Mimosa and Crepe Myrtle

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StatProf

Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2007
Messages
168
Location
Richardson, TX, USA.
Hey Folks!

I just received a few chunks of Mimosa and Crepe Myrtle from an arborist here in town. I was wondering if any of you have turned these woods and if there is anything that I need to be aware of before I mill up the logs. The Crepe Myrtle has a pretty decent sized burl that I am hoping to be able to pull out.

One more thing . . . I got a few really big chunks of big leaf elm (2 feet across). Man this stuff really likes to split. I can't get it on the lathe fast enough to rough turn it (green) and I am afraid that when I do it will just split anyway. Is this worth my time?

Thanks,
Kyle
 

Jim Smith

Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2008
Messages
1,961
Location
Lakeland, FL
A couple of years ago I saved quite a bit of Crepe Myrtle from an extreme pruning I did in the yard. This wood is extremely prone to splitting as it dries out. I applied Anchor seal to the ends of the wood I saved but it still split so badly that I just tossed it all out. If you have a nice burl you want to save, I'd Anchor seal it immediately and then probably put it in a paper bag with green wood chips or something to slow down the drying process. Just a thought...

Jim Smith
 

kent4Him

Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
1,654
Location
Paddock Lake, WI USA.
Mimosa is terrible. Save yourself the trouble and send it to me. :)

Actually, if your mimosa has a lot of brown streaks, you are really going to like it. Like everyone said, seal it and let it dry.
 
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