The tree outside my apartment, was damaged in a storm yesterday, and was cut down today. It is a pine, and I have the trunk, from about 2 feet up, to 12 feet up, in 5 pieces.
Is this worth drying out and turning?
Pieces are 15 to 30 inches long, and 11 to 8 inches in diameter.
Since I don't like TOUCHING it wet, I don't want to turn it wet. How badly will it check/crack on the ends?
Bark on the 2 upper pieces is good, but the lower pieces it is hanging on, just barely. I've never done bowl turning, or raw edge turning. Is this a good material to use, and can I do it dry?
steve
Is pine any good to turn?
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Is pine any good to turn?
10 ER, stripped down.
Basic 10ER, Parts machine. Will be a semi-dedicated drill-press machine.
10 ER, a "survivor" of the trailer fire, in the back yard, needing restoration. Has a Mk5 headrest. Finally, stripped down.
Numerous parts, for Model 10 stuff. Except for lower saw guard, A and B adapters, I've got it.
Looking for one more, or some 9 inch extension table raisers.
Basic 10ER, Parts machine. Will be a semi-dedicated drill-press machine.
10 ER, a "survivor" of the trailer fire, in the back yard, needing restoration. Has a Mk5 headrest. Finally, stripped down.
Numerous parts, for Model 10 stuff. Except for lower saw guard, A and B adapters, I've got it.
Looking for one more, or some 9 inch extension table raisers.
-
BuckeyeDennis
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 3697
- Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:03 pm
- Location: Central Ohio
Steve, take this with a HUGE grain of salt, because I have yet to actually turn my first bowl. Although I do have one nice blank just waiting for me to have time, and a couple of massive AnchorSealed ash logs waiting for me to have even more time. 
But just this last weekend, I was working on the subflooring for the youngest daughters secret-room attic addition. Old-fashioned style, made of pine/fir 2x6's run on diagonal across the joists. Kiln-dried, mind you, yet while sawing it to length/bevel, all of a sudden I discovered mucho sticky goop on my chop saw. Turned out to be pitch from the pine/fir. I kept the pitch under control thereafter with a handy spray bottle of denatured alcohol and some paper towels.
I'm thinking that turning a pine bowl might lead to a sticky situation!
But hey, if any of you would like some nice ash logs, I'm your man. Free except for the postage!
... Dennis, live from Emerald Ash Borer country
But just this last weekend, I was working on the subflooring for the youngest daughters secret-room attic addition. Old-fashioned style, made of pine/fir 2x6's run on diagonal across the joists. Kiln-dried, mind you, yet while sawing it to length/bevel, all of a sudden I discovered mucho sticky goop on my chop saw. Turned out to be pitch from the pine/fir. I kept the pitch under control thereafter with a handy spray bottle of denatured alcohol and some paper towels.
I'm thinking that turning a pine bowl might lead to a sticky situation!
But hey, if any of you would like some nice ash logs, I'm your man. Free except for the postage!
... Dennis, live from Emerald Ash Borer country
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rcplaneguy
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 549
- Joined: Mon Sep 23, 2013 6:33 pm
- Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Pine is ok to learn with, but you might want to go small with some clear straight grained material that has been properly dried (eg 2x2 pine) from a lumber yard first.
http://newwoodworker.com/turning/usepine.html
http://newwoodworker.com/turning/usepine.html
John
If in your place I might do the following.
Though you may not want to turn it while green, it might be a wise idea to rough shape it.
If you are going to split it lengthwise, use an adze or as a last resort, a splitting maul, but not a saw.
If you have an idea of what you want for bowls, mount them and rough turn them so the walls are a couple inches thick.
Then coat every cut surface and bag it and find a nice place to store.
I've not tried to leave the bark on, so no knowledge about that.
Unless you have a nice controlled environment, drying can take many months. Pine is sloppy wet.
Have fun!
Be well,
Ben
Though you may not want to turn it while green, it might be a wise idea to rough shape it.
If you are going to split it lengthwise, use an adze or as a last resort, a splitting maul, but not a saw.
If you have an idea of what you want for bowls, mount them and rough turn them so the walls are a couple inches thick.
Then coat every cut surface and bag it and find a nice place to store.
I've not tried to leave the bark on, so no knowledge about that.
Unless you have a nice controlled environment, drying can take many months. Pine is sloppy wet.
Have fun!
Be well,
Ben
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paulsgreenbarn
- Gold Member
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:06 pm
- Location: Delevan,NY
Rule of thumb: One year drying per inch of diameter.
To cut down on checking you want to paint the ends with a latex paint or seal it with wax.
You will still get some checking, but less. You can split it out along check lines to create smaller turning billets.
Give it a try, what do you have to lose?
You have everything to gain in terms of learning and experience.
To cut down on checking you want to paint the ends with a latex paint or seal it with wax.
You will still get some checking, but less. You can split it out along check lines to create smaller turning billets.
Give it a try, what do you have to lose?
You have everything to gain in terms of learning and experience.
WmZiggy
williamz@aol.com
"... and it was after long searching that I found the carpenter's chest, which was indeed a very useful prize to me, and much more valuable than a ship loading of gold." Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, 1719
williamz@aol.com
"... and it was after long searching that I found the carpenter's chest, which was indeed a very useful prize to me, and much more valuable than a ship loading of gold." Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, 1719
This sounds like you may of had yellow pine. On white pine the sticky sap is just under the bark. Once that is removed the only place you will get any sap will be the knots. I have sawed thousands of BF of it into boards and planks up to 6 inches thick. In the summer you can take a 1 inch board and dry it in 30 days under cover. If you have it in blocks seal the ends and don't stack tight together as the will mold if the air cannot get around them. Usually as the dry the bark will fall off. Watch for bugs because they will ruin the blocks in no time. You already have them use them and if it doesn't work out you aren't out anythingBuckeyeDennis wrote:Steve, take this with a HUGE grain of salt, because I have yet to actually turn my first bowl. Although I do have one nice blank just waiting for me to have time, and a couple of massive AnchorSealed ash logs waiting for me to have even more time.
But just this last weekend, I was working on the subflooring for the youngest daughters secret-room attic addition. Old-fashioned style, made of pine/fir 2x6's run on diagonal across the joists. Kiln-dried, mind you, yet while sawing it to length/bevel, all of a sudden I discovered mucho sticky goop on my chop saw. Turned out to be pitch from the pine/fir. I kept the pitch under control thereafter with a handy spray bottle of denatured alcohol and some paper towels.
I'm thinking that turning a pine bowl might lead to a sticky situation!
But hey, if any of you would like some nice ash logs, I'm your man. Free except for the postage!
... Dennis, live from Emerald Ash Borer country
This sounds like you may of had yellow pine. On white pine the sticky sap is just under the bark. Once that is removed the only place you will get any sap will be the knots. I have sawed thousands of BF of it into boards and planks up to 6 inches thick. In the summer you can take a 1 inch board and dry it in 30 days under cover. If you have it in blocks seal the ends and don't stack tight together as the will mold if the air cannot get around them. Usually as the dry the bark will fall off. Watch for bugs because they will ruin the blocks in no time. You already have them use them and if it doesn't work out you aren't out anythingBuckeyeDennis wrote:Steve, take this with a HUGE grain of salt, because I have yet to actually turn my first bowl. Although I do have one nice blank just waiting for me to have time, and a couple of massive AnchorSealed ash logs waiting for me to have even more time.
But just this last weekend, I was working on the subflooring for the youngest daughters secret-room attic addition. Old-fashioned style, made of pine/fir 2x6's run on diagonal across the joists. Kiln-dried, mind you, yet while sawing it to length/bevel, all of a sudden I discovered mucho sticky goop on my chop saw. Turned out to be pitch from the pine/fir. I kept the pitch under control thereafter with a handy spray bottle of denatured alcohol and some paper towels.
I'm thinking that turning a pine bowl might lead to a sticky situation!
But hey, if any of you would like some nice ash logs, I'm your man. Free except for the postage!
... Dennis, live from Emerald Ash Borer country
Sounds like my best bet is to wax the ends, loosely wrap with a plastic bag, and leave it for a year or 2.
It took me longer to scour the pine tar off my hands and arms, than to move the logs the 20 feet to outside my door.
This tree was doing fine, Sunday morning, leaning Sunday afternoon, and down by 3:00 Monday afternoon. I'm pretty sure it is Ponderosa pine, and is NOT good in this climate.
I'm NOT working this in my front room, unless JUST before I move out. I've got a friend with a shop, and room for my Model 10s, and am going to move in with him eventually, but will be moving an ER or two over, quite soon.
steve
It took me longer to scour the pine tar off my hands and arms, than to move the logs the 20 feet to outside my door.
This tree was doing fine, Sunday morning, leaning Sunday afternoon, and down by 3:00 Monday afternoon. I'm pretty sure it is Ponderosa pine, and is NOT good in this climate.
I'm NOT working this in my front room, unless JUST before I move out. I've got a friend with a shop, and room for my Model 10s, and am going to move in with him eventually, but will be moving an ER or two over, quite soon.
steve
10 ER, stripped down.
Basic 10ER, Parts machine. Will be a semi-dedicated drill-press machine.
10 ER, a "survivor" of the trailer fire, in the back yard, needing restoration. Has a Mk5 headrest. Finally, stripped down.
Numerous parts, for Model 10 stuff. Except for lower saw guard, A and B adapters, I've got it.
Looking for one more, or some 9 inch extension table raisers.
Basic 10ER, Parts machine. Will be a semi-dedicated drill-press machine.
10 ER, a "survivor" of the trailer fire, in the back yard, needing restoration. Has a Mk5 headrest. Finally, stripped down.
Numerous parts, for Model 10 stuff. Except for lower saw guard, A and B adapters, I've got it.
Looking for one more, or some 9 inch extension table raisers.
-
terrydowning
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 1678
- Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 3:26 pm
- Location: Windsor, CO
Air dried pine is tricky stuff. The sap never really dries out. It really does need to be set using a kiln. Air drying just does not get the sap hot enough to set.
Air drying will remove the water but any knots or sappy wood will remain gooey and tacky and continue to leach over time.
That being said, my vote is to turn green to rough shape as green wood cuts so much easier and the drying time reduces significantly.
Pine is tricky to turn due to the nature of the grain and the difference in hardness, the darker winter rings are much harder than the lighter and broader summer growth. This makes the wood prone to tear out especially when working end grain or uphill. Pine is a great practice wood, if you can turn pine successfully, you can pretty much turn anything.
Same safety and sharp tool cautions as always.
Air drying will remove the water but any knots or sappy wood will remain gooey and tacky and continue to leach over time.
That being said, my vote is to turn green to rough shape as green wood cuts so much easier and the drying time reduces significantly.
Pine is tricky to turn due to the nature of the grain and the difference in hardness, the darker winter rings are much harder than the lighter and broader summer growth. This makes the wood prone to tear out especially when working end grain or uphill. Pine is a great practice wood, if you can turn pine successfully, you can pretty much turn anything.
Same safety and sharp tool cautions as always.
--
Terry
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Terry
Copy and paste the URLs into your browser if you want to see the photos.
1955 Shopsmith Mark 5 S/N 296860 Workshop and Tools
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