Kathy Marshall
11-09-2011, 12:00 AM
Got the call from my tree trimmer friends on Saturday, they would be taking out an acacia (which they thought would be sweet acacia) on Monday and another tree (that I have been waiting and waiting for, will wait until I pick it up to see if it is gloat worthy :D) on Friday, and did I want any? I almost passed up on it since most of the sweet acacia seems to be smaller logs and I still have some laying around somewhere, but I decided to check it out anyway and very glad I did!
It turns out that it's not sweet acacia, there were some small branches with foliage and they said it was shoestring acacia (acacia stenophylla). Looking at the foliage, I thought it looked more like willow acacia (acacia salicina). The trees can look very similar but in general the shoestring has a longer leaf which is usually grayer in color, but it's common for trees to vary from one to the next. So this is either shoestring or willow acacia, and in either case it's nice!
I picked up the first load on Monday and got most of the smaller 5" to 8" diameter logs, then went back today to pick up the bigger ones, including the root stump!
When I got home yesterday I just couldn't wait, so I cut up one of the smaller 5-6" logs and turned this small bowl. The wood was so wet it was throwing water at me, I've had that happen with cottonwood and sissoo, but never had any acacia that was that wet! It turned great, but now way to get a good sanding on something that wet, so I just gave it a quick once over to 150 grit, put some walnut oil on it and called it done. Gave it to the tree trimmers when I picked up the 2nd load tonight. Normally I wouldn't give her a piece that didn't have a good sanding and finish on it, but I explained about how wet it was and told her to use and abuse it and I'd turn her a "real" bowl from one of the bigger pieces.
Here's the blank fresh off the bandsaw.
212423212424
The finished piece (excuse the poor photos, didn't set up the photo tent for this one).
212425212422
The large pieces I picked up tonight. Got home just as the sun was setting so the wood looks a little washed out, it's much better in the sunlight!
212426212427
Thanks for looking!
Comments and critiques are welcome.
It turns out that it's not sweet acacia, there were some small branches with foliage and they said it was shoestring acacia (acacia stenophylla). Looking at the foliage, I thought it looked more like willow acacia (acacia salicina). The trees can look very similar but in general the shoestring has a longer leaf which is usually grayer in color, but it's common for trees to vary from one to the next. So this is either shoestring or willow acacia, and in either case it's nice!
I picked up the first load on Monday and got most of the smaller 5" to 8" diameter logs, then went back today to pick up the bigger ones, including the root stump!
When I got home yesterday I just couldn't wait, so I cut up one of the smaller 5-6" logs and turned this small bowl. The wood was so wet it was throwing water at me, I've had that happen with cottonwood and sissoo, but never had any acacia that was that wet! It turned great, but now way to get a good sanding on something that wet, so I just gave it a quick once over to 150 grit, put some walnut oil on it and called it done. Gave it to the tree trimmers when I picked up the 2nd load tonight. Normally I wouldn't give her a piece that didn't have a good sanding and finish on it, but I explained about how wet it was and told her to use and abuse it and I'd turn her a "real" bowl from one of the bigger pieces.
Here's the blank fresh off the bandsaw.
212423212424
The finished piece (excuse the poor photos, didn't set up the photo tent for this one).
212425212422
The large pieces I picked up tonight. Got home just as the sun was setting so the wood looks a little washed out, it's much better in the sunlight!
212426212427
Thanks for looking!
Comments and critiques are welcome.