Boardman

I've got to drop a storm damaged cherry tree. Two main portions split off the trunk about 3 feet up. One split off while I was on vacation and it has some core rot so it's not worth much. But the other half is still standing. It's only about 10"-11" diameter so it's not going to yield any lumber to speak of. Probably be a couple of inches of sapwood.

So I thought of turning blanks, but I don't have a lathe, and don't know squat about turning. Is it worth trying to get turning blanks out of it?

Mitch Cholewinski

Boardman
If you don't know squat about turning then what are you going to use the turning blanks for? If your going to turn blanks you have to know how to cut them and store them. The wood is wet and you have to know how to handle that. Cherry wood is great to turn but it cracks a lot so I think your just wasteing your time. Mitch

TexasTimbers

If it has figure it's worth it. To keep them from cracking bad, seal them and wrap them in paper bags and store them for several months. Be careful cutting a tree like that. Even if it's small it can hurt or kill you. You may have plenty of experience felling trees so this might be moot. An unhealthy tree is potentially very dangerous to the feller. If it's a leaner make sure you know how to drop it. Being rotten, it may well have widow makers so try not to be under any of them if possible.

if it *is* a leaner, or is now very heavy to one side like it sounds like, it could very well barber chair on you and take your head off. A tree heavy on one side or a leaner needs to be felled with a plunge cut behing the face cut, leaving some hinge wood and a sufficient amount of holding wood, which you cut last. Like I say you may know all this but if not plese read up and don't put a face cut with just a back cut, into a tree with alot of tension in it. It'll could ruin your day.

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Boardman

I was going to give them to my brother in law who has freakng lathe, that's why. Thanks for the helpful info.

Mitch Cholewinski

Boardman
Yes, but you never said anything about your brother in law, and I can't read your mind. I never meant for my reply to be taken in the way you appear to have taken it. I merely wanted to say if you know nothing about turning then you probably don't know how to treat the wood when cutting blanks and as in another reply you were informed of some danger in cutting trees. This all could add up to bad experience for you. So in the long run your still better off forgetting the whole thing. Maybe the best thing to do is tell your brother in law where the tree is and help him harvest it. Mitch

frankp

How in the world would he be better off forgetting the whole thing? I'll never understand that attitude. Education for the sake of education is still good, whether he decides to go through with it or not, at least he'll have some advice about the right way to do it. Saying (more or less) "you don't know so I'm not going to tell you" is just wasting your time and his.

Boardman, I'd say if you like cherry or your brother in law likes cherry, it's always worth it to try and salvage some of the wood for something other than a fireplace. Turning blanks really don't have to be all that complicated and can be simple slabs a few inches thick, which make perfectly find serving bowls among other things. Texas is right about waxing and sticking somewhere for a while to let them dry out.

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firehawkmph

Boys, boys, boys, can't we all just get along.....LOL,
Hey Boardman,
If you want to get the cherry, go to a woodcraft or similar store and get a quart of anchorseal or similar product. Looks like mop n glo and is simply a waxy sealer. Get a cheap paint brush. See what lengths your brother in law wants, cut the tree up, brush off the chips and paint both ends of each log and any bare spots that might be left from pruning branches. Let 'em dry and tell your b-i-l to come and get 'em. I take marking paint and spray the month and year each log so I know when I got 'em.
Mike Hawkins

jdixon

Mike that is a good idea about putting the date on the log itself. How long do you typically let a log dry out before you start turning it? (this may be too broad of a question with many answers.)

John

firehawkmph

It depends on when I get around to it. I have about 36 logs in the shop now that have been sitting for 6 months to about two years. Some guys like to turn rough bowl blanks while the wood is wet, then put them in a brown paper bag. This way the blank dries in a couple of months rather than a couple of years. Turning the wet blanks is a lot of fun. Its easier on the tools and the wood flies off like big ribbons. Cherry smells really good when wet. I have to get to these logs pretty soon and start doing something with them. I haven't been turning much in the last two months. I have been restoring one of my old dirt bikes. I had the motor all apart and didn't want to raise much dust till it was buttoned back up. I am making a small bookcase for my son to keep his college books in. I am almost done with it, so I can get back to my turning.
Mike Hawkins