gum tree blanks

[Sparky Paessler]

Well me nephew sent me up some logs from some gum trees he cut down and I worked on cutting them into blanks today. Out of the four logs I ended up getting 13 blanks some of which I will get 16" bowls out of. Rough turned one of them this evening. Have never turned gum before but it turned really well. Also got a new (to me) turning machine they brought up with them with the wood. A old South Bend 9c metal lathe in great shape with all the gears and accessories!

[david privett]

metal lathe nice , I have no such luck. we have black gum and it does turn well I found some that was heavily spalted but not spongy it has made some interesting patterns in the bowls. It was not bad in the tear out and sands easy also.

[robert baccus]

Take all precautions like endseal. This stuff loves to warp like crazy but is beautiful when finished. I suggest roughing out, waxing andwaiting 6 months or 12 % MC.

[Hilel Salomon]

Wow, from what many of my friends have said, I thought that sweetgum was one wood to avoid. I'm having a large one cut down near my place and was going to have it hauled away-and I'm a hoarder of wood.

[Aaron Craven]

Wow, from what many of my friends have said, I thought that sweetgum was one wood to avoid. I'm having a large one cut down near my place and was going to have it hauled away-and I'm a hoarder of wood.

I thought the same until recently when I got to turn a heavily spalted piece that was already dried when I received it. Without spalting, it might be a little plain in many cases, but it turns and finishes very nicely. It's no walnut, mind you, but still worth using.

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I think it gets a bad reputation because it's so difficult to dry without splitting (or warping in the case of boards).