green sycamore ideas...turner / neander post.

[02blues]

Hello turners..
I just picked up a bunch of green sycamore branches from our trees which were just trimmed. See photo. 1-3 inch diameter.

I have never turned anything green (and only turned one project dry...)
Thought it might be a fun experiment. Any thoughts? Words of advice or caution...

Maybe it will be on the curb next week??

I also found a few oak stumps. One in the background. I am planning to use this as a block to trim up stock once I level the ends...Thought I would try to make some riven boards maybe for a "bibble box" as seen on the woodwrights shop.

this from a "green turner".

Woodwright's Shop. Peter and the Box. Master joiner Peter Follansbee of Plymoth Plantation carves a 17th century "bible box." .

[DaveO]

Green branches 1-3" diameter will be a good experiment, and probably should be used as spindle practice wood. At that size there isn't much you can do with them, and being branches they will have a lot of reaction wood, and most likely move crack or both.
A while back someone posted a tutorial on turning mushrooms out of green branch wood. They looked pretty cool, and if they move that's more fungus like.


MTCW,
Dave:-)

[02blues]

good point about the branches. I'll trim up some clear sections and have at it.

what is the natural tendency of a green freshly turned pole? Like the bodgers produced for chairs? I am guessing they are fairly unpredictable.

let the games begin says the bloody bodger

[DaveO]

I would guess that Bodgers weren't using branch or small diameter trunk wood, but rather riven billets out of larger trunk sections. The problem with small diameter wood, either branch or trunk is the pith. That is the center of the wood, cracks will radiate to it and it will warp around it.

A pith-less green spindle turned and stabilized in a mortise will stay as it is turned.
IIRC Bodgers turned spindles dry, and inserted them in to wet mortises that then shrank around the tenon and locked the joint tight. Althought everytime I think about that theory it hurts my head. I know wood shrinks as it dries, but what about a hole in the wood. Would the hole get larger as the surrounding wood got smaller. Or would the hole not be include in the equation and the whole piece get smaller making the hole smaller


Dave:-)

[02blues]

You make some good points. I like the concept of letting a joint dry up tight. Might try that at some point. Guess I'll have a bunch of walking sticks?? Maybe I'll try to do a little woodland "green man" face or something like that.

Either way I'll try to turn some for kicks. Will try to split out some riven oak with my new froe too and turn that from larger stock as you suggest. Have not tried this before.

PS
Nice tea house. Whats the story? I have taken an interest in timber framing and wonder if you used any timber frame techniques?

Nice gallery too!

John / 02blues.

[Jeff Mills]

John / 02blues.

I see who is on the business end of that saw and it's not you

[02blues]

Hey youre quick on the draw I see. I felt like huck finn with that log and my new cross cut saw.. everyone wanted to try it out!

I actually wanted my son to feel the accomplishment of cutting through that monster with muscle power. I think he felt a great deal of pride, plus he learned another skill. ( and the old mans shoulder will last another year).

cheers

[Jeff Mills]

Hey youre quick on the draw I see. I felt like huck finn with that log and my new cross cut saw.. everyone wanted to try it out!

I actually wanted my son to feel the accomplishment of cutting through that monster with muscle power. I think he felt a great deal of pride, plus he learned another skill. ( and the old mans shoulder will last another year).

cheers

Good comeback but I'm only falling for about 1/2 of it