Dogwood

[Blake-Kagen]

Dogwood, never crossed my mine to turn it. I always looked at Dogwood trees as a thing of Spring beauty on the mountain behind our home. Last week a friend that lives on the top of a mountain called and told me her Dogwood trees had a blight and asked me would I come cut them down for her so she could plant new ones.
I knew the trees and had always admired them even though the hard winds blowing over the top of that mountain for years had beat them up pretty good.
I go up to take them down for her and a blight had really gotten to them recently. I had never really paid any attention to how big they could get nor how pretty the wood was until I cut them down.
I cut them into four foot lengths and I'll have to admit they were pretty hefty in weight. I had the back of my truck loaded to the max with them and was going to pull them off the gate and cut them into firewood lengths.
One of my turning buddies almost knocked me down with his truck pulling into my drive yelling at me..you cut that Dogwood into firewood I Knock you upside the head.
Needless to say I stop the chainsaw immediately.
He told me to cut a short piece off and I did so and split it. I thought that sure is a pretty wood but hard.
He said now let's load that in my truck or I still knock you upside the head.
He said he wanted to turn it and that amount would last him for a long long time.
I'm glad he showed up and I didn't bust it into firewood and I know that whatever he turns with it will be things of beauty.

[Gary Herrmann]

It is pretty stuff. I've never had any big dogwood sections. Only thing I've ever turned out of them is chisel handles. Hopefully you kept some for yourself.

[Nathan Hawkes]

Agreed. I'm under the impression that you can't legally cut them down in VA (not that it stops people). Its the state tree. Mighty fine looking wood, though. I haven't had the pleasure of turning it. Hope you turn something nice!

[Mike Minto]

VA state tree AND state flower. FWIW.

[Allen Neighbors]

You're fortunate to have the dogwood. I love to turn it. I've only turned a few pieces... small ones... but I'd like to have some larger pieces. It's wonderful for hand chased threads, and the pinkish color is gorgeous. Hard, dense, and beautiful... that's dogwood.

[Ted Calver]

I recall a similar discussion in a previous thread (s).....with the consensus being that while it is the state tree it is not protected. Developers clear them all the time. I remember it being a wood of choice for weaving shuttles. As Allen said it is hard, dense and turns nicely. I saved the two large dogwoods from my lot being cleared and still have several boxes of nicely dried rounds in the collection waiting for inspiration.

[Donny Lawson]

I've made some pens out of Dogwood and they turn out nice.Dogwood is great to turn and some of the designs is spalted and adds character to it.
Donny

[Frank Van Atta]

Dogwood is one of my favorite woods. You're lucky they came down this time of year - I cut one down for a neighbor in August and the wood split faster than I could cut it into lengths.

[paul cottingham]

Here in BC they were protected until our blessed gov't repealed that law in 2002.

[Bernie Weishapl]

From what I have turned Dogwood turns extremely nice.

[Gary Conklin]

That stuff is like golden butter! Um love turning it!!!

[Chuck Jones]

My wife would shoot anyone she caught cutting a dogwood tree on our farm. We do have one die occasionally and I'm permitted to harvest the wood from those. Only trouble is the bugs have had first choice and they make some pretty impressive holes in it. Still fine beautiful wood to work with.

[Blake-Kagen]

Thanks for the replies guys and let me say this. Personally I would never go out and cut a Dogwood tree down but these trees were going downhill fast. She's also going to re plant new Dogwoods back in the same places. I was impressed with the beauty of the wood and how hard it is.
We heat our home with a wood stove and the only trees I cut for firewood are either dead or dead and down. I've got two very large Locust trees down on my property now to cut. I wanted to get them sawed into boards but no sawyer here will saw them for me because they're sho nuff hard. I don't even want to think about how many chains I'll use up or how many times I'll have to sharpen them. These are really big trees. Locust is some awesome firewood and will get so hot it'll blow the doors off your wood stove if not careful with it.

[Mike Peace]

I love turning Dogwood. My experience has been that it turns very well with nice color and grain with frequent spalting. I have had little problem with splitting. Here is a sample bowl I turned about 5"X7".

[Brian Novotny]

yeah, I didn't know dogwood was even a tree, I thought it was just a regular flower, like a begonia........I have a 1930's weller dogwood vase and always assumed it was just a flower. These 3 words kept circuling my mind yesterday....ALLDAY. I think it was a name of a ram dass book...........yeah, I'm spaced dude.....permanently......I want some space drift wood......there's got to be wood drifting through space..........I'm sure its a wheel thing.

VA state tree AND state flower. FWIW.