Box Elder Score!

[Dominic Greco]

<P><B><I>Hi Everyone,</B></I>
<P>This past Saturday, I met a buddy of mine at Bryan's Farm (the Mom-n-Pop sawmill down the road from me) so I could help him locate some Ash to build a bed for his grandson. I intended to look for some nice dry cherry and walnut for peppermills. But there wasn't much that wasn't newly cut. I was pretty bummed out.

<P>However, there were a set of big Ash beams out by an old lean-to that were propped up on some old logs. The beams had bowed and a cut up tree was being used as weight to help them back into line.

<P>The tree had some weird shaped leaves I couldn't recognize. They looked familiar, but I couldn't place the species. I asked the owner of the mill and he told me it was "Linden" or "Basswood". Since I had turned bowls from both species before, I was pretty sure that it wasn't either of them. But I still wasn't sure what it was. That is until I looked at the end of the log and saw the deep red streaks and teeny bore holes!

<P>I turned to the mill owner and said, "Hey, this looks like Box Elder!" He said, "Naw! I can show you some Box Elder over there", as he indicated over in the field near the band mill. "Like I said, this is Basswood or Linden."

<P>Not willing to be denied this wood, I asked the owner of the mill if I could have some of this wood. He asked me, "How much do you want?". So I indicated about 8' worth of trunk. The part that was the thickest. He cut it up for me into manageable chunks, and even loaded it into the back of my truck with a backhoe. The ends where he cut the log were so deep red, even he was impressed. He turned to me and said, "Heck! I guess it was Box Elder after all!"

<P>So I got it home, unloaded the logs and spent the rest of the day prepping them into slabs. I even managed to rough turn a bowl from this wood. God! This stuff is gorgeous!

<P>Later that day my wife came into the shop, looked at the roughed out bowl and said, "Thats really, really nice! Who's that bowl for?" After 6 years of being married, I'm a old hand at cracking her code. TRANSLATION: "Thats really really nice! Thats for me right?"

<P>"Oh this one? I guess it's for you.", I replied. Ahhh,...marital bliss.
<P>See ya,
<p>Dominic

[Jim Becker]

Oh, man...that's a great find, Dominic! I've been looking to find some Box Elder for a long time now. I may have to swing by there next Saturday morning and see if he has any more...I haven't been there in awhile since I discovered Simmie Agin over in Lambertville and normally it's quite a pain to find "what you want" at Bryant's. (His organization is a little, well...you know what I mean)

[Tom Sweeney]

That is some cool looking turning wood!!

If you could do an end grain turning - or as Bill Grumbine calls it a "Baloney Slice" That would be a cool looking pattern from that first picture. Don't know if it's possible mind you - but it would look great if you could. The bowl you roughed out looks amazing the way it is too.

[Mike Schwing]

Wow! That is beautiful stuff Dominic. Beautiful!

[Ken Salisbury]

A really great find Dom !!! That is some beautiful stuff. It is one of the species I have not had the pleasure of working with.

When can I expect the UPS truck with my sample ?
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[Brad Schafer]

you guys are kidding, right? we've slashed/burned 4 or 5 good sized ones in the past year. they grow like weeds and the wood is miserable for just about everything i've ever tried to do with it (including burn it). i didn't think it a turned piece would hold up after it dried out ... but i know nothing about turning (obviously).

dang.


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[Jim Becker]

you guys are kidding, right? we've slashed/burned 4 or 5 good sized ones in the past year. they grow like weeds and the wood is miserable for just about everything i've ever tried to do with it (including burn it). i didn't think it a turned piece would hold up after it dried out ... but i know nothing about turning (obviously).

Box Elder, especially trees with the red staining from the beetle is a highly prized turning wood. Box Elder burl is also wonderful to turn with it's creamy white color and swirly texture. Although the pinated leaves may disguise it, Box Elder is a Maple variety.

[Paul Downes]

Question?- How long will the red stain stay in the wood? Is there some trick or finishing magic to make it last? I've also cut these trees down like weeds, and have found them hard to kill. There are lots of them around. I saw a guy at a fair booth selling pretty red stained bowls. I said, "hey this is box elder" His reply was, "SHHHHHHH, don't tell anyone, this is Acer Negundo" (the scientific name). Most people around mid-Michigan know this as 'that weed tree'.

[Brad Schafer]

Box Elder, especially trees with the red staining from the beetle is a highly prized turning wood. Box Elder burl is also wonderful to turn with it's creamy white color and swirly texture. Although the pinated leaves may disguise it, Box Elder is a Maple variety.

that it's a maple family member, i knew. that it was prized by turners, i did not. next time i'm clearing fence row or woods, i'll keep that in mind. maybe i can make someone happy.


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[Jim Becker]

that it's a maple family member, i knew. that it was prized by turners, i did not. next time i'm clearing fence row or woods, i'll keep that in mind. maybe i can make someone happy.

Take a look at these box elder turnings by my friend Joe Quesada up just north of Mr. Grumbine's place. They are awesome and really show what makes this species special for turners!

[Brad Schafer]

so dom's not the only one good with this stuff. very nice.

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