Turning Mulberry ???

[Marion Smith]

I was given a nice piece of the biggest Mulberry tree I'd ever seen this spring.
Asking if anyone here has experience on how it takes to turning.
Specifically, I'm thinking about making a couple of yarn bowls out of it, that is, after I hear from some folks here on how it will or won't go.

[John K Jordan]

I was given a nice piece of the biggest Mulberry tree I'd ever seen this spring.
Asking if anyone here has experience on how it takes to turning.
Specifically, I'm thinking about making a couple of yarn bowls out of it, that is, after I hear from some folks here on how it will or won't go.

There are some threads about this - search for "mulberry". This is one: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?241775-Mulberry

JKJ

[Thomas Canfield]

I like Mulberry. My experience is that green wood needs to be twice turned to allow it to dry and move. I recommend that a generous pith slab (at least 15% of diameter) be cut to help reduce core checking, and a thicker slab makes some nice quarter sawn material for little boxes or other end grain work. The yellow color will darken over time to a nice brown.

[Steve Doerr]

Marion, I have a lot of mulberry that I have recently turned. It turns very well when wet (still letting it dry.) I have turned mine to finish and then soak in DNA and then dry in a paper bag. Do get some movement but not too bad. Makes it nice and organic.

[Dennis Ford]

I like mulberry. It turns about like ash but obviously the color is a lot different. Warps a little during drying like most woods (not an excessive amount). Pyro work contrasts nicely with the yellow color and still looks good when the yellow changes to reddish brown.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

As I have said here before, Mulberry is a very nice wood to turn, and I have turned quite a few pieces of it over the last 30 years or so.You have to watch the sapwood though, it does shrink more and will check/split if not given the time to dry and relax. The color will be going from a light yellow to a dark golden and gets even darker over time, that color is good looking anywhere along that change IMO.I got a few pictures here again that show some of it’s qualities :).Just watch out for The Aliens in the Mulberry UFO, they have landed :eek:.373552.Mulberry drying movement/change.373554 373555.Color changes over time.373553 373556.Mulberry sapwood checking.373557.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

As I have said here before, Mulberry is a very nice wood to turn, and I have turned quite a few pieces of it over the last 30 years or so.You have to watch the sapwood though, it does shrink more and will check/split if not given the time to dry and relax. The color will be going from a light yellow to a dark golden and gets even darker over time, that color is good looking anywhere along that change IMO.I got a few pictures here again that show some of it’s qualities :).Just watch out for The Aliens in the Mulberry UFO, they have landed :eek:.373552.Mulberry drying movement/change.373554 373555.Color changes over time.373553 373556.Mulberry sapwood checking.373557.I don’t know why this post does changes my placement of comments and pictures, they are not all placed in one line, but each comment line with the appropriate pictures below it

[Lee Watermann]

I like Mulberry. not hard but a tight grain.