Cherry laurel? - Woodworking Talk

Gary Beasley · 04-23-2009, 08:19 PM

I have a small log my brother gave me to cut some greenwood bowls from. He got it from his neighbor who said it was cherry laurel. I've never heard of that before. It's a nice creamy white that started turning orange exposed to air and heat. Anybody know anything about it? It turns like a dream! I'll eventually have a picture to post of it.

jdixon · 04-23-2009, 09:46 PM

I'm not much at identifying different types of woods or even knowing what all the types of trees there are but man can I google!

Anyways sounds like it comes from the southeast united states. Sometimes listed as a shrub more than a tree but it can also grow pretty large. One thing I saw on the following link is a listing that all parts of the tree are toxic. fruit, leaves, bark etc. Just something to consider.

John

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57865/

Gary Beasley · 04-24-2009, 10:52 AM

Thanks for the link, I added it to my list of resources. It sounds like a lot of woody shrubs I've seen, but has no information on the wood characteristics.

Gary Beasley · 06-23-2009, 09:57 PM

This stuff shrinks and cracks like a fiend. I think I've found a way to control it some. I took a block that was resting in a plastic bag a couple of months and turned a bowl with it. Following a clue left by another member about soaking wood in tung oil as it dries to control shrinkage I soaked it good several times. Very interestingly when the tung oil is applied the deep orange suddenly appears and the grain stands out. I'll post a shot when I get it dried good so you can see it.

Gary Beasley · 06-24-2009, 03:22 PM

Heres a few shots of the mostly finished bowl and a shot of the first turning and coating of a second bowl.

toolman Steve · 06-24-2009, 03:40 PM

Nice job on the bowl. It kind looks like Florida pecan. I'm working on bowl out of some , and I have about 15 pieces /from about 4" - 16 "Dim. Still drying.

Gary Beasley · 06-24-2009, 06:39 PM

I'd love to see it when you are done, post pictures! This stuff is not like any nut species I've seen. It's not a hardwood, almost worse than a softwood, and starts out a creamy color before the change.

toolman Steve · 06-24-2009, 09:45 PM

It's still a little wet I am rough turning some and then bagging them in there own chips for awhile.