Wayne Jolly
06-07-2013, 5:47 PM
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
263970263971
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
263970263971