawed catalpa that when going with the grain, was more difficult than usual, but cross grain was more normal. I did come across this link about the properties of catalpa, thought you might be interested. http://www.connectedlines.com/wood/wood18.htm


Steve

[Terry Quiram]

Roger my apologies for not reading your post more carefully. Very wet Catalpa is difficult to cut and turn because it is spongy. When cutting with a bandsaw friction generated from the blade heats the water and swells the wood pinching the blade. However your chainsaw should have cut it easily. Very sharp tools and light cuts work with wet wood. You don't need to alcohol soak Catalpa as it is very stable. Just bag it for a week or two then set it out to air dry. When sanding the dry finished piece be aware of hard growth rings and soft summer growth. You will end up with a ripple effect.

[Richard Coers]

I agree with the catalpa identification. Wet, it is tough to cut, just like wet basswood. The wood fibers would rather push out of the way that cut. The dust from catalpa can get me in the throat. My favorite treatment is to fill the open pores with contrasting paint, then sand it back for you have a color fill on a natural piece. Light as a feather when dry.

[Roger Chandler]

Thank you both Terry and Richard............what you both said did describe what happened when I tried to cut it on the bandsaw. The blade definitely got pinched, and smoked by the heat in the wet wood. My chainsaw did make short work of it............

Thanks again!

[Nathan Hawkes]

Hey Roger. Good to see you at the meeting! Last night a couple people had bowls turned from Catalpa (which they got from me!!). It has some pros and cons, as you are aware. It can be somewhat spongy, but I don't see this as a negative necessarily. You MUST grind back the bevel on your gouge if you don't want to bruise the wood--this is true of soft maple as well. You'll end up with bruising marks that look almost like tear out when the finished bowl is oiled. The crushed grain absorbs more finish, and looks darker. Sharp gouges are definitely a must as well, but find that I can take huge, hogging cuts with catalpa. I can easily stall the Powermatic 3520 with a 3/4" bowl gouge or even a 5/8" with a long Irish grind on it. I can peel a 1" wide shaving over 1/16" thick when I want to rough quickly. BUT~~you do have to take several finishing passes with a freshly sharpened gouge to get a good finish. It is stringy, but I think the results are worth the effort187005.

[Roger Chandler]

Hey Roger. Good to see you at the meeting! Last night a couple people had bowls turned from Catalpa (which they got from me!!). It has some pros and cons, as you are aware. It can be somewhat spongy, but I don't see this as a negative necessarily. You MUST grind back the bevel on your gouge if you don't want to bruise the wood--this is true of soft maple as well. You'll end up with bruising marks that look almost like tear out when the finished bowl is oiled. The crushed grain absorbs more finish, and looks darker. Sharp gouges are definitely a must as well, but find that I can take huge, hogging cuts with catalpa. I can easily stall the Powermatic 3520 with a 3/4" bowl gouge or even a 5/8" with a long Irish grind on it. I can peel a 1" wide shaving over 1/16" thick when I want to rough quickly. BUT~~you do have to take several finishing passes with a freshly sharpened gouge to get a good finish. It is stringy, but I think the results are worth the effort187005.

Thanks Nate! That is a great bowl! I have a hollow form roughed and soaked in DNA, and now is in a bag drying. I am hoping to get back to it in a few days........it has great grain, and I have plans for the addition of other woods to enhance the form.

Thanks for the demo last evening on tool handles. That mulberry blank gave you some fits, but the cherry one turned out well. Good to see you as well.........I just joined CVW last month........now that makes two woodturning clubs I am a member of, and of course AAW.

[Jim Underwood]

It seems quite stable as compared to other wood. I roughed out two very green blanks nearly at the same time, one of Aspen, and one of Catalpa. The Catalpa blank was right through the pith, while the Aspen was well to the side.

Care to guess which one warped and cracked so badly that it couldn't be re-turned, while the other remained virtually the same with no cracks whatsoever?