Crepe Myrtle for Wood Turning?
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- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- I turn a crotch blank of crepe myrtle into a small bowl on my wood lathe. I have never woodturned crepe myrtle which may be considered a shrub and is popular in the South.
I upload a new wood turning tip every Wednesday and a wood turning tutorial video each and every Friday so Ya’ll come back, hear?
You can download demonstration handouts, downloadable copies of articles I have published, and other useful woodturning information available on my website www.mikepeacewo...
love the shirt, watching your playlists during lockdown
Glad you like them!
Crepe myrtle is one of my favorite woods for bowyering. If you can find a long, straight section that's big enough to split into quarters DON'T LEAVE IT. Amazing stuff. If you leave the bark on while seasoning your piece, it is very prone to splitting. Remove the bark and coat the ends with CA glue, then check a few days later and fill any new splits with CA glue. Pay attention to the area around any knots as splits want to propagate from there. I don't have anything to back this up, but my hypothesis is that leaving the bark on causes the wood to dry quickly at the ends and slowly along the shaft, so you get differential shrinkage and cracks. The cracks then cause more differential drying and the crack will run the entire length of the piece. Removing the bark allows it to dry uniformly.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think bark probably does retard drying along the length.
I have turned the "knobs" that are left by improper pruning. When I can find them they do turn with some difficulty but they are just like burl wood and are beautiful. They are not very big but can be turned. I found shades of tan and brown color in the ones I have turned. Thanks for the video.
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I make 2 inch to 3 inch thick walking sticks with them. 6 feet or so. Stain them and lacquer them. Perfect for cheap and sustainable hobbies.
I deliver and during summer Yard Crews have piles of them. They are happy for me to take a bundle or 2.
Very nice results from what my friends and neighbors say. I don't sell them. I just let a person choose the one they prefer.
Thanks for this video. I have a supply of Crepe Myrtle from a tree that had grown too large. I will give it a try as spindle turnings. I am going to try turning a spindle of Crepe Myrtle for a candle holder. Looking forward to see how it comes out.
I really love the "wood chips," lol the way it looks like string cheese or something...I know that may sound dumb, but. It's moist long, curly, & keeps together. Really cool wood, plus I LOVE Crepe Myrtle flowers
Yep... Super tight grain that really wants to stick together.
I've turned a bunch of very pretty bowls from crape myrtle. I dried them in the microwave and didn't get any cracks, even along the pith line. The logs cracked very quickly after the tree was taken down, though. Anyway, give it another try with the accelerated drying process. Good luck!
Turned out to be nice wood.In Fl. have not seen any crepe myrtle that big. Now I'm looking! Thanks for the video. I bet that one warps heavily?I have been using walnut oil with shellac and getting less cracking, etc. with those types of wood...
John Fordham does that work better than anchorseal?
Just less messy if you plan to turn on the project the next day...
I use crepe myrtle limbs to make natural edge bottle stoppers. It is very good for that since the bark on the limbs is very thin. I have a quadruple crotch from a large one I had to remove that I'll turn sometime this winter.
I agree, free wood is great wood for experimenting. I lost a big branch on an apricot tree and it made a beautiful mallet.
i just made a long handle mallet out of some crape myrtel just to check out how hard it is
Try cutting it in half and just letting it dry before you turn it. I posted a pic of a white crepe myrtle crotch bowl I did on your facebook page.
Good job 👏🏻
Looking forward to when you bring these out from drying, see how they turn out.
Have you done work with Horse Apple wood. Osage Orange. I suspect it is dull but that is a guess.
I love Osage Orange. You can thread chase it. Beautiful grain.
I own rats, & I would LOVE to use those chippings in their cage, as litter, or bedding.....it looks so soft like confetti, haha ♥♥♥
Good video overall, although it isn't polite to speak in tongues during the playback.
I agree wholeheartedly; please avoid glossolalia whenever possible, Miguel.
Shame about the cracking, it potentially looked a nice piece of wood. Is it worth filling with Epoxy???
No, it will just become a small saucer for an acorn box.
Mike Peace....Hey Mike check out my Facebook ((I'm pretty sure we're friends) I have several things I've turned with crepe myrtle and had great success! Vessels and Lathe Tool Handles! My FB is "Gus Hall The WoodWerker" Have A Super Week!.....Gus*