Which of these for turning?

[Steve Mathews]

It was a pure stroke of luck finding some good turnin' wood in this parch NW Arizona area but today a local urban harvester offered me the following species, at a price of course. Which would be best for woodturning?

Elm
Ash
Koa
Eucalyptus
Willow
Cypress
Some type of tree that has a spiral or twisted trunk. Maybe it Cypress but can't recall.
A few others that I can't remember

[Dwight Rutherford]

I thought Koa was only found on the Hawaiian islands.

[Steve Eure]

All of the above.

[John Keeton]

I have not turned koa, willow or cypress though I am familiar with willow and cypress. Willow seems stringy and cypress is rather bland and IMO lacks interest. Ash and elm are pleasant to turn and have grain and color that I like, though I have heard comments about elm having an odor. I do not have a sense of smell, so that isn’t a factor for me.

[Steve Mathews]

I thought Koa was only found on the Hawaiian islands.

I didn't actually see the Koa but was told it was in a pile somewhere on the property. I'll know a little more tomorrow when tagging the pieces. Mimosa was another wood pointed out that I couldn't recall before. And one more, the name also forgotten, with striking yellow heartwood. Again, I'll know more tomorrow. Can't wait to get some of it home.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Turned elm, really nice turning wood. Can't say about the others

[Leo Van Der Loo]

The top 4 are your best ones in most cases, but it depends on the specific tree and species, as not all are equal.

[Michael Costa]

The Koa is probably just an acacia species common to AZ, like shoestring acacia or acacia salgina. Doubtful if it's Acacia Koa. I've turn eucalyptus before. The piece I used was pretty beat up, but it does turn a nice reddish color with BLO.

I'll have to post a pic later as it is on my phone and I'm currently using my tablet..

The mortar and pestle I'm using for a pic is from an acacia saligna (Port Jackson willow) tree that died in my yard when we had 4 consecutive nights of below freezing temps in Phoenix. I cut the tree down and left about 4 feet of trunk. A few years later, this spalting was the result.

[Pete Staehling]

Yeah, no way there is koa in AZ, but if you do have access to it I bet it would be nice to work with. I have worked with it, but never turned it. It saws and generally works nicely. I used it in making musical instruments and used left over scraps in making small boxes. It is a beautiful wood and a joy to work with.

Some of our local club members made some beautiful projects in Eucalyptus.

I think Elm is nice to work with if you can get it.

[Michael Costa]

396834

This is probably the eucalyptus

[robert baccus]

All the species listed can grow in any suitable climate--tropicals of all kinds are planted all around the globe if the weather permits. Also there are hundreds of species that go by those common names. Old Forester

[Brice Rogers]

Elm
Ash
Koa
Eucalyptus
Willow
Cypress

First, I think that you should look at the ends of the wood pieces. Chances are the urban harvester may NOT have sealed the ends and there could be a bunch of checking/cracking. So, take a look at the wood first and eliminate any wood where you can't get a decent blank.

I have harvested some black acacia and it is very pretty. I think that it is in the same family as Koa. The sapwood is light and the heartwood is almost black and lots of chatoyance (cat's eye shimmer).

Elm can be pretty. I think that it is good to turn.

Ash is a well behaved wood. Turns great. Minimal tearout. Seems pretty stable.

eucalyptus? I think that there are 120 different varieties. I recently turned some red gum Euc. It turned okay when wet. But I started with an 11 inch platter that turned out to be 9" x 11" oval. It warped horribly. And it was so rock hard that sanding was almost impossible. Some of the pieces warped so badly (and yes I took a bunch of precautions) that they also badly cracked. Some of the more behaved Euc that I have turned was pretty bland. So, I have mixed feeling about paying for Euc.

[Bob Bergstrom]

Contact some of the clubs in Arizona. Turning quality can vary quite a bit in different regions. I talked to a turner in North Carolina a couple weeks ago. He said their cherry isn’t as nice as the cherry from the northern U.S. I know willow up here is soft and stringy. Ash can different because of growth rings. Local turners know a lot about what are the best in your area. If you join a club you will probably have access to free wood. Clubs have people offering wood and many members have saws.

[Thomas Canfield]

The Mimosa mentioned makes good turnings but some are allergic to the wood. I have enjoyed turning over a dozen pieces from it up to a 16" bowl. A Danish Oil type finish really brings out some good grain pattern and wood reminds me of some Hawaiian Koa. I pick up any available over 4" diameter.

[Michael Costa]

I'm in Phoenix and mesquite is hands down the overall best in my opinion. Easy to get for free, turns well, finishes well, and looks beautiful.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Koa is an Acacia, and related to many woods around the world. Unlikely that it's grown in Az, but it could grow. Its a slow grower even here in islands, 25 years to reach a foot in dia. Maybe someone did bring some seeds out and planted it. I personally would not pay the premium price that koa does demand unless he had it shipped in.
That would be my top pick. It's awesome to work.

[John K Jordan]

The Mimosa mentioned makes good turnings but some are allergic to the wood. I have enjoyed turning over a dozen pieces from it up to a 16" bowl. A Danish Oil type finish really brings out some good grain pattern and wood reminds me of some Hawaiian Koa. I pick up any available over 4" diameter.

Yikes, we cut and burn all mimosa (and ailanthus) as invasives but haven't tried turning it. If I get one large enough I'll try drying some.

[Thomas Canfield]

Yikes, we cut and burn all mimosa (and ailanthus) as invasives but haven't tried turning it. If I get one large enough I'll try drying some.
You would do better twice turning and drying a rough turned bowl. I was surprised to get the 16" blank from tree service and only expected about 8" tree material. Some of the Mimosa trees around here do go 12" or so and it is usually not considered a usable wood.

[John K Jordan]

You would do better twice turning and drying a rough turned bowl. ...

Some may do better, but not me.

I cut a lot of green blanks but I give them away. For me, smaller things from dry wood are more challenging and more enjoyable. Happy day - I just checked and the incredibly spalted 3 and 4" Dogwood turning squares I cut in '15 are almost dry!

A year or so ago I did make a 16" bowl from beautifully spalted maple and one of these days I'll get around to finishing it - it just needs to be mounted on the vacuum chuck and the base cleaned up. Hmm, it would make a nice popcorn bowl for my Lovely Bride for Christmas...

JKJ

[Don Orr]

Anything but Willow. It's OK, but not worth it to me. The others are all decent tot turn.

[Dick Strauss]

There is a good chance the twisted trunk material might be Rocky Mountain Juniper given your location. It might have some nice color if it isn't too far gone.

[david privett]

John I got some mimosa crotch that is whole been sitting for a year, I turned a bowl out of the same tree and it is interesting. Dark and light swirls. If you get this way.