I'll never turn Oak again!!!

[Larry Cutlip]

When I started turning about a year ago, I had some red oak boards that I glued together to make bowl blanks. I didn't seem to have a problem. Might have been because I didn't know better. I also found out I was using a spindle gouge to make the bowls. I still use oak, but I do have bowl gouges now. Larry

[Jack Mincey]

I don't really like turning green oak because it rust everything it touches, but have turned a good bit and find that some of it is worth the trouble to turn. I turn most of it to finial thickness green but have turned a number of them twice turned and never really found it that bad dry. I much prefer turning woods that are hard as compared to very soft woods.
Here is an open bowl turned to finial thickness green and a vase twice turned.
Jack

[charlie knighton]

great pieces Steve and Jack

[charlie knighton]

Bay of Fundy

oak......the sapwood spaulted while in my barrels

[charlie knighton]

Leapfrog

my first small foot hf

[Dennis Nagle]

Maybe I'll try turning it to finish and letting it go at that. Before I turn any green wood, I douse my lathe and tools in WD-40. I clean up RIGHT after I am done turning and douse it again. you can't use too much WD!

[Steve bellinger]

Charlie thanks and you have a few really cool pieces there yourself.

[charlie knighton]

another.....all heartwood

[Dennis Nagle]

Beautiful work Charlie.

[Chip Sutherland]

I'm thinking that I hate hickory more (then palm). I have only turned hickory dry and it was no picnic. I have turned both red & white oak numerous times. All were successful. End grain tear out is pretty normal but solved with the usual techniques. All the red oak sold but it was heavily spalted so they were rustic attractive. White oak is not particular pretty to turn quartersawn or otherwise. The only piece of it that I have left is so embellished no one would know that it was white oak.

Luckily there are a hundred species of wood more fun to turn than oak.

[Dennis Nagle]

THe Hickory here in Michigan is easy to turn, but it smells like horse dung for a year or two after it is turned.