Crape Myrtle ?

[Greg Parrish]

Picked up some crazy pieces Of crape myrtle from a friend. The small ones are fine but there are two super large ones that I'm not sure how to tackle yet. I did wax coat all the ends. Same friend also found me 3 pieces of chinaberry








Turned one of the smaller pieces and it looks nice so far







just need to get this one dry and finish turn it.

[William Adams]

If you have any long, straight pieces, without knots, it's supposed to be a good bow wood.

[Greg Parrish]

Interesting. The guy that cut it said he had given the annual trimmings to another wood worker who used it to make rolling pins. Not sure if it's good for that but that's what he said.

Wish the huge base was thicker but I think it would only be about 2 or 3 inches thick, if that, as the trunks start to fan out really low.

[Steve Nix]

Beware, it will check even with the end of the logs sealed. Turn it green and thin. Good luck, it turns buitifully and looks, especially NE bowls.

[Barry McFadden]

I don't see any pictures...anybody else??

[Allan Ferguson]

No photos here either.

[Greg Parrish]

My photo website is acting up tonight. Sorry about that. If you refresh or check back later they will hopefully be working again.

[Greg Parrish]

Beware, it will check even with the end of the logs sealed. Turn it green and thin. Good luck, it turns buitifully and looks, especially NE bowls.

Wish I had more time to turn then. I'll probably loose a good bit of it to firewood if that's the case.

[Thomas Canfield]

The wood on truck looks like it was old wood cut when the sap was down and not fresh now. The fresh wood with a lot of sap in spring is extremely subject to checking. I have saved some branches cut in fall and used for pens and wood was almost white with a little darker wood at sub branch and leaves locations. I also make a cane out of one of the long straight limbs using a cherry handle. The pith in the side of the bowl will likely check, but looking good. You do not give size, but looks pretty small. What are you using to hollow? Does not look like it would be very easy with a bowl gouge for a beginning turner.

[Greg Parrish]

The wood on truck looks like it was old wood cut when the sap was down and not fresh now. The fresh wood with a lot of sap in spring is extremely subject to checking. I have saved some branches cut in fall and used for pens and wood was almost white with a little darker wood at sub branch and leaves locations. I also make a cane out of one of the long straight limbs using a cherry handle. The pith in the side of the bowl will likely check, but looking good. You do not give size, but looks pretty small. What are you using to hollow? Does not look like it would be very easy with a bowl gouge for a beginning turner.

Actually the the wood on the truck was cut this afternoon. But a couple of spots on it appear to be dead, dry wood. Lots of green wet wood though.

That at bowl is probably around 9" in diameter by about 5" tall. I hollowed it out to just shy of 4" deep. I used a carbide finish tool from easy wood tools.

[Bob Bouis]

Crepe myrtle is sometimes very heavily "flame" figured, like maple, but it's usually not quite as chatoyant. Much tighter grain, though. I've been hoarding the wood whenever I can get it. It is very unstable when drying, and the pieces sometimes burst apart after drying only a little. It's also really hard to cut when wet with saws for some reason, chips out on the natural edge when turning, but otherwise turns really well.

I've had good luck finish turning it while green. If you're worried about the thickness of a particular piece, seal it with thin super glue. Always dry in a cardboard box to slow drying. The shape of most crepe myrtle trunks/limbs does not make good natural edge bowls, but it has a lot of really neat crotches.