# Turned some cottonwood....



## barry richardson (Aug 23, 2020)

Eating my cereal yesterday morning when my ears perked up at the sound of chainsaws nearby, turns out my neighbor down the road was having a couple of cottonwoods taken down, I could have taken as much as I wanted but I just picked out one piece, (wish I had taken more now) but it's been so hot in my shed I'm not doing much turning these days. Put it on the lathe bright and early this morning and got it roughed out before it got too hot, The wood was super wet, so the spray kinda kept me cool lol... bagged up now to dry in my mud room... went from a living tree to a roughout in about 24 hours. if it looks too boring when its dry, I will do some carving on it or something

Reactions: Like 10 | EyeCandy! 1 | Great Post 1 | Way Cool 4


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## Brandon Sloan (Aug 23, 2020)

Well done Barry, Awesome form! Looking forward to seeing it finished.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 2


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## trc65 (Aug 23, 2020)

Great looking form and colors. In our cottonwood around here, don't usually see that much color.

Of course ours are all Eastern cottonwood.

I'm guessing yours is Fremont cottonwood based on location?


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## Gdurfey (Aug 23, 2020)

Really nice shape. I turned a small piece of cottonwood a few months ago, it hade great color and figure. Just wish I could figure out how to find which tree has that hiding inside!! Yours looks like a winner.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Tony (Aug 23, 2020)

I've never turned Cottonwood but that's a dam fine shape Barry!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## DLJeffs (Aug 23, 2020)

Nice job. Nearly every cottonwood tree I've ever seen is just breaking apart, limbs falling off, rotten sections all inside...

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Nature Man (Aug 24, 2020)

Great beginnings! Let's hope it holds together and doesn't warp much in the drying process! Did you rough hollow it out? Chuck


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## barry richardson (Aug 24, 2020)

DLJeffs said:


> Nice job. Nearly every cottonwood tree I've ever seen is just breaking apart, limbs falling off, rotten sections all inside...



Yes, same here, at least on the old ones, but this was a yard tree that was regularly watered and grew very fast, has very wide growth rings, too young to start going to pot I guess... Cottonwoods don't seem to live very long around here, they get heart rot or attacked by the Palo Verde beetle like this; my neighbor had a grove of about a dozen on his property and they wiped all of them out in one year, they leave giant holes up the center as big as your fingers...

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 5


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## barry richardson (Aug 24, 2020)

Nature Man said:


> Great beginnings! Let's hope it holds together and doesn't warp much in the drying process! Did you rough hollow it out? Chuck


Thanks Chuck, its hollowed to about an inch thick, being turned down the center, it won't warp much, might crack around the pith at the bottom though, I painted the endgrain with anchor seal which helps...

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Useful 1


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## barry richardson (Aug 24, 2020)

trc65 said:


> Great looking form and colors. In our cottonwood around here, don't usually see that much color.
> 
> Of course ours are all Eastern cottonwood.
> 
> I'm guessing yours is Fremont cottonwood based on location?


Thanks Tim, yea I was surprised at the heartwood color too, hope it doesn't fade too much, I'm not sure of the exact species, it was a yard tree that I assume started life in a nursery, and looking at the main tree nursery around here (Moon Valley Nursery) the only cottonwood they stock is Eastern cottonwood, it is also possible that it is lombardy poplar, I never really paid much attention to what the trees looked like when standing....

Reactions: Like 1


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## Karl_TN (Aug 24, 2020)

Looks like this piece has great potential if it does't crack.

I find it hard keeping my face shield cleared off when the wood is this wet. Wonder if Rain-X would help any?

-Karl

Reactions: Like 1


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## DKMD (Aug 24, 2020)

I like that form, Barry. It seems to dry pretty quickly around here, so it should definitely dry quickly in the desert. The stuff I’ve gotten has an interesting smell... sort of smells like fireworks to me?


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## Maverick (Aug 24, 2020)

Very nice form. How long do you anticipate needing to let it dry out?


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## barry richardson (Aug 24, 2020)

DKMD said:


> I like that form, Barry. It seems to dry pretty quickly around here, so it should definitely dry quickly in the desert. The stuff I’ve gotten has an interesting smell... sort of smells like fireworks to me?


It definitely had a smell! fireworks?that might be it.... at any rate my clothes reeked for the rest of the day from being sprayed with the juice...


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## barry richardson (Aug 24, 2020)

Maverick said:


> Very nice form. How long do you anticipate needing to let it dry out?


A couple of months should be plenty, very low humidity here...


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## Maverick (Aug 24, 2020)

barry richardson said:


> A couple of months should be plenty, very low humidity here...



Thanks, looking forward to the finished version and will be curious to see how the colors change, if they do.


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## Mike Hill (Aug 24, 2020)

Danged, that is one impressively big beetle!


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## trc65 (Aug 24, 2020)

What's the hunting season for those beetles, or is it open year round? Thinking a 410 with #8 shot ought to be about right!

Reactions: Funny 2


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## barry richardson (Aug 25, 2020)

trc65 said:


> What's the hunting season for those beetles, or is it open year round? Thinking a 410 with #8 shot ought to be about right!


I found that one on my patio after a storm, when I first saw it I thought it was a dead bird!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Tom Smart (Aug 25, 2020)

That critter is downright prehistoric.


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## Mr. Peet (Aug 29, 2020)

That heart wood color is common for Lombardy poplar in the northeast US. Great looking, you for sure earn your keep.


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