Standing dead tree

[Ib Rikhof]

Although I am a frequent reader this is my first attempt to post. I have just cut down two juniper/cedar trees. These trees died as a result of being "delimbed" but were left standing in the dirt. The diameter of the largest tree is about 10 inches and they have been standing in the dying and drying process for quite a number of years (10??). When they were cut today they appeared to be quite dry (I have no moisture meter) with no visible checking. Normally I would saw them in half thru the pith, coat the ends, and set them aside to dry. Since they appear to have dried to this point without checking, I thought they might make it all the way dry without cutting out the pith. This would enable me to spindle turn them (perhaps a lamp) and get a nice interplay with the vibrant colors of the heartwood and sapwood. I would appreciate any thoughts on the possibility of successfully drying without removing the pith. Thanks - Ib

[Dick Wilson]

Hi Ib, My guess is there is some moisture towards the center of the tree even though the tree been in a "10 drying process". The good thing is there may be enough moisture already gone that you can put it on the lathe and turn to finish. If you are going to center the wood between centers at the pith the only thing I would suggest is that you CA glue (after turning) the inside and outside. That would really reduce the chances of checking. Post a pic when you get something turned.

[Jamie Donaldson]

Many members of the yew family can be excellent turning wood, at least when the sap is gone. Some are full of wind shakes, but fairly stable when turned with uniformly thin walls.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I like turning cedar as it is a nice turning wood and makes the shop smell good. I would guess there will be some moisture even if it doesn't seem like it. I turned a bowl out of some I thought was really dry and it developed cracks.

[Ib Rikhof]

Thanks guys. I think I will try to turn some of it asap using the CA glue trick. I will also cover my bet by splitting about half of it thru the pith and drying it further in the "traditional" manner. Probably won't be able to get too much done until next week since this is Kentucky Derby weekend and we are having a few people over to watch it and partake of a pit roasted goat. We have cooked quite a few turkeys and such in the ground while on river trips but never anything as big as a goat. I digress - Thanks for the advice. The ends of the wood are coated and I will try to split a few pieces today. Have a great day - Ib

[Fred Perreault]

Ib, I like turning red cedar as well. I turn quite a bit of it, with a high success rate. My experience with older, very dry cedar is that the dry nature of the wood may leave considerable tearout and roughly sheared fibers. A high (safe) speed, sharp tools and light cuts usually suffice to leave a nice surface. Also, cedar being a lighter weight wood, and dry cedar more-so.... can sometimes appear to be out of round when there is a large dense knot on one side. It might spin as out of balance, even when it is perfectly round. Have fun....! :) :)