General Category > General Discussion
Wood from the cashew tree (Rhus)
John D Smith:
Hello again Les I deleted the previous picture it must have been after you had viewed it I was trying to reduce the size.I have made another attempt
this is a vase turned by Martin Lawrence out of Sumac I took this photograph in 2009 at Westonbirt I am sure Martin will not object to me posting this
Regards John]
Les Symonds:
Ah...I wondered where it had gone! Could a shape like that be part-turned and then dried, or does it need to be turned in one go?
Bryan Milham:
Les, the answer is yes.
However I'd suggest you learn to walk before you start to run.
You need the correct tools (not necessarily shop bought one either.)
Tool control is important, you can't just dig out the core, Once your inside, a dig-in or catch will being your tool swinging around against the side and - oh oop's! Bit's flying everywhere.
Work on small spindles, bowls and simpler projects to master the techniques, build up your skills. Work you way into bigger, deeper turnings. You'll not be able to do it straight out of the trap.
BrianH:
Hi Gwyn
I've no experience of Sumac but other timbers suffering with 'sticky sap' often respond to being stored under water for some months. The water will replace the sap making the wood easier/more pleasant to work with and possibly more stable into the bargain. There are, however, never any gurantees when working with green timber so, given that you have enough, try as many drying techniques as poss and accept the loss of some of them......Well that's my advise anyway.
All the best with it
Brian
Les Symonds:
Hi Brian...Les here, thanks for the tip about submerging some of the timber, sounds like a reasonable idea. I've noticed that the stickiness washes off with meths, so cleaning the lathe shouldn't be too much of a chore, but must remember to open the workshop door at the time!
p.s. ... calling me Gwyn was a perfectly reasonable mistake to make, when I have Gwyntog as a user name, but it's not an abstraction of the name 'Gwyn'. In fact, Gwyntog is Welsh for 'Windy'....goodness knows how I got that user-name ;)!
Gwyntog...(Les)
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