Manzanita?

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

Ray-CA

Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2020
Messages
289
Location
San Diego CA, USA (SAN)
I've been given some manzanita (just enough to make a few blanks) and was wondering how it turns and how long it needs to dry before I turn it?

Thanks
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

jjjaworski

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2012
Messages
914
Location
Las Cruces, NM
Not sure about the dry time but I was just turning a small piece this morning. It turns very nice and yields clean chips with a sharp tool.I used a skew to rough turn an irregular piece.
 

Jolly Red

Member
Joined
May 4, 2012
Messages
145
Location
Carterville, IL
Turned some a few years ago. The pieces I had dried without cracking. They were about 1 to 1 1/2 inch diameter, and I dried them for 6 months before turning. Turned really nice, wish I had some more of it.
Tom
 
Joined
Dec 22, 2017
Messages
3,036
Location
Wolf Creek Montana
Here's a knife and pen I did with Manzanita that I got from my brother in law. Unfortunately, both the knife and pen were destroyed during the Carr fire in Redding California where the Manzanita came from. My source for the wood was also destroyed as my brother in laws home and property were completely destroyed by fire.
I found the wood to be easy to shape and turn on both the knife and pen. And as an added bonus, I had no idea it would turn out as nice as it did. The wood was air dried for about a year before I used it. Good luck and I hope you have the same experience as I.










IMG_20180409_170011_1.jpg Judy Manzanita.jpg
 

cmiller

Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2015
Messages
111
Location
Eugene, Oregon
Here's a manzanita pen I made recently. The wood was dry/seasoned when I got it. It turned and took the CA finish well. It reminded me of oak. The lighter wood turned and sanded differently than the dark, if you have a piece like that.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0066.jpg
    IMG_0066.jpg
    897.6 KB · Views: 92
  • IMG_0067.jpg
    IMG_0067.jpg
    983.8 KB · Views: 92

penicillin

Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2019
Messages
1,036
There are laws in California about Manzanita - it may be illegal to cut it, have the wood in your possession, etc. It may require a permit, even if it is on your own property.

I tried to figure out what is legal and what is not legal to be more helpful in this post, but what I found on the internet is contradictory and confusing. Some species are very rare, endangered, and highly protected. I found other references to hybrid varieties and planting manzanita as ground cover. Like so many things on the internet, I could not find a trusted, authoritative source for reliable information about the law. All I know is that there are laws surrounding the harvesting, use, and possession of manzanita.

Be sure you know the law before you start using manzanita, especially in California. I am sorry that I could not be more specific.
 
Top Bottom