honeysuckle and plum

In article <[email protected]>,
"Todd the wood junkie" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I recently came into some honeysuckle. It's somewhat viney, but I have
> several nice straight pieces that are most 6" in diameter. It is very
> hard, dense and whiteish and thought it might be a nice accent wood for
> small projects.
>
> Has anyone ever attempted to use this? Tips, pointers, suggestions are
> welcome.
>
> I also picked up a ton of Plum tree wood, beautiful wood. Very dense
> and colorful on the inside. Any pointers on this also would be
> appreciated.

Consider posting your questions over on the rec.crafts.woodturning
newsgroup. Turners use these unusual materials more so than woodworkers
of the flat society.

I've no experience with Honeysuckle but have been considering trying it
as I've got a very old 5"-6" dia. vine I'm looking to remove. Plum, on
the other hand, is a beautiful wood. Though it exhibits the same major
characteristic as other fruit woods: cracks easily from drying stresses.
Seal the ends well and now - better yet consider cutting the log so the
pith is eliminated from both halves then rough cut into slabs or turning
blanks, and finally accept the tendency to warp and twist.

Many folks complain about the loss of the deep plum-y coloration with
time - though I've not experienced that. Firstly, I boiled my pieces for
about an hour and the finished works are not exposed to direct sunlight
- one or both of those actions may have helped retain the color.
--
Owen Lowe
The Fly-by-Night Copper Company
__________

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