Quarter sawn maple

[John Walls]

I cut up some hard maple logs the past couple days. I am left with several pieces of decent size that will be mostly quarter sawn blanks. Most 6x6 around 3 inches thick (was a big tree). Would these be good for bowls and/or small platters? Or would they make better spindle turn items? This is the maple tree trunk I picked up this winter. They are soaking wet to the point of dripping. I cut a LOT of bowl blanks and spent yesterday afternoon with a thick white latex paint covering the end grain but as fast as I got to them, they had already started producing small cracks so I hit them hard with the paint. I'm going to hit them hard again today to make sure the ends are covered thick. There are some pretty big sized blanks that I plan on cutting down smaller as they dry. I cut some up sized for 6 to 8 inch bowls, most folks I give them to prefer the smaller bowls. Some of the wood around knots/crotch have some nice figure but the rest all look to be straight, UN-impressive grain. After they dry some, I'm thinking of laying a few out at a time on the ground so it can spault. All of it is being stored in an unheated/cooled garage, some on shelves, some on the concrete floor. I'm probably going to leave a door open this summer for airflow.

Anyways, will the quarter-sawn be good for turning, or should I cut it down for use in small flat-work?

 

[Bill Stewart]

I think the quarter sawn will be good for bowl turning, but you should not use latex paint to seal the end grain and instead end grain sealer (e.g., Anchorseal). While latex paint will initially seal, it will not move when the wood moves so it will produce micro cracks and therefore the wood will then crack. An end grain sealer will give as the wood contracts and changes shape so it will keep the wood sealed.

 

[Rick Crawford]

You might consider donating the corner scraps to someone that makes wooden jewelry.

 

[Glenn Lefley]

You are so right Bill. I see people time again using latex paint. When it dries it does not stretch or move it cracks with the wood. So might help for a quick fix fir a few days or week, but definitely no good for long term. A wax emulsion is the best way. Ie anchor seal.

 

[Kevin Jenness]

"they had already started producing small cracks"

Once the cracks have started they will only increase. Best to crosscut only when necessary, that is, just before turning. As Bill said, latex paint is an ineffective sealer compared to Anchorseal, but sealer works best on wood that is check-free to start with. When cutting blanks for future use, leave extra length that can be cut back before mounting on the lathe.

 

[robo hippy]

Well, if I am keeping things for a few days before turning, I use the stretch film. On maple, that can be a problem. All the sugar in it is prime food for mold, and it will mold under the stretch film. With the one sugar maple tree that I got chunks from, I left one piece out in our Pacific NW rain for about a month. It was a dull grey color. Inside, it might keep better if properly sealed. I tend to use more of the titebond for sealer.

robo hippy

 

[John Walls]

I cut enough blanks to fill a freezer too. That should be good to go. I guess I better do a lot of turning pretty soon to use this wood. I'll turn to size/shape then set aside to dry for a while.

 

[hockenbery]

quarter sawn blanks. Most 6x6 around 3 inches thick (was a big tree). Would these be good for bowls and/or small platters? Or would they make better spindle turn items?

structurally quarter sawn is fine for any turned objects. Provided the cracks can be turned away.

Regarding bowls and plates, the issue is whether @John Walls likes the quarter sawn grain pattern.
the grain pattern on plates and bowls will be a near parallel straight lines.
often the straight line grain pattern is uninteresting to me when I see it on bowls and platters.

I do like the grain pattern on spheres and hollow balls for ornaments.

Quarter sawn woods like ash or Chinaberry when sand blasted yield a great surface with parallel ridges.

 

[Dean Center]

Quarter sawn is ideal for platters and plates, if you have the diameter for them. A friend who sells his work has been finding plates to be a big seller recently.

 

[John Jordan]

I cut enough blanks to fill a freezer too. That should be good to go. I guess I better do a lot of turning pretty soon to use this wood. I'll turn to size/shape then set aside to dry for a while.

Freezer's good, I have a freezer full of special wood. Wrap it with stretch wrap when its fresh and in it goes. I've turned wood that was 7-8 years old-same as the day it was put in.

John

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

Freezer's good, I have a freezer full of special wood. Wrap it with stretch wrap when its fresh and in it goes. I've turned wood that was 7-8 years old-same as the day it was put in.

John

My freezer is beginning to fail (known as spring) so I brought in a 12" diameter 4' long red oak butt log in and turned 5 natural edge bowls to 1/4" or less wall thickness and since it was cut down live in October 2020 (definitely the dormant in the MN lakes country) stage the bark is solidly attached.

 

[John Walls]

it was cut down live in October 2020 (definitely the dormant in the MN lakes country)

I'm was in the same boat, cut this maple tree down 3rd week December 2020. I have cut most into blanks now and have turned a few bowls from it. This is throwing more water all over the place than anything else I've turned. Turning a blank straight from the freezer, it feels like I'm getting nailed by shards of ice that sting alot. I turn alot of red oak/elm/ash, some dry, some wet and it does not come close to the bath I got when turning maple... LOL

I have a tall storm damaged pine tree I need to cut down. Base is 18-20 inches. I'd like to save some for turning but any pine I have used for flatwork is about as dull looking as a butter knife is sharp. Trunk is unharmed but the ice storm busted off many major limbs so it should give some solid wood from the trunk. Should I attempt this, or is this destined for the burn pile? I won't burn pine in the fireplace.

 

[Donna Banfield]

I'm was in the same boat, cut this maple tree down 3rd week December 2020. I have cut most into blanks now and have turned a few bowls from it. This is throwing more water all over the place than anything else I've turned. Turning a blank straight from the freezer, it feels like I'm getting nailed by shards of ice that sting alot. I turn alot of red oak/elm/ash, some dry, some wet and it does not come close to the bath I got when turning maple... LOL

I have a tall storm damaged pine tree I need to cut down. Base is 18-20 inches. I'd like to save some for turning but any pine I have used for flatwork is about as dull looking as a butter knife is sharp. Trunk is unharmed but the ice storm busted off many major limbs so it should give some solid wood from the trunk. Should I attempt this, or is this destined for the burn pile? I won't burn pine in the fireplace.

If you have access to any other wood, there should be no reason for you to turn pine. It can be challenging to get a clean cut because of the difference in hardness and texture between rings, which also make sanding a challenge. If you turn it green, you can encounter pockets of pitch, that when opened up while you are turning, will fly everywhere you never wanted it to go. With all the negatives, and few, if any positives (are there even any at all?) I would burn it in the outdoor fire pit.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

I have a tall storm damaged pine tree I need to cut down. Base is 18-20 inches. I'd like to save some for turning but any pine I have used for flatwork is about as dull looking as a butter knife is sharp. Trunk is unharmed but the ice storm busted off many major limbs so it should give some solid wood from the trunk. Should I attempt this, or is this destined for the burn pile? I won't burn pine in the fireplace.

It all depends on what exact species of pine you are talking about, for instance eastern white pine is used almost exclusively for inside casing on window sash.
I turned barber poles from white pine.
The 2 larger ones were made from 8 x 8 x 6' then green treated and painted by the barber who commissioned and paid for one with the understanding that he would paint both and I would try to sell the extra one. The one thing that should be done before painting is to seal any knots with shellac, which was not done on the smaller one so the knots show thru as a darker spot.

 

[Russell Nugent]

Green pine was the most awful turning experience ever for me. Messy and sticky flung all over. Did smell nice though.

 

[Dave Landers]

I generally won't turn pine unless it was killed by beetles and has good staining. Even then, I've on occasion been attacked by gobs pitch and made the shop smell like I spilled a gallon of turpentine.

It can be challenging to get a clean cut

OK, so there is a reason to turn pine. If you can practice and get a clean cut on pine, you have a pretty good chance of doing pretty well on more "reasonable" timbers.

 

[John Walls]

From what y'all say, I think it will go into the burn pile. I wondered if it would throw sticky junk all over, don't want that. I do have 2 sheds full of wood and a freezer full so it sounds like it would not be worth messing with. Personally, I hate cutting pine trees down, my saws/clothes are always sticky afterwards.

Oh, wait. Let's rethink this! I have an awesome tree, excellent for wood turning! Free for the taking, all you have to do is cut and haul it off. I will let you put what you don't take in a burn pile, you'll be responsible for the clean-up. I'll supply the beer, afterwards!