Good Friday - Turning II

[Raymond Overman]

Here are a couple of small boxes that I turned yesterday as well. These are peach and are finished with Watco Danish Oil and a coat of friction polish. They are quick and easy but I haven't met anyone yet that doesn't stop and pick one up to open it and look inside.

[Glenn Hodges]

They sure are pretty. I like peach, I find the wood when making bowls prone to crack, but you look as if you have not had that problem.

[John Hart]

Those are great Raymond. How does Pear turn? the same as Peach? I just cut down a pear tree and kept everything...

you've inspired me to give it a go.

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

Pear is just like turning butter. You will love it.

[Jerry Clark]

Those are great looking boxes! Nice color and form! I did one and gold-leafed the inside-- Everyone is surprised when they open it!:cool:

[Raymond Overman]

John, are you talking about a Bradford Pear or another type of pear. The Bradford Pears are the ones that are flowering right now but don't bear any fruit. At least not any that I've seen. I've turned a little of it and it's usually really soft and easy. It doesn't usually have a lot of grain or pattern to it and I had a piece mold on me before I could get it finished because of some much water in it.

However a fruit bearing pear might be interesting. I've seen apple and persimmon wood turned and have turned peach and cherry. All of them have amazing grain patterns. I've got two large pieces of peach just itching to get on the lathe now. Maybe Monday afternoon or Tuesday since we're traveling up to Asheville tomorrow for Easter.

Thank you for you comments.

[John Hart]

Happy Easter Everyone,

I hope that Don is talking about the fruit-bearing kind, cuz that's what this pear tree is/was. It was an ancient pear tree, probably 18" diameter at the stump. I'll be digging the burl out of the ground this spring. Had to cut it down because of the bees...they were getting to be a real problem. My neighbor just gave me his Black Cherry tree. I have the whole root in the driveway, waiting to cut up. It's about 500-600 pounds of joy waiting for my chainsaw.

I have a feeling I'm going to have a good summer!

[Steve Inniss]

Raymond,
Those look terrific. Lovely wood, skilled hand. -Steve

[Dawn Sunkle]

Raymond, your Easter Weekend work is just beautiful.
Where do you get your Peach wood?
Being so new to turning, I'm not sure where to turn to get good blanks that don't cost an arm and 2 legs.

Dawn

[Raymond Overman]

Dawn,

I get my peach locally from a peach orchard that's past it's maturity. The orchard I get my wood from doesn't produce as much fruit but is kept for show beside a produce stand. Some of the trees are deteriorating pretty badly so I was allowed to harvest them. You usually don't see peach trees that are 10-12 inches in diameter at the base. All I did was stop and ask the manager of the farm where he hauled the old trees and if they were going to get rid of any soon. He pointed me and my chainsaw in the right direction and offered to put some of my pieces in the produce market during peach season.

As for where to get good wood for turning without it costing an arm and a leg, try your local tree services. Ask them to set burl wood, crotch wood, or other interesting figured wood to the side and you'll come by and pick it up weekly or bi-weekly. Tell them what size and species you want. It never hurts to ask and all they can say is no.

I've gone so far as to stop at someone's house and "discuss" a burled cherry tree in their yard. I was able to give them one of my cards, talk about my hobby/small side business/artistry, and ask them if they ever wanted to get rid of the tree to let me know. The guy said that he didn't have any particular attachment to the tree and that since it was in his overgrown side yard and wouldn't affect his landscape, I was welcome to it then. I just so happened to have my chainsaw in the Jeep at the time. :cool:

I've been in my neighborhood for a little over 2 years now. Because I'm constantly talking about my hobby to people in the neighborhood, I get calls occasionally that someone is cutting down a tree, come get some. Cruising the neighborhood works occasionally too.

I've also got a customer in Columbia that brought me a load of wood about a month ago. I give him a couple of pieces turned out of the species he brings me.

If you're up north in Fort Mill look me up. I'm happy to share a few pieces of wood from my humble pile.

Thank you everyone for your comments about my work. It's nice to get some feedback from your peers. I'll be posting some new peach and other turnings soon.

[Blake McCully]

Raymond,
Great idea about getting wood from local sources. I had a thought about cutting out neighbors trees etc. Do you have any kind of liability insurance? I hope it would never happen, but if you are felling a nice tree and it happens to crunch the donors car, or gutters, or great big bay window, then what? You never know what will happen with this litiginous society we live in.

Hopefully this would never happen, but you never know.

Anyway South Carolina is too far away, can't stop by and get any.

[Michael Stafford]

I like to make boxes and I love boxes. Raymond those are great looking boxes. I am sure folks have trouble keeping their hands off of them :) .

[Dawn Sunkle]

Raymond,
Thanks for the tips :)
Next time I'm up that way I'll give you a hollar.

Dawn

[Raymond Overman]

Blake,

The wood that I've received from neighbors is usually already on the ground. They call me after the tree service has limbed and fell the tree, thus reducing my liability. The tree service is happy because they don't have to load the logs or dump the tree. Other than that, I don't take chances with trees near anything that I wouldn't be able to fix. If it messes up a yard, I have a rake and shovel.

[Michael Pfau]

Beautifull boxes Raymond, I would give anything to get some peach wood! Not much of that growing up here! Love to look at your work.....