More eucalyptus

[ChrisF]

Tried a few more eucalyptus bowls turned thin and allowed to dry slowly.  All developed cracks to some extent from the pith which I've arrested with a mix of coffee grounds and super glue.  Really pleased with the results.  All have been finished with walnut oil but still need further finishing when dry.

C&C welcome

[seventhdevil]

i'm liking the effect you are getting with the endgrain turning here but i have to ask, was this tree starting to rot?

any eucalyptus i've seen has been the classic pink with cream sapwood. is it the walnut oil turning it that colour?

[bodrighywood]

Done better than I ever did with eucalyptus, mine always ended up looking like aliens warped, plit, you name it they did it.

pete

[Les Symonds]

Hi Chris....what size are these? I imagine they'd have to be quite thin to allow that much distortion, so I'm guessing they're about 6" diameter. What I find intriguing is the third band of colour - running out from the pith, the heartwood and sapwood are clear, but then the sapwood develops a broad, dark ring. Weird!

Les

[Bryan Milham]

I'm really likeing these. The way you've turned them and allowed them to find their own shape as they dry. I'm guessing they are from slices of a euclipt trunk.

As said above, not like any Euclipt I've ever seen in the UK before, Steve describes euclipt as Pink, I think of it as grey, and always stringy, that tears it'self apart while drying. However in Auz, there are meny more species of euclipt than we grow over here (and then mostly as ornimentals) so it's not likely to be one we are very famillier with.

[ChrisF]

Thanks guys, pretty pleased with them myself.  Still got a 4' lump in the yard to play with so a few more things to try yet.

Steve - not rotting for sure.  The oil certainly seems to intensify what colour there is, but they also darken quite a bit as they dry.  I've attached a couple of pics of one of them just after turning with one coat of walnut oil.  They get about 4 coats in all.

Pete - I'm needing to keep right on top of these.  I work from home so can check them several times a day (except when away for a week over xmas - couldn't wait to get back to them!).  I'm finding that so long as I get some CA on a crack good and early they stabalise quite well. 

Les - They start out about 7" diameter turned to about 3 to 4mm wall thickness.  I agree the rings are intriguing.....the lighter sapwood (next to the heartwood) is almost translucent.  The darker outer wood is pretty much identical to the heartwood.  Some research might be called for.....maybe they keep the sap flow well into the tree to help minimise evaporation in hot climates?

Bryan - No idea of the actual species, it came from a tree surgeon friend so I didn't see the actual tree.  It does start looking quite bland albeit with a darker heart.  I'll post some pics of the raw wood next time I cut some.  Certainly wasn't stringy.  Cut beautifully around the edge with very long ribbons and even the hollowing was pretty good.  Did smell rather though, and turned everything black....

[edbanger]

The long term care you have given these as paid off

Ed