Sweet Gum

[Larry Crim]

Anyone turned anything with Sweet Gum? is it worth using? I have a chance to get some that was recently cut down, He called it a Gumball tree but I think it is the same as a sweet gum.
Thanks
Larry

[Bernie Weishapl]

Jump on it. It is a nice turning wood. I have turned quite a few blanks of it.

[TYLER WOOD]

There were a couple of piece by me and Mark Cothren last week. Do a search and you will find plenty;)

[David Elsey]

I did some stool legs with red gum and they look great. A nice salmon color with darker streaks. I believe sweet gum and red gum are the same.

David

[Dennis Peacock]

Get all you can get. Turn it, finish it, post pic and grin all the while your standing at the lathe. Set a piece or two outside and let it spalt a bit and then turn it. Most of all...have fun. :D

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Sweet gum is a fantastic wood to turn and better yet when it begins to spalt. Spalting will produce everything from bright red or Orange to dark green and black depending on the humidity content and heat that it spalts in. I suppose the type soil may also have an effect as well. I agree with the guys get all you can and can all you can get!!!:eek: :D :)

[Allen Neighbors]

I've turned a ton of Sweet Gum. Like they said above, it's beautiful turning wood. It does have a bad habit of cracking, so I rough-turned, soaked a month in my Ivory soap solution, then dried in a refrigerator "kiln" (light bulb and fan inside).
When green-turned-thin to finish, they're translucent, and they warp like crazy, which is fun stuff.
Same tree, some pieces react sometimes very differently with the same DO finish.
Wonderful wood, get all you can... have a ball!
I'm going to have to try to spalt some as Cristopher and Dennis suggested.

[joe greiner]

Turns nicely. Loves to crack. Off-axis chunks (between cracks) are very good for finials: Sharp enough to puncture skin if mishandled.

Joe

[Reed Gray]

Maybe our sweet gum out here is different. I found it very plain,with almost no color. Not bad for turning but too plain to sell well. It does spalt quickly, and can be nice then, but goes from solid to punk very quickly.
robo hippy

[Larry Crim]

Thanks for all the replies I'll be going over to see what I can get and maybe make something that is worth posting.
Thanks again
Larry