Anyone know what kind of palm this is?

[Wayne Jolly]

A neightbor across the street had a couple of palm trees taken down while re-landscaping his yard. I asked if I could have a small piece and he said "Sure.". The guys that brought the "small piece" brought three sections of trunk each about 3 feet long. The smallest is about 12" in diamete and the largest is probably closer to 16". And then I had to stop them from bringing more. Much more. They wanted to bring the whole cotton pickin tree.

Anyway, my only other experience with palm was a black palm turning blank from Rocklers that I made some pen/pencil sets from. I didn't think it was too bad and had no significant problems with it. This stuff on the other hand . . . I know that palm isn't exactly a tree but is a grass so I wasn't expecting a whole lot. If it had turned out to be a good "wood" to turn I would have been kicking myself for not letting them bring more. But at the moment I am almost thinking that I should have had them take back at least two of the sections. It is soft, and even with freshly sharpened tools I cannot get a decent cut. The shavings look more like the inside of a lawnmower bag except is is a yellowish cream color and much finer texture. And I can see long hours of using a 40-grit gouge just to clean it up enough to use an 80-grit gouge.

The two pictures I took with my phone are a little off in color. The lighter part (like the sides) are quite light in color. Almost a cream color with a very slight yellow cast. The end grain varies from a fairly brilliant yellow around the edges to the reddish color starting about an inch in from the edge. The reddish color was not present until shortly after trying to turn it, but it has become very pronounced.

So what can anyone tell me about this . . . grass? Should I just toss it? Keep trying, and if you think I should keep trying what about a technique? Perhaps let it dry and maybe it will become hard enough to do something with? Burn it, and if so can it be safely burned? . . . ?????

Anything and everything welcome,

Wayne

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[Lee Koepke]

dont know what kind of palm it is, but if I have learned anything from here....anything can be turned!
maybe a little soaking with 50/50 titebond/water? As long as its not coming apart, I'd try turning darn near anything at least once.

[Morey St. Denis]

You are withholding crucial information... If you actually care to know what type of palm wood you have, we'd need to see a picture of the alleged palm tree in question. If you didn't happen to take a picture, surely your neighbor who's tree it was, would have a picture or two of his newly landscaped yard perhaps before and after. A lot of what commonly passes for palm in certain areas is the Sawtooth or Cabbage Palmetto.

[Jerry Marcantel]

Wayne, I haven't messed with Palm yet, but I believe you need to let it dry first. After it's dry, vacumm cast it with cactus juice or some other type of resin. If you use cactus juice, cook it properly, and you should have a decent piece of wood...... Jerry (in Tucson)

[John Coloccia]

If it's palm, I think it's Red Palm. You can turn it into small items, like pens and bottle tops. My guess would be that it's probably fairly miserable to work with.

[robert baccus]

Except for red and black palm you can turn anything you wish but you will get good at epoxy/polyester resin work. Most palms have a small streak of hard wood right under the bark--which should be left on until the finish. You really want to do this?? Dry them slowly under cover and do not let them come apart. Put them in a slightly larger bucket--buy some cheap polyester resin(like fiberglass)Thin it down with acetone, after mixing, until it drips off a mixing stick. Put some small blocks under the palm in the bucket and pour it on. Avoid wetting the top and pour the resin in the bottom--you may need to add further resin and you need access to the fibers. Of course dyes may be added. Takes overnite--mount and turn a museum piece sure. Good luck PS this is not a grass--it predates the pines, broadleaf trees by 300 milliom years+.

[Wayne Jolly]

Poured through some old pictures and found one that has the tree in it. I would have sworn that there was two of them, but there is, or was, only one. Also worthy of note is that the sections I have outside have not turned pink but are still a light yellow color. Two more images attached. I have no idea why the one piece that has been in my garage has turned pink.

But now for some new questions.

For those that mentioned soaking in titebond/water or resin casting, etc. how far into the fibers would the medium penetrate? I am assuming that I would need to turn it to a shape as close as I dared, soak, and finish turn?

What the heck is cactus juice? :-) Guess I'd better google that one.

Drying under cover - That sounds like just some place still outside but out of direct sunlight. Or do you mean inside a garage or shed, rolled up in a tarp, or . . . ???

I've had my eye on a vacuum pump at Harbour Freight for quite some time, so now might be a good time to pick one up.

Thanks,

Wayne



P.S. The car, a 1925 Dodge Brothers business coupe, is being picked up by the new owner. (sobbbing now). It was a car that my dad bought when I was about 4 or 5 years old. I'm now 66 so it was in the family for a loong time. sigh.

P.P.S. I did google cactus juice. Looks interesting.