turning palm?

[Stephen Hibbs]

While I was at school today, my mom came across a palm tree being cut down and netted me 2 huge pieces (probably about a foot across, and 3 feet or so long each), I don't even think they'll fit on my lathe. Are there any suggestions for turning palm that I should be aware of? I haven't sealed it since I don't think it even has a pith, and the wood is still sopping wet. I've seen some stuff made with palm and they're really nice, but I hear it can be a pain, and it looks like a pretty nondescript wood. My palm is plain white like coconut on the inside, and the outside is a tan color. Does palm check and warp much?

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Stephen Great Haul! Thank your Mom with a fine turned Palm object and a big HUG!! Once someone with experience in this wood answers you you can turn away. I'm looking forward to hearing all about it myself.:)

[David Walser]

Stephen,

You'll find that palm seems to have very little connective tissue binding the cells together. It's almost like a bunch of straw bound around its circumference every few inches along its length. All the palm I've seen successfully turned has been stabilized with CA glue, MinWax Wood Hardener, or something similar. That said, palm can be used to produce some very interesting pieces. The end grain, in particular, can be striking.

Here is a link to a segmented HF where the bottom is out of palm (IIRC, the turner used CA glue to stabilize the wood):

http://azwoodturners.org/v-web/gallery/album28/azwoodturners11_18_004

FYI, this particular turner does some very interesting work out of materials most of us reject. For example, the center band in the linked HF is out of particle board! Again, IIRC, he used CA glue to stabilize the material so it could be turned.



Hope that helps.

[Bonnie Campbell]

I turned a little sabal palm bowl. I did use the MinWax hardener on it and it had been drying for awhile before I got the piece.

[Stephen Hibbs]

Thanks for the help guys. I know some people on the forum have turned it too, so please speak up. I think it may be date palm, FWIW. If I were to harden it, would I soak it in a mixture of hardener or CA and DNA?

[Mike Ramsey]

If it's fresh cut then put a rain suit on when you turn it! Dry Palm
is kinda like turning a bale of hay, my experience anyway. Everytime
i've turned it wet it warped like the Enterprise!

[Jim King]

If the palm tree is mature and the outer ring is compact it is quite easy. This bowl had no hardeners.

[Bill Boehme]

I bought some very old and very dry black palm that looks like it had been used for some sort of architectural decoration in its previous life. All that I can say about it is that it is like handling cactus. When turned, it throws off huge amounts of tiny needle-like particles that can really get into your skin and be irritating. If you get some black palm that is this old and dry then full body protectection would be called for. I supect that a product like Minwax Wood Hardener would be very useful in reducing the effects of this problem although I have not tried it. Next time, I will.

Bill