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Thread: Bradford pear wood

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    College Park, MD
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    458

    Bradford pear wood

    Is this a good wood to turn. Just saw a facebook post from a friend who lost theirs already in this damn storm (hurricane Sandy). Looks like there is about 4 feet still standing in the ground to the first branch about 7 inches wide. Not a huge amount of wood but I figured I could make their kids something from it since they are going to miss the tree. I hear these trees fall early and split so I was wondering if is was a very stringy wood not good to turn??? Sadly I believe this storm is going to claim allot of trees that are not ready to be turned yet ...Thanks, John

  2. #2
    John,

    One of my favorite woods to turn. Not stringy at all. Cuts like butter...........
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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    Central Ohio
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    858
    Great to turn, finishes nicely, takes detail really well. Trivia: Much of MC Escher's work was prints from blocks carved in face-grain pear. He preferred face grain because it was available in larger pieces (and more affordable) than end-grain, which was the preferred orientation for detail carving.
    Ridiculum Ergo Sum

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Fresno, Ca
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    4,032
    Never seen anything bad come out of BP...great wood!
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  5. #5
    I know it was popular in the 18 th century and some times ebonised and used for picture frames. Anyone know if it was also used natural color? I looked for info before and have not found much.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Georgetown,KY
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    Just be sure to remove the pith in your work, because it checks like crazy when wet.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Fredericksburg, TX
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    2,576
    Bradford Pear is one of my favorites and I'll help cut down a tree for the wood. I did find some large trunks a couple of years ago and turned several large bowls. I have done some salad bowls recently that were sanded to 400 and then flooded with Grapeseed Oil or Walnut Oil a couple of times. This past weekend we had a family reunion and a 16.5"D x 7" H bowl was used for the salad. I had lots of compliments and requests after some kin saw the bowl. Just wish I could find more of the large diameter.

    BP is also good for end grain boxes if you let the wood dry before turning. The shrink during drying makes turning boxes green almost out of the question. I have also seen limb wood used for stem goblets where the pith is off center and out of the stem.

    Last work of caution - watch out for the sap slinging out of wet wood. It does not seem to rust everything like oak and other woods, but does have a little red to the stain.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Goodland, Kansas
    Posts
    22,605
    Great wood to turn. Make sure the pith is out as was said.
    Bernie

    Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.

    To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.



  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    College Park, MD
    Posts
    458
    Thanks to all. The tree is at my Godsons house and I need to get up to see him for his birthday. I will help his dad cut it away and grab the trunk. Like I said it is not a big tree and it snapped off at about 4 foot off the ground. That 4 foot section is around 7 inches so I have some small bowl blanks and other small stuff. The rest is just 2 inch and smaller branches. Small tree that Sandy took to soon ...

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    No real damage up this way, as far as I can tell. Guess I won't be restocking my supply any time soon :-/
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  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
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    Chatsworth, GA
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    Bradford pear is a great wood to turn. It turns easily and looks good.

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