What wood would you recommend?

[Brian Kent]

It is time for me to make a new round of communion sets for people getting ordained in June. My current wood stash is mainly avocado, which is too porous for chalices, even with a poly finish, and sycamore branches - not trunks. There is way too much cracking as they dry.

So because of timing, I need to buy some kiln dried lumber.
The best prices are on birch, poplar, and beech.
A little more expensive - cherry and maple.
Top of the range - walnut.

I do want to buy domestic hardwoods this time around.
What is your preference in straight grained wood varieties, both in workability and beauty?

Thanks in advance.

Brian

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Brian...I've seen the sets in both cherry and maple. They both turn well.

[Doug Herzberg]

I've had some trouble with tear out in air dried walnut.

[Curt Stivison]

Brian,
How much do you need. I may be able to help if not to much needed.
Curt

[charlie knighton]

cherry.......

[Brian Kent]

Quite a bit, Curt. I will be making about 15 chalices and 15 plates. 5" chalices and 6 inch plates for communion during home visits.

[Thom Sturgill]

Either Maple or Cherry, though I have made goblets from Black Walnut and Poplar and will again. Cherry, Maple, and Poplar all take detail well and pyrography well. I have not turned Beech or Birch, so I cannot comment on them. Some nice curly, quilted, or birdseye maple will make outstanding platters.

[Wes Ramsey]

Olive would probably be my 2nd choice since it is native to the Holy Land and very pretty to turn, but 2nd place because it can be expensive. Sycamore would be my 1st choice as it is also mentioned in the Bible and is a local wood over there (and here), though I think their sycamore is actually a type of fig (also local here and probably can be gotten cheap). I would prefer those for the allegory, especially for an ordination. Zaccheus was a pretty sorry sucker before he met Jesus. Jesus called him out of his sycamore tree and gave him salvation because Zaccheus repented (loose translation, but you get the idea). There are probably some men being ordained that were some sorry suckers at some point in their life, but Jesus called them out of their tree and they answered the call. Just a thought.

[Brian Kent]

Good thought on the Bible woods. Last year I made them all from sycamore. If I find some good wood again I can repeat that. Theoretically, it is all over the place and I should be able to get some from tree guys, but I need to get started - and it warps a lot in initial drying so it would be cutting it close to turn twice.

[John Sanford]

Claro walnut. You shouldn't have too much difficulty finding it in Cali.

[Brian Kent]

Well I picked up some nice maple and some poplar to try.
8/4 maple was $4.85/bf.
8/4 poplar was $2.78.
8/4 walnut would have been over $10 / bf so I passed on the walnut.

So I have what I need to get turning.

[Wes Ramsey]

How much do you need and what size? I have a dozen or so log chunks sitting in my shop waiting for new life. They're all 12-16" across and 16-18" long. I painted one end and let the other end sit on the floor since last spring and they've spalted beautifully. It was a driftwood tree when I found it, so I don't know how long it has been down - pretty dry, but still enough moisture to split if you want it to (ask me how I know). I have plans for some of it, but I'd be happy to share.