Willow

[Robert Newton]

I have access to some willow that is going to be cut down, How is willow for turning?

[Sean Hughto]

There may well be a lot of varieties - making it hard to generalize. My experience is that it is okay. It's kind of like aspen - on the soft and light end of things. As softer woods tend to do, mine tended to have a sort of fuzzy finish, no matter how much sanding.

[Thomas Canfield]

I haven't tried to turn it yet, but a neighbor had a tree trimmed and I got a couple of sections. The wood did appear soft and stringy when cutting the section with chain saw, and it is sealed at present but I hope to rough out some bowls soon.

[Bernie Weishapl]

We have a lot of willow around here. It is a soft wood and stringy so sharp tools are in order. A lot of it is light colored so makes using dye fun.

[Ken Whitney]

I've turned some red willow (or black willow, couldn't tell for sure) out here in California. As Bernie and Sean said it is very soft and stringy. The species I was working on also smelled fairly bad when turning wet.

Re-turning the dry stuff requires very sharp tools and sandpaper. Tear out is a real problem. But willow can have some pretty heartwood.

[Pat Scott]

I made a couple of salad bowls out of a Willow tree that was being cut down. Ditto for the soft and stringy comments. If you oil it, prepare for the finish to be blotchy unless you use a sanding sealer first. The wood did have a pretty color though.

I'm a utility turner and I want items that I make to be used. Willow is not durable enough for what I want. It's just too soft and dents if you look at it wrong. It might be OK as a popcorn bowl or some other decorative item that you look at. I don't think it will take long before the salad bowl looks really beat up. On the plus side, it was free wood, so if anything I made a disposable bowl!

[Thomas Canfield]

I did rough turn a piece of Willow yesteday and it did require sharp tools for good cut. I have sealed it and hope to re-turn in a few months.