How is live oak for turning?
The Flowers
Two doors from me they are taking down a live oak. It is 30" at the base.
I can have all I want for free. Is it worth grabbing for turning? Or
should I forget it.
P.S. Already verified it is not silk oak, which is toxic.
--
Bill Flowers
Clearwater, FL
Leon
only 6 months the wood is nice to turn.
I grab it up.
Kevin & Theresa Miller
>
> I need an answer ... QUICK!
>
> Two doors from me they are taking down a live oak. It is 30" at the base.
> I can have all I want for free. Is it worth grabbing for turning? Or
> should I forget it.
>
> P.S. Already verified it is not silk oak, which is toxic.
Bill, first rule of woodturning: all free wood is good for turning. If you
like it you turn it into a bowl. If you don't, you turn it into firewood.
Personally, I've always thought oak was overrated as a furniture wood and
have never cared for it, but for some reason, I've always liked the effect
of the rays on a curved surface. I think it makes cool turned stuff. Snarf
some of it up - I think it'll be worth it...
...Kevin
--
Kevin & Theresa Miller
Juneau, Alaska
http://www.alaska.net/~atftb
Ken Bullock
always next year. I think oak is wonderful wood for turning, And it sells
well too, because, buyers often want something to go with their, oak table
or cupboards or whatever.....
Have fun with it. Ken....
--
Visit my web site for woodturning Tools, Videos and E-Books
<http://www.oneofakindwoodturnings.com>
"The Flowers" <wflower...@gte.net> wrote in message
news:89Cy8.9161$mF4....@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
Kip055
>I can have all I want for free.
Pretty wood, but it may be difficult to get pieces to dry without cracking. I
think that the term "live oak" covers several related types - the above comment
is based on what I worked with on the Texas Gulf coast - yours may be slightly
different, but I'd start by turning it green and babying it.
Kip Powers
Rogers. AR
Victor Radin
wflower...@gte.net says...
Grab all you can. Free wood is still free wood, and if the grain isn't
wonderful, it will make nice practice stock, while saving the nicely
figured stuff for the finish pieces.
It's also nice to have a selection of wet wood to play with- wet turn it
to finished dimensions and watch as it deforms and either goes oval or
curls at the edges or both.
Happy turning, you lucky dog, <g>
Vic
Bob Threlkeld
wish I was there. On the other hand, I'm not sure what we called
"live oak" is the same as you have in Florida.
Bob
Salt Spring Island, BC
Kevin & Theresa Miller <at...@alaska.net> wrote in message news:<3CCA4DF0...@alaska.net>...
Leo Lichtman
attractive spalting, and maybe some decay you can incorparate in your
designs. The coastal live oak, which we have around the SF Bay Area, is
very attractive, turns very nicely, moves a lot as it dries. If your live
oak acts like ours, plan for your bowls to be oval. If you turn
natural-edge bowls this distortion probably won't even show--and the nice
thick bark is very striking on the edge of a bowl.
Have at it!
The Flowers
I backed my pickup up to the site and the workers loaded my bed instead of
their trailer until the springs bottomed out!
The tree turned out to be a bit smaller than I was led to believe ... only
26", not 30". The biggest piece (26x16) was given to a friend with a big
Powermatic lathe. Most of the rest of the trunk, up to and including the
first crotch, plus the biggest part of the first major branch is sitting on
my drive (the smaller pieces) or still in my pickup (most of what I got).
I've coated the end grain until I can figure out what to do with it. That
includes figuring out how to unload this stuff! Some of the pieces took two
big guys all they could manage to heave it into the pickup. I suppose I
could just push off and let it fall if I have to.
Two of the pieces were half-sawn (moved the cut to a different location) so
I'll have to get a buck saw tomorrow (unless SWMBO lets me buy a chainsaw --
tomorrow is my 45th birthday) and finish the cuts so I can coat that end
grain.
There is no way I have room in my little shop for all this, so I have to
figure out some way to keep it outdoors in Florida without the bugs getting
at it. If anyone has any suggestions ...
If I keep finding free wood like this I'll need to upgrade my Jet Mini to a
big Excellent Lathe (tm)* ! :-)
P.S. Does this qualify as a gloat?
P.P.S. Everyone needs to send email to SWMBO to tell her I *REALLY* need a
chainsaw now. Send it to wflowers at the gte dot com address (attempting to
defeat spamming robot address harvesters).
* The Excellent Lathe is not trademark of the Round Tuit Company, which does
not have the slogan "I'll get an Excellent Lathe when I get a Round Tuit"
... to the best of my knowlege.
--
Bill Flowers (who doesn't own either an Excellent Lathe (tm) nor a chainsaw)
Clearwater, FL
Leon
causes all their leaves to fall off usually within a 2 week period. Since
the trees are never without leaves, and appear to be aLive year round they
got the name of Live Oaks.
The Flowers
"Leon" <removespa...@swbell.net> wrote in message
news:YTIy8.27930$de2.149...@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com...
Thank you Leon. I've always wondered where the name came from. And you
certainly described the mess we face every spring as the leaves all drop off
at once it seems.
The tree surgeons who took the tree down appear to be a good contact. I
might be able to get a lot of interesting pieces through them. Plus they
gave me a good quote on taking down a large pine in my backyard that is in
danger of coming down on my daughter's bedroom.
Peter Teubel
>Bill, first rule of woodturning: all free wood is good for turning. If you
>like it you turn it into a bowl. If you don't, you turn it into firewood.
Not entirely true (in my case). I refuse fresh red oak because of the incredibly offensive odor (my opinion)...and the fact I do
not have a fireplace. White oak is fine, but fresh red oak is banned from my shop.
Peter Teubel
Milford, MA
http://asthewoodturns.tripod.com
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Leo Lichtman
"The Flowers" wrote..... I'll have to get a buck saw tomorrow (unless SWMBO
lets me buy a chainsaw --
> tomorrow is my 45th birthday)
Now we see the real purpose for this woodpile: to justify a chainsaw.
SWMBO = "She who might buy one"
Victor Radin
wflower...@gte.net says...
<<snip>>
> I'll have to get a buck saw tomorrow (unless SWMBO lets me buy a chainsaw --
> tomorrow is my 45th birthday) and finish the cuts so I can coat that end
> grain.
-- What better gift than a chainsaw for your birthday? It's the perfect
time. After all, you'll be 45- mid-life and all that, and what man
doesn't want something small with a powerful engine for his 45th
birthday. Who cares if the nametag says Stihl or Maserati?
> There is no way I have room in my little shop for all this, so I have to
> figure out some way to keep it outdoors in Florida without the bugs getting
> at it. If anyone has any suggestions ...
Not sure about your location, but seems to me that a tarp under to
prevent direct ground contact, stickered to allow for air movement, tarp
over to prevent direct sun and elements, and maybe a monthly visit from
the Orkin man to spray for critters.
BTW- a small story in some rag a week or so ago- the new corporate
sponsor of the Smithsonian Insect Exhibits is.... Orkin.
Happy Birthday,
Vic
J Pagona aka Y.B.
snarf some up. Live oak turns really nice for faceplate turnings. It does
have a very pronounced grain that I like but Wife doesn't.
Make sure you grab some pieces for making carving mallets. Live oak makes the
best carving mallets.
David
remove the "key" to email me
George
take the acid smell of red oak over the privy smell of elm any day!
"Peter Teubel" <pte...@SPAMNOT.attbi.com> wrote in message
news:earmcuc5vfet7l9g1...@4ax.com...
Peter Teubel
>I'm not as picky. As a matter of fact I'm turning elm at the moment. I'll
>take the acid smell of red oak over the privy smell of elm any day!
Its all subjective. I have turned some swamp maple and it stank like a horse stable. Yet, it was much more tolerable (to me) than
red oak.
alan.squires
In my days at working in a wood yard elm was known as coffin boards,
partly the smell and partly their use.
Alan
Jeremy K
Take a lot of the stuff, live oak is great in my experience. Nice
contrast of dark and light colors with great rays.
Jeremy
"The Flowers" <wflower...@gte.net> wrote in message news:<89Cy8.9161$mF4....@nwrddc01.gnilink.net>...
Jeremy K
Take a lot of the stuff, live oak is great in my experience. Nice
contrast of dark and light colors with great rays.
Jeremy
"The Flowers" <wflower...@gte.net> wrote in message news:<89Cy8.9161$mF4....@nwrddc01.gnilink.net>...
Gene
You have obviously never lived in south/central part of Florida.
Gene
Kevin & Theresa Miller wrote in message <3CCA4DF0...@alaska.net>...
>Bill, first rule of woodturning: all free wood is good for turning. If
you
>like it you turn it into a bowl. If you don't, you turn it into firewood.
<snip>
W.A. (Bill) Flowers
news:aajj3s$ki1$1...@bob.news.rcn.net...
> "you turn it into firewood"
> You have obviously never lived in south/central part of Florida.
Indeed. The house we bought has a fireplace. We've been in it over 4 years
and never used it. In fact, we can't imagine that we ever will.
Contrast this to the house we owned outside Ottawa, Ontario. There was that
time the power failed around midnight when it was -30 and didn't come on
again until after noon the next day! Even with a fire going it was mighty
chilly.
Kevin_...@ci.juneau.ak.us
...Kevin
CHIROTEX
W.A. (Bill) Flowers
news:20020507234708...@mb-mo.aol.com...
> GRAB IT, TURNS WELL AND IS EXCELLENT TO FINISH
Thanks, I grabbed all I could until the springs of my Ford Ranger bottomed
out. Good thing it is only leased because I'd sure hate to abuse a vehicle
I own this way. ;-)
A natural edge bowl turned out of the crotch is beginning to call to me.
I've never turned a natural edge anything before, but that's never stopped
me before.
Herman de Vries
down first :)).
Speaking of loading the wood, Harry Ott posted a great picture
of how NOT to load the wood on the World of Woodturners site. If
you have access, take a look. I hope the pickup in the photo is
not yours, Bill.
On second thought, I'll grab the photo and post it on the alt.
binaries.pictures.woodworking group.
Herm
wflo...@gte.net (W.A. (Bill) Flowers) wrote in
<PpbC8.1107$eb...@nwrddc02.gnilink.net>:
W.A. (Bill) Flowers
news:cxQD8.68025$uE2.5...@news2.calgary.shaw.ca...
> Actually, fellas, it's easier to turn if you cut the tree
> down first :)).
And I wondered why the roots where tearing holes in the ground! ;-)
> Speaking of loading the wood, Harry Ott posted a great picture
> of how NOT to load the wood on the World of Woodturners site. If
> you have access, take a look. I hope the pickup in the photo is
> not yours, Bill.
No, my truck is blue and smaller. The sag was similar but mine was all
behind the cab. :-)
> On second thought, I'll grab the photo and post it on the alt.
> binaries.pictures.woodworking group.
Great photo. Poor schmuck!
--
Bill
greeneart...@gmail.com
Bill Day
greeneart...@gmail.com wrote:
>I think it is some of the most beautiful wood I have ever seen.tree service for 30years.
One warning... don't try to split it with a wedge. It was even the
subject of a song..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8hIqaNpFek
--
remove nonsense for reply