Chestnut tips

[Don in Tally]

I have been turning pens for about three months now and so far just for my enjoyment. But I was showing the off to a friend and he decides he would like th have me make him some. He has delivered to me a bunch of "wormy chestnut" that came out of a barn in West Virgina that is very old and dry. Having never turned anyting like it, does any one have any secrets as to technique they would care to share?

By the way is there any where place that a person can find put any tips as to how turn a particular kind of wood. For example in reading here, I found out that Cocobolo is a oily wood and putting purple heart in the sunlight in the sun will bring back the purple.
Any other tips anyone care to share?

 

[melogic]

Don,
I turned 12 pen and pencil sets out of wormy chestnut for a friend for Christmas. The wood came from his mothers Great-Great Grand parents home in Southern Ohio. I made sure my tools were sharp and turned it just as you would oak or any other wood. It did have several grooves in it from the worm holes. I left them in the pens and just made sure that I applied enough wax to cover the wood properly. There were a couple that had holes that went all the way to the tubes. I turned the wood from the tubes and recut new blanks and started over on these. They turned out beautiful and all of the family members loved them as gifts. Hope this helps.

 

[woodscavenger]

I have someone that will be bringing me some as well. Let use know how yours turned out. I am excited to try mine.

 

[wdcav1952]

Please, keep us updated on the wormy chesnut. I may have a deal to get some 8x8 cut-offs of it from a man at work from when they did some remodeling and cut the ends off some beams.
Anthony, you being the expert, does this count as a pre-gloat or a hopeful gloat? :-}

 

[Charlie in Garfield]

Hi Don,
Just remember that it is a soft wood and you must use sharp sharp sharp tools and a light touch. Some of it will be very bla and some will have a lot of grain showing.Good luck.
Just Charlie

 

[Gregory Huey]

I turned some wormy chestnut a couple of weeks ago. Use sharp tools and I used a CA finish to fill in the worm holes.