Wood Species You have Yet to Turn

[Jason Ritchie]

I have been reading posts lately and realized that there are a lot of different types of wood I have yet to turn. I thought it might be fun to share and see what other folks have not yet turned either due to geographical limitations or just haven't had the chance. Maybe if there folks that have some of the wood others have yet to turn and are local this might encourage a little sharing action. I'd be happy to share some of my Osage Orange or Maple. My dad's property has tons of oak trees that have fallen so I would be happy to share that as well.

Woods not yet turned:
Buckeye
Persimmon
Bog Oak
Elm
Sycamore
Hickory
Pecan
Birch
Claro Walnut
Willow
Bradford Pear
Fruiting Pear
Spruce
Gum
Mimosa

I have plenty of:
Oak
Osage Orange
Maple

Oddest woods I have turned:
Mountain Laurel
Azalea

[Eric Holmquist]

With so many woods in existence, I could never list the ones I have not turned.

I would struggle to name even the common domestic hardwoods that I have not turned as I would probably miss many species that are common in states I rarely if ever visit as "common" is regional

[Dennis Ford]

Most of the woods you mentioned are common here except: Buckeye, Spruce & Mountain Laurel. I have not turned any of those. No Claro Walnut here but I have turned a couple of pieces. We have lots of Azalea bushes but I have never turned any. I have turned several types of Oak but not Bog Oak.

[Baxter Smith]

I am with Eric in that I couldn't begin to list what I haven't turned without first compiling a list of what I have, then going to one of my tree books.

[Sean Hughto]

I don't want to hijack your thread, but I wonder if anyone would be interestested in a sticky or something where members could put together turning characteristics of various species. I know that would be interesting to me.

From your list, I've turned Persimmon, Hickory/Pecan (Pecan is a member of the hickory family), Birch, Willow, and ornamental Pear. THe one I'd like to have an endless supply of is the pear. I could stand it to never turn willow again, though I wouldn't turn down a chunk I passed on the road. Hickory is cool - though very hard when dry, which makes the turning experience a bit different. Persimmon is kind of plain, and seems to resist cracking but moves a ton when turned wet and let alone to dry.

[Jamie Donaldson]

And don't bother with Bog Oak, because it's more like coal when it's dry! What a mess! That's why I was so surprised how different the Ancient Kauri is, considering it was also underground for many thousands of years, and looked and turned just like Cypress.

[Bill Hensley]

Jason I'll swap you some Pecan for some Osage Orange. I don't have any but if you can get your hands on some Sycamore you'll be very pleased with how it turns. I'll have to look to see what else I have stashed.

[Jason Ritchie]

I guess I should have phrased it "Wood species that you are familiar with but have never turned". I realize that there too many species to name them all but I guess I was looking to drum up conversation around some of the more common species I see here on the forum. Thanks for the comments so far though. Some good info here on what you guys really like and not care for so much.

[Carl Civitella]

I lost a pear tree in oct 2011 snow storm, it is cut up and stacked as fire wood for now, more of the tree has to come down soon. Tons more then i will ever use. If any one wants to trade for some let me know. Carl

[Jason Ritchie]

Jason I'll swap you some Pecan for some Osage Orange. I don't have any but if you can get your hands on some Sycamore you'll be very pleased with how it turns. I'll have to look to see what else I have stashed.

PM sent. I look forward to meeting up with you!

[Reed Gray]

We have a local gentleman who has been the president of the International Wood Collectors Society, or what ever they call them selves. Over 5,000 species.

Ones I would like to try, lilac, Kentucky Coffee tree, hack berry, ebony (have some but waiting for some inspiration), and many others whose names I can't pronounce. I did see one small bowl turned from a hydrangia stalk. Looked like it was segmented with tear drop shaped pieces.

Jason, if you get some sycamore or london plane, for bowls you want it quarter sawn, or the pith at the bottom of the bowl for the medullary rays to show.

robo hippy

[Robert Henrickson]

Ones I would like to try, Kentucky Coffee tree, hack berry
robo hippy

Kentucky coffee tree looks nice, but has a horrible tendency to crack both across the grain and between rings. Our local club did charity turn for the state arboretum a couple years ago, using a KY coffee tree that had had to be cut. The members' experiences were uniformly frustrating, although some nice pieces resulted. Almost every piece had at least some minor cracking. This year we are doing another turn for the arboretum, but with cherry.

Hackberry turns nicely, although it is far more interesting if allowed/encouraged to spalt, which it does quickly.

My reaction to the original topic was that I would list woods I would never turn -- based on exposure, walnut and cedar top that list due to reactions to both.

[Jeff Nicol]

Well you can start your collection by turning an egg from each species you get, and then when your collection gets so big that you have to build a new shed to hold it, that will be the time to give up! It would take years just to turn everything that grows in the USA. Seems like an unachieveable proposition not to mention the cost to get a piece of everthing in the world.

Let us know when you get the last one!!

Jeff

[Mark Levitski]

I have turned nothing except maple, cherry, oak, ash, poplar, apple, and ironwood. Provincial and local am I.

Mark