Monkey Pod

[Russell Neyman]

I've seen the classic "five-pith" designs created with monkey pod, (Albizia samann) but is this species a good wood for regular turning? Does it turn well green?

[Dennis Collier]

Ive never turned it green but have turned quite a bit of monkey pod. The chatoyance on a finished piece of monkey pod is amazing!!

[brian zawatsky]

I thought the "5 pith" effect that you're referring to was Norfolk Island Pine. Monkeypod looks more like one of the mahoganies, only brown & blonde instead of reddish. Its' chatoyance is similar to mahogany, anyway. Beautiful wood, I'd love to get the chance to turn some.

[ALAN HOLLAR]

The only monkey pod I have turned was wet as it could be, holding an incredible amount of water. After flash drying and sanding, large bands would shrink and fuzz up. Not the best green tiurning experience but gorgeous wood.

[Russell Neyman]

So, I'm guessing there aren't many people who turn this species?

[John Grace]

I've turned it and it's a nice wood but the problem is obtaining it. It's readily available from Hawaii but that obviously limits the number of people able and/or willing to pay to have it shipped.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I turned a lot of it, and it is a nice wood to turn, but here in Hawaii, we have lots of Monkeypod bowls from the Far East, and they sell for 20 bucks or so from any of the -mart type stores. So, selling a MP bowl is hard to do, since most everyone expects the bowls to cost somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 bucks. For a 12" bowl.
Unsure what 5 pith method or "regular" turning is....... Turns well green. It's a little smelly. Beautiful wood if you get old growth, it has 3 colors, tan, brown and chocolate brown. Frequently it has curls, due to the nature of how the tree grows. It seldom grows straight up. When I turn MP it's usually for gifts. Since it's really not worth trying to sell.

[Russell Neyman]

To be honest, I haven't turned it, either but am researching the topic for a friend.

The "five pith" concept noted earlier is a bowl with multiple branch piths evenly spaced around the walls. I've seen that twice so I assumed it was fairly common.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

To be honest, I haven't turned it, either but am researching the topic for a friend.

The "five pith" concept noted earlier is a bowl with multiple branch piths evenly spaced around the walls. I've seen that twice so I assumed it was fairly common.

Could it be the Monkey Puzzle you are thinking of ??, it has the branches around the tree in even spacing, kind off at least, the other one that’s used is the NIP [Norfolk Island Pine) it also is turned with the knots showing around in bowls.

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[Russell Neyman]

I thing that's it, Leo. I always assumed the two were one in the same. Now I know.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Norfolk Island Pine has 6 piths. I had to check mine.......
Monkey Puzzle is what you are probably looking for.

[Russell Neyman]

Yeah, this is what I had in mind when I asked the question. These were posted by Bill Gowers on Facebook.

355078.

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[Eugene Dixon]

I turned a lot of it, and it is a nice wood to turn, but here in Hawaii, we have lots of Monkeypod bowls from the Far East, and they sell for 20 bucks or so from any of the -mart type stores. So, selling a MP bowl is hard to do, since most everyone expects the bowls to cost somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 bucks. For a 12" bowl.
Unsure what 5 pith method or "regular" turning is....... Turns well green. It's a little smelly. Beautiful wood if you get old growth, it has 3 colors, tan, brown and chocolate brown. Frequently it has curls, due to the nature of how the tree grows. It seldom grows straight up. When I turn MP it's usually for gifts. Since it's really not worth trying to sell.

I'll be in Hawaii in Dec. How do I find some to bring back?

[Reed Gray]

Vernon Lebrand, who lives up in Washington likes the Monkey Puzzle tree, which I think is 'Chilean Pine', but not positive on that. He puts blanks out in the lawn end grain down and they are nicely spalted in a month or so. The two Monkey trees do get confused...

robo hippy

[robert baccus]

Monkey pod is a broadleaf tree and Monkey puzzle and Norfolk pine are true conifers. An endcut of the stem should separate the two quickly. Both of the pines are extremely old (in the evolutionary way) species and are found only on a few Pacific islands. The piths you are refering to are branch piths. Both species are very symetrical in growth patterns which is a good indicator of early evolution. Also known as raintree and is not uncommon in the tropics.

[Brent Wells]

I'll be in Hawaii in Dec. How do I find some to bring back?

Depends on what island you are going to, I was there in September and was on Oahu and the big Island. On Oahu all I found was Honolulu Woodcraft which was like no other woodcraft I have been to. No cherry and maple boards there just koa and other beauties. If you go to the big Island there is Aloha Woods Inc on the west side in Kona. It right on the express way and wife just shook her head as I pulled a u turn, It is a warehouse that sells to public, they have any and everything you can think of and a few hundred dollars later they were shipping several LFRB back to me so I didn't have to mess with airplane. You can also contact the woodturning clubs out there but I did not have time to meet up with them. Have fun

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Eugene, you're coming in December? You start by checking Craigs list prior to coming, and sometimes you can get it free when someone cuts one down. The Honolulu Woodturners also a very active group there. Also Brent has some good info.
Send me a message.

[Russell Neyman]

As a follow-up to my original question (which has since been answered) I thought I'd post some photos of two bowls that my friend, Darrel Wood, turned from that batch of monkey puzzle. He has roughly 40 rounds of it here in Port Orchard, Washington. I can't imagine he'll ever get to all of it.

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The first one is a typical middle-of-the-tree piece, while the second one (below) is from the very top of the tree.
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[George Guadiane]

I've seen the classic "five-pith" designs created with monkey pod, (Albizia samann) but is this species a good wood for regular turning? Does it turn well green?


Could you be talking about monkey puzzle?
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[Leo Van Der Loo]

Could you be talking about monkey puzzle?
361248

Read post 9 and 10 in this thread George, that should answer your ??

[Geoff Crimmins]

A friend came back from Hawaii with a large turning blank that he said was monkey pod. Even with two dust collectors running, everyone who went into his shop while he was turning it had a strong allergic reaction to the dust. It took me about 30 seconds in his shop before I was a sneezing, snotting mess like I had just walked into a giant cloud of pollen. I don't know exactly what species the wood was, but I've avoided anything with "monkey" or "pod" in the name ever since. My friend had a couple of smaller pieces of the wood that he gave away rather than turn.

[Bill Jobe]

Russell, the upright shot on the right reminded me so much of the grain in the evergreen root ball that I turned too deep that I almost cried. It had branches almost perfectly spaced like that grain. I chose to go deeper looking for more spalting. Wasn't there.

First post of pics.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

A friend came back from Hawaii with a large turning blank that he said was monkey pod. Even with two dust collectors running, everyone who went into his shop while he was turning it had a strong allergic reaction to the dust. It took me about 30 seconds in his shop before I was a sneezing, snotting mess like I had just walked into a giant cloud of pollen. I don't know exactly what species the wood was, but I've avoided anything with "monkey" or "pod" in the name ever since. My friend had a couple of smaller pieces of the wood that he gave away rather than turn.

Earpod is a close relative to monkeypod and known to create allergic reactions. The wood is very similar, earpod being a bit nicer in coloration.

[Brent Wells]

Earpod is a close relative to monkeypod and known to create allergic reactions. The wood is very similar, earpod being a bit nicer in coloration.

I brought monkey pod back with me from Hawaii last fall. The minute I started turning it, I was not stop sneezing. The only wood I have found that has bothered me. My cat was sneezing also who is my shop helper, so I made him go upstairs.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I brought monkey pod back with me from Hawaii last fall. The minute I started turning it, I was not stop sneezing. The only wood I have found that has bothered me. My cat was sneezing also who is my shop helper, so I made him go upstairs.

Are you SURE you got monkeypod. That is what I was getting at. Some people may not know the difference in the tree. They very similar, the average guy may not know the difference, unless they are producing seed pods.

[Brent Wells]

It was monkey pod for sure, Monkey puzzle looks like Norfolk pine with knots. I have seen enough of it and it was chatoyant with rays. I also purchased the wood from Aloha Hardwoods on the big island while in Hawaii.