Plum Pretty Wood

[W.Y.]

Neighbor called at 5.00 PM today and asked if I would like a couple pieces of plum tree wood he had just cut down.

I couldn't believe it when I saw these big 12 to 14 inch pieces solid right to the middle. Plum has such pretty coloring. Usually plum trees this size around here are hollow in the middle.

I can picture 4 nice big bowls out of those two pieces plus some smaller pieces to save for other turnings if I take the bowls from one end. They are not long enough for two bowls out of each piece when I saw them in half lengthwise.
I will probably turn them green and dry with DNA but it might be a week or so before I can get at that. Too many things on the go right now. Will keep them wet until then.

 

[Jmhoff10500]

Great find! I got a much smaller size log from my neighbor with the intention to make a pen, i ended up selling the pen before it was off the lathe!

 

[W.Y.]

Great find! I got a much smaller size log from my neighbor with the intention to make a pen, i ended up selling the pen before it was off the lathe!

None of that wood will be for pens but yes, plum wood does make nice pens. I just have very little market for pens around here anymore. I sold lots for a while but reached a saturation point for my area . Sell an odd one to out of town people coming through . Craft sale coming up next weekend with three tables in a row for 24' x 3' of display area . I will be flogging a lot of pens out cheap because having over 100 pens in stock is tying up too much money in hardware for something that doesn't sell good.
Do you have a picture of any of your plum wood pens ?

I have enough plum blanks dried from last year with anchorseal on the ends to last a couple lifetimes the way pens sell around here. These are from another neighbors plum tree.
Hope he didn't see me cutting that tree down one night while he was sleeping :biggrin:

Here is one of my plum wood pens .

and the top one in this picture. . . . They will sell one of these years . . :wink:

 

[Jmhoff10500]

It looked a lot like your first pen pictures. The one i made, the log was about 4 inches in diameter and came off the tree very close to the crotch of the branch so it had very defined grain and deeper color. I only got 3 or 4 blanks out of it and they are long gone. I sold it to a neighbor so if its still kicking around, ill grab it from him for a pic!

 

[louisbry]

Nice find. I turned a few small bowls out of fruit plum and the coloring was fantastic. Your larger bowls will be something!

 

[W.Y.]

Nice find. I turned a few small bowls out of fruit plum and the coloring was fantastic. Your larger bowls will be something!

I have those logs covered with plastic so they don't dry out before I get a chance to turn them. Hopefully in the next day or so I will get a chance to chain saw then in half lengthwise and rough turn them into big bowls and use one of my green wood bowl drying methods to dry them for final turning a few weeks later .
I am hoping they might have a nice grain pattern and nice coloring like most plum wood does. . .

 

[W.Y.]

Finally made time to take the chainsaw and band saw to those two pieces of plum firewood.
Got 5 bowl blanks, enough smaller pieces for at least 150 pens and a few other chunks that will eventually be bottle stoppers and whatever else small turnings can be made with them.
Now I have to get busy and coat all the small pieces with anchorseal and turn the big ones into bowls.

If I was having any more fun than this I could hardly stand it . .lol . . .

 

[W.Y.]

I decided to go at them this afternoon and rough turn the large blanks into bowls .
I am going to try the boiling method on these five rather than the usual DNA method that I have been using for several years.
Should be ready for final turning in two to three weeks. .

They are boiling as I am typing this.

 

[jaeger]

Very nice wood grain pattern. Good Job!

 

[LandfillLumber]

That is one nice size plum tree wish I could get a few logs similar to those.Nice knowing people that will save wood for you.I look forward to seeing a finished bowl in the future plum wood is so beautiful.Victor

 

[bitshird]

Beautiful wood William, what a great neighbor you have, I'm looking forward to seeing some of these finished.

 

[nava1uni]

Beautiful wood. Have fun.