Persimmon Advice?

[John Hart]

Hi all,
Tonight, I came home to a very nice care package from Gary Max. Thanks Gary!!! A box full of some beautiful pen blanks.....The cedar burls are awesome...and the wonderful smell just about knocked me over when I opened the box. Also, there was a nice sampling of Corian so I can give that a try...along with some others..pecan and myrtle I think.
Then there was this log of Persimmon. It had a little crack in the bottom so I didn't want to risk it. Stuck it on the lathe and spun it up. Wow! Is this stuff fun to turn or what!! Long ribbons...kind of a smell like young tree bark.
But I need some advice. If this is a type of wood that cracks easily...should I treat it a little different?

Here's the rough out: It's 9" long and 5" in diameter.
33468
What should I rough the walls out to be? Will there be significant movement? Thanks much!

[Gary Max]

Dang I am hoping you get some real good answers to this post. The tree fell Aug last year and I cut it up into 5 ft lenghts. It has been stored in a dry trailer. I aint had time to turn any of it yet,

Oh the smaller pen blanks are Madrone burl----super nice stuff

[John Hart]

I'm going to have a ball with those pen blanks Gary. This Persimmon is giving me fits though. I just finished hollowing it out and it is already showing surface splits all around the shoulder of the vase. Really weird because they weren't there an hour ago!

Well...I went into emergency mode and parted it off and put it in alcohol. I'll leave it there a couple days, then give it the Epoxy Manhatten treatment and see where it goes.

Thanks again!!

[Gary Max]

John the other side of the coin is that if it was dry you would have a heck of a time with it----aka American Ebony---- harder than woodpeckers lips.
I will let the rest dry over the summer and play with it this fall. I have wood that has been waiting on me for years so one more pile ain't going to hurt any.

[Corey Hallagan]

Oh man, that's too bad. Nice looking wood! I bet those penblanks look kewl!

Corey

[Andy Hoyt]

Sure is pretty John. Good luck.

[Ernie Nyvall]

That's a good looking form going there John. Hope it works out. All I know about persimmon is... don't eat one before a hard frost.:eek:

Ernie

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Listen to Ernie's advice! If you don't.....you'll find out what a real PUCKER is! For an extended period of time, I might add!:D

[Raymond Overman]

If it's already cracking, I'd turn it thin (1/4" or so) and start filling cracks with inlace after it moved. The persimmon I have doesn't have any darker heartwood like I've seen in some trees. It's kind of plain without it so the inlace would kind of poke it with a stick and make it stand up in a crowd. I've got where I like some pieces that move where they want to.

Oh, and Ernie ain't lying about the pucker power. Boy are those things bitter.

[Dennis Peacock]

John,

I've turned a decent amount of persimmon. Turn it about 1/2" thick. Soak for 3 days in the Alky bath, take it out, let air dry for about 30 mintues and then immediately wrap in a double thickness of newspaper. Let dry for a good 21 to 30 days. The small surface cracks can then be easily turned away while finish turning the piece. Sands real nice too.

[Gary Max]

John tell you what I will do--- after I get that bed done today (Hopefully)--- I have to move a boat. Then haul a table down to the showroom for the wife and straighten that mess up a little. After I get this done---I will mount the rest of that log up and see what happens. I did cut up about 2 foot of the log for pen blanks I went with 2x2's about 18 inchs long then sealed all 4 sides with Anchorseal. So far they are doing just fine.

[John Hart]

Thanks everyone! Sounds like I'm on the right track so far. I got the wall to about 1/2"...maybe a little more.,,,And it's in the Alcohol. I'll leave it there for 3 days as Dennis suggests and wrap it up. After a month, I'll poke it with a stick again.;)

Never tried a persimmon...with or without a frost. Sounds like something I'd like to give to someone else...just for fun.:D

[Keith Christopher]

Never tried a persimmon...with or without a frost. Sounds like something I'd like to give to someone else...just for fun.:D

Uhhh well my dad did this to me one time after cutting down a persimmon tree that still had some fruit on it. He grabs two and hands me one, says "Here try this they're good, the best ones are at the top of the tree."
So I take it, rub it on my shirt, and bite into it.

Hmmm all I can say is the instant my teeth broke the skin, my mouth dried completely out, I mean not a drop, and well I was trying to get it back but WOW. took a little while to return to normal but truly an experience I'll never forget.

[Ernie Nyvall]

Never tried a persimmon...with or without a frost. Sounds like something I'd like to give to someone else...just for fun.:D

It takes a hard freeze to make a persimmon edible for the variety that grows where I grew up, but if the freeze wasn't long enough to knock out the astringency, it was an experience like no other. You just have to try one to fully understand what Keith is talking about. If I run across one this year, I'll send it to you.:)

Ernie

[John Hart]

..... If I run across one this year, I'll send it to you.:)

Gosh....I don't know what to say Ernie. Thanks?:confused: :D

I'll give anything a try.;)

Hey!...I could try it out on the girls! Then they can tell stories like Keith!:D

[Gary Max]

John I am kinda surprized you ain't more of a Persimmion expert.
Horses just love them---heck they will try and knock the tree down to get to them.
You being such a horse lover and all
You may want to plant some persimmion trees up at the new homestead.

[John Hart]

Yeah...I'll get right on that Gary. Don't want to disappoint the horses. Hey...I know....How bout I completely change my life to accomodate the horses!!!!! Might as well fill the woodshop with hay right off the bat and get it over with.;) :p

[Ernie Nyvall]

Gosh....I don't know what to say Ernie. Thanks?:confused: :D

Well, you know... it's kind of like seeing beautiful scenery or something like that for the first time... you always want a friend to share in the experience. What are friends for?;) :p :D :eek:

Ernie

[Joe Melton]

If your persimmon (fruit) isn't ripe enough, put it in the freezer overnight. The next day, you can eat it. Sounds weird, but it works. I guess it is simulating what nature does.
Joe