# Curly Red Oak



## jimmythewoodworker (Mar 4, 2012)

I've never turned Curly Red Oak and was wondering how it turns and what a finished turning looks like...........


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## DKMD (Mar 4, 2012)

If it's dry, I find oak to be fairly miserable to turn. If it's wet, I have a hard time getting my rough outs to dry without cracking. It'll turn your lathe bed black with the tannins if it's wet, too! Usually, my hand end up black as well. Oh yeah, it smells bad to me also. Other than that, it's beautiful stuff!

Can you tell I'm not a huge fan of turning oak?:wacko1:


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## jimmythewoodworker (Mar 4, 2012)

DKMD said:


> If it's dry, I find oak to be fairly miserable to turn. If it's wet, I have a hard time getting my rough outs to dry without cracking. It'll turn your lathe bed black with the tannins if it's wet, too! Usually, my hand end up black as well. Oh yeah, it smells bad to me also. Other than that, it's beautiful stuff!
> 
> Can you tell I'm not a huge fan of turning oak?:wacko1:



David

Thank you for the information. There are too many "good woods" out there to go through those headaches:dash2::dash2:

You just saved me a lot of grief.....Jimmy


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## woodtickgreg (Mar 4, 2012)

IMO curly anything is worth the effort. I pulled a couple of pieces of curly oak out of a friends firewood pile and I think it would make some nice tool handles, maybe for the lathe chisels I have been making.


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## DKMD (Mar 4, 2012)

woodtickgreg said:


> IMO curly anything is worth the effort. I pulled a couple of pieces of curly oak out of a friends firewood pile and I think it would make some nice tool handles, maybe for the lathe chisels I have been making.



I have to agree... It's great for spindle work. I mostly do hollowforms, and I should have mentioned that earlier. For pens, candlesticks, peppermills, and tool handles, the oak will be fine.


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## hardtwist (Mar 4, 2012)

I'm not a fan of turning red oak either...I have a lot of it on m 70 acres, and have tried to turn it several times with little success. If dry, I find myself spending more time sharpening tools than turning...if wet, it turns beautifully, but always cracks when drying. My latest attempt was with several rolling pins. I sealed the end grain and bagged them to dry in heavy brown bags filled with wet shavings...all 3 cracked the full length within a week.


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## Dennis Ford (Mar 5, 2012)

Red oak is not my favorite for turning either but it can be turned. Turned to finish thickness while wet is the best way to avoid cracks. It does not have to turned real thin but if not thin, drying rate has to be carefully controlled. The thickness does need to consistent through out the turning.
By the way; "not thin" means ~3/8" inch to me.


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## woodtickgreg (Mar 7, 2012)

This is a piece of very curly oak that I dug out of a friends firewood pile, it sat outside after being split for about 6-10 months and then in my basement shop for about 3 yrs. As to be expected their was some splitting and checking and some of what looked like the wood pulling itself apart at the curl. I turned it anyway! Very dry and splintery, but with a carbide roughing chisel at high speed it wasn't to bad, didn't stink like most oaks The cracks and voids that are visible after turning into a lathe chisel will be fill with thin ca first and then a med ca. The pictures don't really do the wood justice, I think the figure is going to really pop with a tung oil and oil poly top coat. Worth the effort? I think so Would I do it with plain old oak? nah[attachment=2656][attachment=2657][attachment=2658][attachment=2659][attachment=2660][attachment=2661]


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## DKMD (Mar 7, 2012)

Now that I've seen the wood... Hell yes, I'd turn that!


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## woodtickgreg (Mar 13, 2012)

So I got the handle done and a finish applied, here's how it turned (excuse the pun) out. 2 coats of dewaxed shellac sanded with 320 after each coat, 3 coats of oil poly sanded with 320 after each coat and a final rub down with liberon 0000 steel wool and a coat of wax to bring the shine back.[attachment=2949][attachment=2950][attachment=2951]


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## DKMD (Mar 13, 2012)

Man, that's sweet! I think you've made me crave curly oak which I never thought was possible!


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