Ginko balboa

[Bryan Milham]

Folks,

Anyone out there turned any Ginko Balboa, the Maidenhair tree.

Is it any good, any interesting features or grain, nice (or bad) smell, worth the effort?

A garden near me has one, and the winds the other day ripped off a large limb, and I might be interested in acquiring it.

Even if it's an uninteresting timber, I might try get a bit just because it's...

. Something I've never turned before,

. One of the surviving deciduous trees from the time of dinosaurs, fossils show the species is over 270 Million years old.

[TWiG]

I think you mean Ginkgo biloba ( two lobes to the leaves )  balboa is Rocky is'nt it  !!  ha ha       Yes I have quite a bit ( half a ton ) at the moment , I felled it last November ... It is pale and rather bland apart from a few burrs , however it simply refuses to crack from drying and warping / distortion is virtually zero . I have roughed out a few bowls and finished a hollow vessel and have some good chunks left .     It would probably be excellent for carving and other surface treatments .... Terry ...

[Les Symonds]

.... is over 270 Million years old.

...should be quite dry by now, then!

I found this info....might be of use, Bryan.
Les

[Bryan Milham]

Terry,

Thank you, I will have a word tomorrow.

Les, is there a link missing?

Bryan

[Eric Harvey]

Ginko tree`s trees aren`t actually deciduous as we know it,well they are, but,its an early form of conifer tree, which conifer trees evolved from in their present form,the wood is fairly maluable(I have a bonsia form of this tree),compared to other trees I have in my bonsia collection,so hopefully will be good to turn,cheers,

Eric.

[Bryan Milham]

Went around this morning... Gone!

No sign of chainsaw tailings or anything, it honestly looks like it was picked up and taken away. But it was a big branch so someone else spotted it, I'll just have to be faster next time.

[julcle]

You need to be quick off the mark these days Bryan with so many wood fires in peoples houses. We had a sycamore down in the lane in the last gales and I asked the farmer if I could have a few logs, he told me that there was probably about £400 in firewood there so no I can't    --  Julian

[Graham]

They felled a couple of horse chestnut trees down the road from us and stacked the logs neatly on the grass verge. We saw it on the way to the shops but it had all gone when we came back. No turners that I know of but loys of wood burners around us,

[TWiG]

Mr Dragonfly I will be at Yandles on Saturday and I can bring a bit of Ginkgo with me if you would like a piece ( gratis )

[Bryan Milham]

Twig,

Having missed out on the branch, I would be very gratefully for a piece, especially as I will be there Saturday.

Look out for the dragonfly (PM Sent)

Bryan.

[TWiG]

Mr Dragonfly , I was at Yandles today and did not see anyone who looked like a dragonfly LOL... and did not receive your PM  .... so a gave the wood to some one else ... Tracey Owen in fact , and a few bits of Griselinia I had spare as well .... sorry ...... Terry..

[Bryan Milham]

Terry,

Sorry I missed you. I was in attendance from 09:30 until 14:00.

I'll survive without a bit more timber, some will come my way one day (I'll be faster next time that tree suffers some damage anyway).

I did appreciate your offer and would have enjoyed meeting with you. I'm sure Tracy will make more of it than I would have.

I did get to meet Tony & Di (Georg) and had the opportunity to see some of their work up close and personal.

Next time, the Autumn show mayhap.

Bryan