Eucalyptis?

[woodwish]

(Have no clue if I spelled that right!) My daughter's boyfriend brought me some large pieces of a eucalyptis tree that they lost in Hurricane Ivan. He thought I might want to turn it so I agreed to take it. The only thing he asked was that I make a pen or two for his mother. I cut up some of it and let it start drying. I have never seen wood that twisted, shrunk, warped, checked, and smelled so wierd! Has anybody ever had any luck with this? I have some that is the white outer wood and some of the reddish heartwood, and it all seems to be as bad. Just looking for some input on using this successfully!

Ray

 

[woodspinner]

Yes that is the stuff!
When it is dry it is harder than@#$%^.
Cut oversize pieces and cure it. It will warp, twist and check. After rgh turning I put it in to sealed bins to cure. Daily I open the bins for a few muinets and then reclose. I do live in S. AZ. so Humidity is very low here. I also have a Humidity controled curing room that helps a lot on the large pieces. I keep most of my chunks for at least a year in the room. The year seems to release a lot of the inhearent wood tension.
As you live in Florida you may be able to just bag it to cure. I do all of the finish turning on dry pieces.

Good turning and be safe
Bill

 

[jkirkb94]

I have a pen made out of Eucalyptus Robusto. The blank was very sticky on the outside but ok when I turned it. No smell if I remember. Kirk [8D]http://www.penturners.org/forum/photo_album_view.asp?cname=Main+Album&mid=631&cid=665#

 

[woodwish]

Jkirkb94-
Looked at your pen, beautiful job. Yours is a much darker piece than the stuff I have. Most of mine is almost white with a reddish heartwood but not as red as yours. The heartwood shrinks and warps much worse than the whiter sapwood. The smell also seems to have gone away now that it is drying, but when I first cut the wood just a few days after falling it really had a strong smell.
Ray

 

[Scottydont]

I love turning eucalyptus. Just make sure its dry enough when you turn it. The twisted grain and color changes in the wood are great. Turns well and looks great finished. Check out the third one from the left.

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