Postie Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Have any of you woodturners ever turned knuckles from maple pollards? I spent the weekend in the Lot & helped a friend lob off some these knuckles as they were getting so big he was worried the trees would break. As he has no use for the wood he has given me some great lumps of this wierd & wonderful wood. I intend turning some of it once it has dried a bit - any tips? [I]Postie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 I thought that I had replied to the Postie? It seems to have gone into the ether???I have not turned the knuckles, but I have turned Maple and it is a lovely wood to turn. I would think that the knuckles would be wonderfull when finished?Just what diameter are you looking at here? Instead of having to wait for the usual drying time I have heard that you can 'fast dry' turning jobs by turning the blank VERY roughly, ablout 1/3 of the finish both inside and out and then microwave it! I have never tried it and want to do it one day when I can convince the Boss? The idea is to part turn it, zap it in the micro wave for a couple of mins, leave it for a few days and then do the final turning. It may even take a couple of stages of turn/micro wave/turn/micro wave? A I say I have never tried it, but the most it can cost is a new bit of wood and a new micro wave oven [8-|][B]You know that the normal drying time is about a year for every inch of radius???Good luck and if you have any nice sized knuckles that you don't know what to do with, then I may be able to help you by taking them off yer 'ands? Know-what-I-mean[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postie Posted November 20, 2008 Author Share Posted November 20, 2008 Hi there JJI have some MOTHER knuckles here (some about 750mm in dia.), a bit too big for the microwave unfortunately. However I have tried drying wood in the mw before & it does work. I used small bits and, as you say zapped them for a few minutes at a time, if you you do it too quickly the wood cracks. My puter has been playing up & I am still having problems downloading photos. As soon as I can post some pics I will do so. And yes I'd be more than happy to donate a few pieces to a good cause [B] [:D]. I have to go back to Eymet sometime with my trailer to collect the big knuckles so maybe we could meet there & you can take a few bits back with you to the deep south. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 It's also worth trying turning the wood in its 'wet' state. They frequently change shape when drying naturally turning into shapes that are not normally achievable. Worth a try.....................With something like a bowl you may need to re-cut the base when dry so that it stands flat.Gary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted November 22, 2008 Share Posted November 22, 2008 You mean like this one that I made earlier (Blue Peter??)[IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Rhodedenbowl1.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Rhodedenbowl2.jpg[/IMG]Wet rhodedendrum (spelling?) turned several years back. It's all shapes now, but it ain't round anymore. People ask me how I turned something that wasn't round. Good theme for a story teller like me, but I can never keep a straight face [6]It was from a huge rhode (don't got here again John!) bush that had been cut down and had about a 7 inch diameter... It was the only bit I made anything from as the rest cracked so badly! Domage..Thank you for the offer of some of those bit Postie, but a 600k+ round trip would put me out of circulation for a few daze and is a bridge, or 2, too far me thinks [:(] . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 We went to the Sunday market in Trebes yesterday, being as it was Sunday [8-)]! And there was a French turner there with a little Jet JML-1014 lathe turning all sorts of small bits. Good too.One of the things he had was a table lamp complete with a turned lamp shade. It was only about 10 inches high and about 8 inch diameter. It was turned from acier, the pollarded knuckles and it was really lovely!!! The grain was quite spectacular and I just wish that I had got my camera with me. One of the interesting things that he had done was that he had dropped the shade and it had cracked across a natural fault and because it was quite finely turned. He had glued it back together and used what loked like 2 1/2 mm electrical copper wire to simulate 'stitching' along the crack. It looked really good. One thing that I was not sure about was that he had an ordinary incandescing bulb in it and I think that it would make the shade too hot and crack and warp. I think that a low watage bulb would sort that though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 [quote user="Jonzjob"]It was turned from acier, the pollarded knuckles and it was really lovely!!![/quote]I hope his tools were sharp!Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 If the sharpness of his oval scew was anything to go by then no!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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