Hello all,
I'm going to be heading out into the county forest again this weekend
in search of deadfall and wood the logging trucks left behind for
playing around on my lathe, and I was wondering if anyone has any good
tips on where to look for various types of trees. Along the roadside,
there are tons and tons of Maple and Birch, but I'd like to find some
of the wilder looking stuff that I've seen in people's galleries. The
forest has all different sorts of terrain, ranging from lowland swamps
and ponds to fairly high and sharp ridgelines. The only problem is
that the thing is absolutely huge, and even after spending a good deal
of my youth hunting it it, I still haven't seen most of it.
I'm in Northwest Wisconsin (a little south of Rice Lake), and I'm
wondering what I can reasonably expect to find if I look around. Like
I said above, I know there's a ton of maple, birch and oak as well as
several varieties of pine and white cedar. What I don't know is how
many other slightly less common varieties can live up in this area,
and which of them are good for turning (by good, I mean strong
figuring, nice spalting patterns, and not too many big pockets of sap
or bugs!) I'm really sort of lusting after some of that red and white
box elder, but it may be a fool's errand to search for it in these
parts for all I know.
Any thoughts from some of you guys who have been around a couple
decades longer than me?
"Prometheus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello all,
>
> I'm going to be heading out into the county forest again this weekend
> in search of deadfall and wood the logging trucks left behind for
> playing around on my lathe, and I was wondering if anyone has any good
> tips on where to look for various types of trees. Along the roadside,
> there are tons and tons of Maple and Birch, but I'd like to find some
> of the wilder looking stuff that I've seen in people's galleries. The
> forest has all different sorts of terrain, ranging from lowland swamps
> and ponds to fairly high and sharp ridgelines. The only problem is
> that the thing is absolutely huge, and even after spending a good deal
> of my youth hunting it it, I still haven't seen most of it.
>
> I'm in Northwest Wisconsin (a little south of Rice Lake), and I'm
> wondering what I can reasonably expect to find if I look around. Like
> I said above, I know there's a ton of maple, birch and oak as well as
> several varieties of pine and white cedar. What I don't know is how
> many other slightly less common varieties can live up in this area,
> and which of them are good for turning (by good, I mean strong
> figuring, nice spalting patterns, and not too many big pockets of sap
> or bugs!) I'm really sort of lusting after some of that red and white
> box elder, but it may be a fool's errand to search for it in these
> parts for all I know.
>
> Any thoughts from some of you guys who have been around a couple
> decades longer than me?
>
For spalting, get yellow birch and lay it on the ground, out of the sun and
cool. Two seasons with that waterproof bark, rotating up side down at the
end of season one should be good.
The nicest pieces for the turner are the ones the jobber leaves - stump
trims, lumps, burls and crotches. They don't make good lumber, and if he's
hauling for pulp. they take up a lot of space for little weight. Leave
them "in the long" rather than sawing them and coating fresh ends. End
checks are self-limiting, and by now you should be at the limit.
I've got tons of the bugs that go with that tree. Interested??
Later,
Chiz
"Prometheus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello all,
>
> I'm going to be heading out into the county forest again this weekend
> in search of deadfall and wood the logging trucks left behind for
> playing around on my lathe, and I was wondering if anyone has any good
> tips on where to look for various types of trees. Along the roadside,
> there are tons and tons of Maple and Birch, but I'd like to find some
> of the wilder looking stuff that I've seen in people's galleries. The
> forest has all different sorts of terrain, ranging from lowland swamps
> and ponds to fairly high and sharp ridgelines. The only problem is
> that the thing is absolutely huge, and even after spending a good deal
> of my youth hunting it it, I still haven't seen most of it.
>
> I'm in Northwest Wisconsin (a little south of Rice Lake), and I'm
> wondering what I can reasonably expect to find if I look around. Like
> I said above, I know there's a ton of maple, birch and oak as well as
> several varieties of pine and white cedar. What I don't know is how
> many other slightly less common varieties can live up in this area,
> and which of them are good for turning (by good, I mean strong
> figuring, nice spalting patterns, and not too many big pockets of sap
> or bugs!) I'm really sort of lusting after some of that red and white
> box elder, but it may be a fool's errand to search for it in these
> parts for all I know.
>
> Any thoughts from some of you guys who have been around a couple
> decades longer than me?
>
>