# Question Of The Week... (2015 Week 25)



## ripjack13 (Jun 14, 2015)

Howdy,
This is a weekly series of questions topic for everyone to join in on the discussion. Some of the later questions may have a poll, and some will not. 



*What's the worst smelling wood you ever worked with & would you use it again?*





**Rules**
There is no minimum post requirement.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Brink (Jun 14, 2015)

For me, it's a toss up.

Poplar, aka swamphogany, is pretty bad.

Right up there is black walnut. I never liked the smell of the stuff.

I do like working with both woods, and will continue to use them.

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## Sprung (Jun 14, 2015)

The last piece of purpleheart I worked with was quite rank smelling. You know it smells bad when you can smell it through your well-fitting respirator. After turning the pen, I had swept up the shavings and put them in the trash can. Next time I was in my shop - two days later - it still smelled very strongly, so I tied up the bag and out to the big can outside it went.

I will not be working with Purpleheart again after that experience. Am thinking that I should pull out the pieces I've got and sell or trade them.

DIW isn't exactly known for having a pleasant smell when working with it. However, it's not too bad, IMO. And I have enjoyed working with it each time I've worked with it - it does dull tools quickly - but it works so well and looks great. Definitely will work with DIW again.

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## barry richardson (Jun 14, 2015)

Desert Ironwood for sure... especially when you bind on a cut, or are using a dull blade with it, and it burns, smells like a dead animal.....

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 14, 2015)

So far the worst for me has been Catalpa, maybe it was just the log I had? But when I worked it wet it smelled like wet dog. But I would use it again. I'm on the other side of the fence as Brink, I like the smell of walnut. I haven't really found a wood that smelled so bad that I wouldn't use it.

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## Tony (Jun 14, 2015)

For me, hands down it was Zebrawood. It smelled like s..t to me. I would work with it again, it's pretty stuff. @Sprung, if you've got Purpleheart in bigger than pen blanks, I'll trade you for them, the smell has never bothered me! Tony

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


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## DKMD (Jun 14, 2015)

Tony said:


> For me, hands down it was Zebrawood. It smelled like s..t to me...



Yep... Smells like the southern end of a northbound zebra. I avoid it and anything else that makes me want to eat a bowl of beans to improve the scent of the shop.

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## Schroedc (Jun 14, 2015)

I cut up a block of Cebil one time that smelled like fresh cow manure, I have two blanks left and I don't know if i'm ever going to use them. Also, I've gotten some Buckeye Burl that smells strongly of urine, I don't care for it but the end result is so pretty I can struggle through it.

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## Tony (Jun 14, 2015)

Schroedc said:


> I cut up a block of Cebil one time that smelled like fresh cow manure, I have two blanks left and I don't know if i'm ever going to use them. Also, I've gotten some Buckeye Burl that smells strongly of urine, I don't care for it but the end result is so pretty I can struggle through it.



I don't mind the smell of manure, it's actually pleasant in a way IMO. Now urine is another matter, don't think I could do that.... Tony

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Brink (Jun 14, 2015)

Tony said:


> I don't mind the smell of manure, it's actually pleasant in a way IMO. Now urine is another matter, don't think I could do that.... Tony



Brink, think it, but DO NOT post it.
Just don't think it.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 6


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## Tony (Jun 14, 2015)

Brink said:


> Brink, think it, but DO NOT post it.
> Just don't think it.



C'mon Brink, I double-dog dare you. Say it, SAY IT

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## GeauxGameCalls (Jun 14, 2015)

DIW and YCB. I'll still work with both. I work with YCB slit so the smell is kinda working on me so it doesn't smell as bad anymore.

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## Sprung (Jun 14, 2015)

Tony said:


> For me, hands down it was Zebrawood. It smelled like s..t to me. I would work with it again, it's pretty stuff. @Sprung, if you've got Purpleheart in bigger than pen blanks, I'll trade you for them, the smell has never bothered me! Tony



While I do have a few pen blanks, I've also got some pieces larger than pen blanks - though nothing very big. I'll give you first shot at it whenever I get around to posting it!

Haven't worked with Zebrawood before - do have a wine bottle stopper sized piece, so I guess we'll see how it goes when I try and make a stopper out of it this week...

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## manbuckwal (Jun 14, 2015)

So far DIW, ELM........but heck yeah I will still work with DIW . Elm has a urine smell to me .

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## Brink (Jun 14, 2015)

Tony said:


> C'mon Brink, I double-dog dare you. Say it, SAY IT



I said it, then got punched.

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Kevin (Jun 14, 2015)

Milling cottonwood takes the medal for stinkiest wood if the log has bacteria in it and since cottonwood likes marshes etc. many of them are infected. You never smelt a wood worse than a bacterially infected cottonwood. 

Greg that catalpa had to be also because I've milled quite a few catalpa and none ever semlled foul to me.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## Brink (Jun 14, 2015)

Cottonwood is the swampiest of the swamphoganys


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## justallan (Jun 14, 2015)

I'd agree on cottonwood and would add piss elm.

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## Sprung (Jun 15, 2015)

Turned my first piece of YCB yesterday. Yup - stank. Definitely didn't care for the smell. But, given the opportunity, I'd turn it again. I can work past that smell for a wood so nice looking as it.


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## ripjack13 (Jun 15, 2015)

The stinkiest wood I have worked with was Marblewood.....omg....that was just rank smelling. I have a bowl blank roughed out and drying in a bag, and I am not looking forward to finishing it. Even Michele thought it was gross. And my grandson said it was disgusting. But he says that even though he likes something. 
**Want more chocolate milk? 
*Yes please.
--sips it--
Mmmmm....that's disgusting.


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## Sprung (Jun 15, 2015)

ripjack13 said:


> Marblewood



Great... Between you and Tony, I'm not looking forward to some of my next turns - have a piece of Marblewood waiting to become a beer bottle opener and a piece of zebrawood waiting to become a wine bottle stopper... Thanks for the warning, guys!  Hopefully the smell on these doesn't permeate my dust mask like that nasty piece of purpleheart did.

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## ripjack13 (Jun 15, 2015)

Bah....you'll be fine.....just don't inhale...

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 2


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## Kevin (Jun 15, 2015)

Yellow Corn Bread just smells like turpentine to me. I can handle that. 

Marc I forgot about that, I turned a marblewood peppermill once and it did stink terrible. 

Never turned any myself but I remember reading on a forum a guy claimed Australian Cypress was the worst he ever smelt.

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## Blueglass (Jun 15, 2015)

I haven't had any too terrible. I hope next weeks is best smelling because that is one of the reasons I usually like to work with wood, the aroma therapy. I've worked some great smeeling woods but will save the list for that question.


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## Mr. Peet (Jun 15, 2015)

I have "Nanny berry", _Viburnum lentago_. We have a 6' bolt in the driveway that can be smelt 50-100 feet away. The neighbors across the road and down two houses called to complain to our next door neighbor about their dogs smelling up the "block". Yah, I just smiled and said, "No kidding". My wife has given me hell for it too. The 7 inches of rain over the last 10 days really carries the smell. Takes 3 coats of lacquer to trap the smell. Don't scratch the finish or... well you'll get the drift.

Want me to send some?

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