UGH, willow STINKS...P U !!!!

[Mike Cruz]

I turned a piece of willow the other day. Roughed it out. Didn't smell particularly good. Turned a burl from the same tree today and PU!!!! Smelled like an outhouse. The piece is VERY pretty. Otherwise, I'd have given up on it. I've GOT to go out into the shop and get rid of all those curlies...

Now I know why people aren't relaly fond of willow...

[Mike Tilley]

Hi Mike
We recently cut down a hugh willow where we were going to build a house that stuff was so wet i didn't think a guy could ever turn a piece of it with out getting a shower talk about water. A couple of days later and it was nothing but checks.

[Steve Vaughan]

Uh, Mike, no picture, no stink.:D Actually, I turned some willow bowls back in the fall...no smell at all. But, then, it had been laying in the fellow's yard for quite a while and had dried out quite a bit. Probably a different kind of willow.

[Jeff Myroup]

Yes, Yes it does!

[Jim Burr]

And the proof of this is where??? "I did this and I did that"...Smell-o-meter dude...and a pic for some tilt on the truth-o-meter!!

[Mike Cruz]

I will take a pic or two of the one I did today in the morning. For right now, you'll have to suffice with the one I did yesterday (or two days ago...I don't remember). And if you REALLY don't believe me about the smell, for the cost of shipping, I'll send you some!

[Steve Vaughan]

Pew-Wee! I'm thinking you're gonna have to seal that stuff with shellac before finishing? It'll be really nice when you get it finished! Stuff I turned a while back had lots of little birdseyes in it.

[Harry Robinette]

Mike
From what I understand Willow because it's an open wood takes on the smell and sometimes the color changes from whats in the ground. There are a few woods that do this like Cotton Wood,Linden or Bass Wood,Willow and some Popular that I know of.Some of the color changes make for some really beautiful wood, but the stink is sometimes hard to take.

[Kathy Marshall]

I'm looking forward to seeing the finished products Mike! This would be a good projecct for the soap and water technique. The smell of the soap might just cut down on the smell of the willow enough to get you through the finishing process.

[Mike Cruz]

I've already coated them with AnchorSeal, so I don't think that I'll be able to do the soap and water thing on these, Kathy. But it might be a good idea for any (if any) future willow turnings.

A while ago, I turned some maple that was really stinky, too (about as stinky as the first willow roughout, but not as stinky as the second). I gave up on the wood. Didn't want to stink up my shop any more! So, the wood just sat. Well, I offered up the wood to any Creekers that wanted it. Two said yes. I cut them blanks to ship out, and lo and behold, the stink was GONE! I suppose they lost enough moisture to have gotten rid of it. I might consider doing that with the willow, too...

[Marc Himes]

I have turned a few Willow pieces but nothing fresh so I didn't get the smell you mention. I did get the cracks though. Perhaps it depends on the type of Willow as well as where it comes form..

[Mike Cruz]

Grrrrreeeeeeeeaaaaaaatttttt, Harry. Thanks for, um, clarifying that for me... Sooooo, this really old willow (that was right behind an old bank barn that was likely full of cattle harboring the wonderful "goodness" that these cows "deposited" for decades), was storing the treasures that "farm life" offered it. Grrrrrrreeeeeeeaaaaaaattttt. I knew there was a reason I felt like I needed a shower afterwards (and consequently DID)!!

[Pat Scott]

I turned some Willow a few years ago but only the one time. I don't remember if there was a smell with it or not. My piece was bland, nothing to look at or get excited with as far as grain. It was kind of pretty after I oiled it though, turning an orange-ish color. I made a salad or fruit bowl from it, but I'm not really interested in turning any more of it because it's really soft and dings easily.

I've turned Cottonwood as well and I can attest to the sewer smell it has when turned wet! But usually once it dries the smell goes away. I would imagine Willow is the same and won't smell once dry.

[Doug Herzberg]

Mike
From what I understand Willow because it's an open wood takes on the smell and sometimes the color changes from whats in the ground. There are a few woods that do this like Cotton Wood,Linden or Bass Wood,Willow and some Popular that I know of.Some of the color changes make for some really beautiful wood, but the stink is sometimes hard to take.

+1. The cottonwood I've been working on smells like the dogs who used the lawn under it. Sometimes I have to step outside. Looking good so far, though. Stay with it.

[Prashun Patel]

A lot of wood can smell like that. I've heard it described as 'feet' or 'animals' or 'barn'.

I've smelled it predominantly in spalting wood.

[Mike Cruz]

Here is the culprit. Good thing there is lots of charicter to this...otherwise it wouldn't have gotten past the first minute...

[Rich Aldrich]

I turned a piece of cherry that was in my Aunts horse pasture. It smelled like the horse pasture. After a DNA soak and a month in a bag, the smell was gone.

[Prashun Patel]

I bet it's the decay more than the brand that's causing the smell.

[Mike Cruz]

I've turned plenty of "decaying" maple with no smell (othere than maple smell). And the first piece had no decay... But who knows, maybe there's something to it...

[Mike Cruz]

Now, THAT would be a shame, Rich...cherry that didn't smell like cherry! I learned my lesson with not throwing stinky wood into the DNA bath... If you do, the DNA bath WILL smell of the "stink", and everything you soak in it comes out smelling like it (until the DNA evaporates)...even your hand/arm!

[Van Huskey]

Very cool Mike. Did you do that on your PM or the new bowl lathe, I haven't noticed if you have it up and running yet.

[Mike Cruz]

Hehe, on the PM90... The bowl lathe isn't up and running yet. I am in the process of building the base, and other things have crept up higher on the priority list. Turning being one of them! Jeff still has some parts to send me...things he just couldn't get finished before he left to bring it here. So, even if I had it done and ready, it still wouldn't be "going". No real biggie...it isn't like I don't have any other lathes to turn on...:rolleyes: