Woodturning with local and sourced wood

I love the sound of chain saws in the morning!

I find much of my wood mostly from right around where I live in southeastern Pennsylvania.  Typically, when the arborists are in the neighborhood, one of my neighbors will let me know (they become members of my “Bowl Patrol”) or I hear the chain saws and chippers from a few blocks away.

People don’t usually take down trees when they are healthy.  Occasionally, by the time the wood is on the ground there is so much rot that the wood is not usable for turning. But more often, the beginning stages of rot and decay add a lot of character to the wood in the form of spalting, discoloration and even bug holes.  If useable, these features remind us of the organic nature of the medium, and connect the finished bowl to the tree that was living just a short time ago.

Sometimes, trees are felled because they are in the way of a project or otherwise not wanted by the owners. In these cases, the healthy, living tree provides solid timber, which is also a delight to work with.  I have learned to be judicious in selecting species that will provide wood with interesting grain or special figure.

 

Burls are like catnip for woodturners

Burls are growths that occur on the outside of an otherwise healthy tree.  The origins of burls are not well understood, but like a tumor on an animal, once initiated the burls can grow for a long time, sapping some of the tree’s energy while it continues to grow.  Inside the burl, the grain structure is wild and discombobulated, in stark contrast to the straight grain of the rest of the tree.  “Burls are full of surprises” because the grain and figure in the burl makes for enticing character of the finished piece. Often, the burl grain no longer looks like wood.

 

Non-Local Wood

While I am enthralled with the prevalent hardwoods of Southeastern Pennsylvania (e.g. black walnut, cherry, maple, pear, sycamore, box elder, oak and others) it is also fun to work with woods from other places around the US and around the world.  In recent years I have sourced claro walnut and redwood from California, big leaf maple from Oregon, and numerous types of eucalyptus-related burl wood from Australia.  Bringing these woods into my work flow has helped to diversify and enhance my bowl and vessel offerings.

Processing and Drying

Moisture is the bane of all woodworkers.  Freshly cut “green” timber has a high moisture content which will gradually reduce as the wood ages, eventually coming into equilibrium with the ambient humidity where it resides.  The process of the wood drying is one that can cause significant stress resulting in warpage, checks and drying cracks.  Woodturners like me have a few strategies for dealing with this. First, I frequently turn the bowl into it’s rough form and dimensions while it is still green, then dry it over a period of a few months. Once it is stabilized, I will remount it to the lathe and turn the bowl to it’s final form.  Another approach is to turn the wood green, but make the vessel walls thin and celebrate the warpage that occurs as it dries.  Finally, there are pieces where shrinkage cracks are highlighted by bowtie inserts or other fillers, again celebrating the organic nature of the wood.