First attempts at turning cut down tree wood?

[Steve Mathews]

As a novice woodturner I've been practicing exclusively with scrap construction lumber. Today my neighbor gave me some wood from a cypress tree he cut down. I just trimmed the ends off some of the pieces shown below. The diameters are 6", 3" and 2 1/2" in from the bark. I was planning to use the smaller diameter sections for some more spindle practice, maybe a tool handle. I was thinking of using the larger piece as a first attempt at making a bowl. Are these good pieces to use? And here's a few more questions?

I thought it was proper to split logs longitudinally for bowl blanks but recently someone posted something about slicing logs the other way. How should I handle the large log shown?

I'm totally inept at identifying wood. Does anyone have a good book recommendation to bring me up to speed on the subject?

What are the best applications for Cypress?

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[John K Jordan]

For getting started turning green wood, you simply can't go wrong with this book, "Turning Green Wood":
https://www.amazon.com/Turning-Green.../dp/1861080891

For an introduction to the life-long hobby of identifying wood, this book is a great help. It shows how to look at the pores and rays and eliminates the wild guesses from looking at a board or chunk. Hoadley explains how to use a razor blade and a magnifier to id or at least eliminate a bunch of possibilities.
https://www.amazon.com/Identifying-W.../dp/0942391047
I recommend keeping small labeled samples of every species that comes through your shop for future reference. Don't need much, maybe 1" square, 1/2" thick.

This article on the Wood Database web site is a good place to start. You can also send Eric an email - he's a great guy.
http://www.wood-database.com/wood-ar...ication-guide/

A little time with this web site will illustrate why it is usually futile to try to id a wood by looking at the face of a board. Just pick a species and look at the variety.
http://hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/


If you have the bark or much better, the leaves and/or fruit, there are numerous books on identifying trees. I keep a half dozen on my shelf and all are useful at times: Audubon, Petersons, can't remember the other names. If possible, spend time walking the local woods with an expert.

I've never turned cypress. There are a lot of different types of cypress. From the wood database article on Taxodium distichum: Common Uses: Exterior construction, docks, boatbuilding, interior trim, and veneer.

JKJ

[Brice Rogers]

Steve, I think that you will love turning green wood. It is so much easier and rewarding than hard dry wood. The long strings of chips almost sing as they go flying off the log.

Most cracks emanate from the pith (center). Many turners recommend that you cut out the pith. So that means that you turn your log into a pair of "D"s. That is, you would chainsaw in the direction of the grain. Of course it is possible to slice the wood across the grain like a person would slice salami. But you will have a higher chance of it cracking as it dries and you'll be turning into end-grain. So, on the larger pieces, I'd suggest cutting them into a pair of "D"s. Then, take each D and cut out a circle using whatever tools you have. A bandsaw works best, but you might be able to use a reciprocal saw or even a chainsaw to approximate a circle.

What I like to do when I get good fresh wood is to slice it up into Ds. If I can't get to it right away, I'll put it inside and cover it with plastic to retain the moisture. But it is kind of like storing an apple or banana. You can usually get away with a week or two before it spoils. Then I cut the Ds into rounds. Then I rough turn the rounds into bowls, platters, etc, usually keeping the wall thickness around 10% of the diameter. Then I wax, pack with damp shavings, stick in a paper bag and wait....

[Steve Mathews]

I forgot to mention that according to my neighbor the wood was sitting outside for about 2 years after it was cut. I'm in the high desert of Northern Arizona so stuff dries fairly quick here. The wood seems already dry to me except for the medium diameter piece, which has a darker inner ring and is more fragrant. Maybe it was from a different tree cut at a different time. The large piece had cracks on the end but I sliced off about an inch to square it off.

As for preparing the blanks, OK ... I'll slice the large piece lengthwise into Ds and cut those into squares. Then I'll round the corners all with my bandsaw. This will be my first bowl attempt. I'm stoked! Hope it goes better than my first skew work on spindles. That frustration caused me a brief hiatus from woodturning.

Talk of wood moisture reminds me that I should probably get a meter to test wood. Any recommendations?

And lastly, I already roughed out the small piece. It may not be the preferred wood for a tool handle but since I have no other ideas and this is the next step in my spindle turning lessons that's what I intend to do, decorative catches and all.

[Dwight Rutherford]

Good recommendations above, especially liked the reference to cutting the log into "Ds". Here is a picture you can use.

[Steve Mathews]

I just ordered both of the books John recommended. Thanks John!

Dwight - That picture was real helpful.

If you notice the pith on the larger log is off center. I suppose it doesn't matter where the slice takes place as long as the pith is removed in the turning process. Correct?

[Dwight Rutherford]

That is correct.

[John K Jordan]

If you notice the pith on the larger log is off center. I suppose it doesn't matter where the slice takes place as long as the pith is removed in the turning process. Correct?

The off center pith likely means the tree grew at an angle from vertical - it grew extra wood on one side as a means of support. This "reaction" wood can cause problems when sawing lumber but has almost no effect on turning. If you like the R. Bruce Hoadley book, consider his other book, "Understanding Wood". This is probably one of the best for an education on the structure of wood, how it grows, how to dry it, how and why it shrinks and moves and why it warps in very predictable ways. Hoadley is not only an expert in wood technology but is a carver and craftsman with both personal and academic experience.

I only occasionally turn green wood - I far prefer dry wood and have never found turning it to be the least problem, even things like dry hickory and lyptus that others tend to curse. Green wood is great for large bowls and hollow forms. For most other things dry wood is arguably better. There is in fact a joy in effortlessly making big streamers. There is instant gratification in going from tree to bowl in a short time and a certain earthy charm in pieces that warp nicely. Not so much joy in spraying water everywhere, rusting the lathe bed, or watching the cracks form, but these can be dealt with.

When turned round, dry wood mostly stays round. This is important for some things like lidded boxes, any thing with threads, platters that stay flat, inside-out turnings, mechanical things like puzzles, even pepper grinders and pens. I believe finding joy in turning dry wood comes primarily from two things: tool sharpness and tool control. Because I want dry wood and because I want it for free, I process a lot of sopping wet wood and let it dry for years before turning. This does require some equipment, drying/storage space, and a measure of patience. Oh, and living in a place that has plenty of free wood.

Do you have a bandsaw that will handle a reasonable height? Mine cuts a bit over 12". I sometimes use a chainsaw to cut the log section in half (I keep an electric Stihl in the shop) but if possible, I do it all on the bandsaw. I use 1/2" blades with 3 tpi.

If the piece will fit I stand it up on end and cut through the pith to make two halves, then cut each half into blocks, bowl blanks, or turning squares depending on my mood. These are sealed on the end grain and on any tricky areas, marked with the species and date, and put on wire shelves to dry.

In this case I wanted mostly turning squares for spindles and boxes and such:

processing_wood_.jpg processing_wood_2.jpg processing_wood_3.jpg

If I want longer squares or if my log section is not over 12" diameter but longer than will fit standing up, I first rip it down the middle with the bandsaw then proceed as before. I keep a hatchet near the bandsaw to knock of anything that keeps the log from setting nicely on the bandsaw table. This is some spalted something:

processing_B01.jpg processing_B03.jpg processing_B06.jpg processing_B07.jpg

I have shelves full of drying wood with local species such as walnut, persimmon, sweetgum, chestnut, maple, sassafras, holly, cherry, beech, oak, hickory, dogwood, elm, and eastern red cedar. And it's all free wood.

drying_IMG_5757.jpg

If I do a little every few months I eventually have a constant supply of dry wood to turn. The dogwood I'm turning now, for example, I cut and put up to dry over 10 years ago.

JKJ

[Ron Rutter]

Steve. I don't think you have a bandsaw but just in case... Never cross cut a round section of log on a bandsaw without it being securely wedged to stop it from rotating.

[John K Jordan]

Steve. I don't think you have a bandsaw but just in case... Never cross cut a round section of log on a bandsaw without it being securely wedged to stop it from rotating.

Thanks for pointing out what can't be started too often - never cut any wood that is not directly supported by the table.

Rounds are a real hazard, even small diameter. Best to keep a couple of sizes of V blocks on hand.

There is another real danger - wood that appears to be supported but suddenly is not. This happened to me ears ago - I was cutting through a chunk of wood that had an unobvious crack and an internal void. This piece wasn't even very big, maybe 4" high, and had a wide flat bearing against the table.

In the middle of the cut the chunk suddenly came apart and instantly became unsupported. The blade instantly caught the wood and slammed it into the table, jamming and destroying the blade. If my hands had been in the wrong place I might have had to give up piano, guitar, and perhaps woodturning! Since then I am careful to inspect each piece for soundness.

That leads to something I read once that I repeat as a mantra every time I use the bandsaw or any other cutting tool (jointer, tablesaw, etc): imaging where your hands would go if the wood suddenly disappeared! I'm conscious of where I push, how much force I'm using, my stance and footing, even how I hold the push sticks.

JKJ

[Steve Mathews]

Ron & John - Thanks for the cautions on the bandsaw. By the time I read your comments the large piece of wood was already cut into 4 pieces with my bandsaw. My bandsaw is a Jet 14" with a riser extension kit. I did not support the log when cross cutting it. Fortunately nothing bad happened but I will heed your advice in the future. Coincidentally I viewed a video last night by WYOMINGWOODTURNER cautioning the same thing. He uses a homemade sled to cross cut his logs. I just finished reviewing my equipment and techniques using a cabinet saw. The thought of what might happen if certain precautions weren't taken really scared me. I'm still not certain that I've done enough. Consequently I'm considering another saw, possibly a SawStop. After reading that a bandsaw was so much safer than a table saw I felt confident to jump right into cutting the log. I should've stopped and given more thought before proceeding. I will now look more closely into the proper use of the bandsaw.

[Michael Mills]

It may not be correct but I was taught to split the wood so that the growth rings would balance. In your pic that looks about like 2:00 to 8:00. The pic is from one of mine with the pith way off center, the green line is where I made the cut. Cutting the almost opposite would have give wide rings on one side and tight rings on the other resulting in uneven shrinkage. The pin in the pic is 1" diameter so the green cut line is about 9" long.
The easiest way to find the balance is to use a center finding ruler such as this one at Amazon. If you have a wood yard stick just start at the center (18"?) and number out to the ends in red. A pin hole near the edge allows you to rotate it from the pith for easy reading.
https://www.amazon.com/Westcott-Plas...XRJ97B9359EB5M

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[John K Jordan]

The easiest way to find the balance is to use a center finding ruler

I'm always surprised that more people don't use center-finding rulers. I think I have four, different lengths and materials.

My new favorite at the bandsaw is this little 6" ruler:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BX5KO5G
Not for logs of course, but I use it when laying out special cuts and templates for spindle turning. I found that one of my very thin 1/4" super magnets presses tightly into the hole so I keep one stuck to the front of the bandsaw.

JKJ