Surprising wood

[Leo Van Der Loo]

The place we live now doesn't have much good hardwood around, there's some red Maple, though haven't seen any big enough for even a 10" bowl, most are multi stem shrubs 2-3 inches thick.

There's supposed to grow some black Ash, but haven't seen a single one around here but for along the City street and the are not very big either after 50 years growing.

Some small White Birch and some larger Trembling Aspen (AKA Popple or poplar) and for the rest there's some shrubby Mountain Ash and lots of softwood (Spruce Pine Fir) :eek:.

When I had some time to take a good look around I found we had a few large dead Aspen, that if falling the wrong way could/would do a lot of damage to my shop and/or the storage unit.

So decided that I better make sure that wasn't going to happen and cut them down controlling where they would fall.

Dead rotten Aspen wasn't exactly my kind of good free turning wood, still I had to have a look of course ;) at what was in there, checked a couple of crotches, looked interesting, but soft.

Anyway I turned what I thought was the best one, and found yes it's a pain to turn, but still it doesn't look bad after all , I think :)

A bit under 10 inches wide and it's finish turned pretty thin :D

[Doug W Swanson]

I love the form. It's got great a shape to it. The wood grain looks really nice, too!

[Allan Ferguson]

Good looking bowl. Not a wood that I like to turn either.

[Jim Burr]

Nice how the grain swoops around the foot. Looks like it warped a bit maybe? What finish did it get?

[Baxter Smith]

Pretty wood Leo. At the New England woodturning symposium last spring, I attended a demo by this fellow on turning lampshades. http://www.woodshades.com/
There is an area not far from him where the aspen seem to grow larger than the surrounding areas. He has logs cut, then stores them and allows them to spalt.

We have a lot of the populus tremuloides at my place in Maine(along with the spruce and fir). It doesn't get much over 10" in diameter. I have often thought about giving it a try. Thinking about it is as far as I have gotten.:rolleyes: You might be able to corner the market in your area!:)

[Rich Aldrich]

Nice work. I looks decent for aspen. Cool that you turn it so thin.

[charlie knighton]

very nice, Leo

my misconception of canada is all forrest, large maple and cherry.....is it all cut down around you

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking bowl Leo.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I love the form. It's got great a shape to it. The wood grain looks really nice, too!

Thanks for the reply Doug :)


Good looking bowl. Not a wood that I like to turn either.

Allen a beggar can't be a chooser I guess, straight White Birch wood isn't a winner either, not to mention Spruce :rolleyes:, thanks for the reply :).


Nice how the grain swoops around the foot. Looks like it warped a bit maybe? What finish did it get?

Thanks Jim, yes the grain and colouring is about all this wood had going for itself, and yes it did warp a bit, not bad for a crotch piece though, Tung sealer on it sofar :)


Pretty wood Leo. At the New England woodturning symposium last spring, I attended a demo by this fellow on turning lampshades. http://www.woodshades.com/
There is an area not far from him where the aspen seem to grow larger than the surrounding areas. He has logs cut, then stores them and allows them to spalt.

We have a lot of the populus tremuloides at my place in Maine(along with the spruce and fir). It doesn't get much over 10" in diameter. I have often thought about giving it a try. Thinking about it is as far as I have gotten.:rolleyes: You might be able to corner the market in your area!:)

Baxter I know about that turner, looked at his site already some years ago, very nice big opaque pieces, turns more different types and shapes now I see.

We got some larger Aspen trees over here, but not the sizes he has access to, it has passed my thoughts to at least give it a try ones, it's about the only game in town :D.

But I'll rather try to corner the market with my Birdhouses, looks like a easier and fun thing to turn, rather than the big lumps of heavy wet aspen :p

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Nice work. I looks decent for aspen. Cool that you turn it so thin.

Thanks for replying Rich :)


very nice, Leo

my misconception of canada is all forrest, large maple and cherry.....is it all cut down around you

Yup misconception alright Charlie, We got mile upon mile upon mile of trees growing for the paper mills up here,hardly anything thicker than a foot or so, and the wood hauling trucks are loaded with fence post size logs or so it seems.

Southern Ontario has lots more and bigger trees, but up here any bigger tree grows in someones back or front yard, the rest get cut long before it get to any size at all, unless it is a National or provincial Park :(


Great looking bowl Leo.

Thanks for the reply Bernie :D

[Kathy Marshall]

Very nice Leo! Nice form and cool color and grain in the wood, and I'd say you got it thin enough :eek:. It would make a good bowl to store feathers!

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Thanks for the reply Cathy :D, I don't know what will be stored in it Cathy, I gave it to some good friends and the last I saw of it was on their living room table, I'll see where it is next time I'm over, usually shows what they really think of it after having looked at it a few days ;)