Colorful but smelly morning - Box Elder Roughs

[Thomas Canfield]

I started out early today turning some Box Elder sections from tree cut 3 days ago. Very wet and the bad odor of spoiled mop. The color was definitely worth the odor. Have some more sections, but wanted to go back to woodpile and prepare more on this cool (75F) morning where it was 100F yesterday afternoon. but have had some needed rain so no complaints. It will dampen the woodpile to hold until later. The bowls are 8 to 10"D and most cut from a 11"L section of trunk that had a lot of rot in center. Tree service had cut to 11" length to be able to load before I got there to get larger sections, but no complaints and there were some larger pieces saved. Rough bowls are now packed in shavings in a double wall paper bag to dry.
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[daryl moses]

Good looking wood! I've got 60 acres of woods and have yet to find the first Box Elder. A mile down the road is a huge one and I do see them in my area so I know they will grow here.
Looking forward to seeing your finished bowls.

[Damon McLaughlin]

Great looking wood!

[Allan Ferguson]

Pretty wood colors.

[John K Jordan]

Good looking wood! I've got 60 acres of woods and have yet to find the first Box Elder. A mile down the road is a huge one and I do see them in my area so I know they will grow here....

If you ever do find one to take down, you might try digging up the roots. Turner Lissi Oland gave me some box elder root ball and it has the most deep and color-stable red that I've ever seen. I turned something years ago that still hasn't changed much. I don't know if the root ball of all box elders will be like this or if it was just this tree.

JKJ

[carl mesaros]

Very nice Tom. Yes the Box Elder does have a strange odor!
I have found that I can turn natural edge box elder bowls in one day without much movement or cracking. I usually apply several coats of Watco Danish oil, let dry a day or so and then finish with spray lacquer.