red palm

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i was out spending my christmas gift cards this afternoon at woodcraft and came across some red palm lumber looked like old chair spindles... had tennons cut on both end. priced at under 4 dollars and it was big enough to make about 8 blanks out of so i picked it up. anyone tried turning any blanks out of this stuff. looks really cool with tan and red hairs in the grain. for 4 bucks how can u go wrong

 

[MurphysPenWorks]

Haven't turned it myself, but from what I hear it is very prone to tearout because of the grain pattern. Sharp tools and patience and you should be good to go, looks really cool turned too.

 

[Robert Taylor]

keep in mind that the palms are not wood. they are a "grass" use sharp tools and plenty of ca as you go and you should do well.

 

[Lulanrt]

Use sharp tools and water thin ca as you go and it works great.

 

[toddlajoie]

I bought a few of what sounds like the same thing, but black palm from Woodcraft a few months back. It was relatively easy to slice it into blanks, and I did have some mild success turning it. My failures were not related to turning, but other factors with this great looking material. It also had a VERY "musty" smell when cutting and turning, like an old attic full of wet blankets... Friction polish did not hold up, and after a short while a Euro I made developed sharp edges (the soft parts probably shrinking, leaving the much denser parts having been turned to a sharp corner exposed). I also made a Wall St II, and tried a CA finish which looked fantastic and felt much better than the friction finish did, but about 2 weeks in it cracked, exposing the brass tube, probably because of the same shrinking and the nature of the WS2's finished diameter leaving such a thin ring of wood.

So those would be my suggestions. Stick with a good thick CA finish, and go for a pen style that doesn't thin the wood out too much. Palm looks fantastic.