Is pine a good wood for turning?
It is true that pine is considerably less dense than most hardwoods but that can work in your favor, particularly if you are new to turning. Catches, where the chisel grabs the wood and tries to plunge into it deeply are a fact of life in turning but more so early in the learning process.
What should I know about using pine tools?
Video Tutor Remember that using pine is not a free pass. You still have to prepare the wood properly, look for defects that could cause it to break while turning and your tools need to be just as sharp as when used on the expensive wood.
Why use pine for turning chisels?
If you are looking to improve your skills with turning chisels and to do it in a less costly manner, using pine can be a very good alternative to more costly woods. Eventually you want to practice these same skills on hardwoods but learning how to present the bevel correctly on pine first will save a bunch of wood money.
Is pine good for whittling?
Most woodworking enthusiasts will simply get any one of the most popular softwoods, and get to work. And Pine Wood, in particular, is a common choice for making almost any wood craft; such as furniture, fences, and floors. But is pine good for whittling projects? The great news is that pine is good for carving.
See more
Which wood is best for turning?
Best wood for turning bowls The best Wood species for turning above are walnut and cherry. they are hardwoods that have a beautiful finish and do not require too much work during the finishing stages. They don't have a lot of issues with end grain and will not give you too much trouble during the finishing.
What are the 5 best woods for turning?
Reader's Choice - Top Woods to Turn. With so much effort put into such a small piece of wood, turners are very serious about their stock. ... Figured Maple. There are several types of figured maple including curl, fiddleback, spalted, tiger, birds-eye, and more. ... Walnut. ... Cherry. ... Boxelder. ... Rosewood. ... Pacific Madrone. ... Red Elm.More items...
How long should wood dry before turning?
Wood will become “dry” by letting it sit for a long enough period of time. A rule of thumb that is thrown around often is one year of air drying time per one inch of wood thickness. A dryer or kiln can be used to reduce the moisture content more rapidly.
Can you turn softwood?
Softwood, which grows faster and is more sustainable than hardwood, is generally unsuitable for the outdoors. A new process called “kebonization” aims to turn softwood into something more durable for use outside…
Does Pine turn well on a lathe?
Pine is an excellent wood for beginning turners. It is a soft wood and is easy to shape on the lathe. Cutting with a gouge or skew chisel produces a better finish than a scraper when turning between centres. When you are turning bowls you will need a properly burnished scraper to produce a good surface.
What is the easiest wood to turn?
The easiest species of wood to turn are pine and cherry. They are soft and easy to shape on the wood lathe and should be used by anyone who is trying to learn how to turn wood.
What is the fastest way to dry wood for woodturning?
2:274:41Woodturning For Beginners #2 Preparing And Drying WoodYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI have 55 gallon rain collection barrels out back behind that wall I have three of them and I filledMoreI have 55 gallon rain collection barrels out back behind that wall I have three of them and I filled up with water a little bit of dish soap.
Can I turn fresh cut wood?
Instead of paying a sawmill to store wood for years, you can take any piece of fresh cut material, even from the firewood pile, and turn it. As green wood is very cheap if not free, woodturners who understand the green turning process can save a lot of money on material.
How do you treat fresh cut pine wood?
You may coat each end of the wood in a commercial end sealer, paraffin wax, polyurethane shellac, or latex paint. Build up a thick layer of the sealer of your choice to prevent moisture from escaping out of the ends. Determine its cure time. When air-drying your wood, the curing time is determined by a simple formula.
Can you use any wood for turning?
Fundamentally you can turn with any type of wood, however it's a good idea to stay away from anything pressure treated. Also, certain tropical woods like cocobolo and rosewood and can cause some irritants. It doesn't bother all people, but some people have a stronger reaction to those than others.
Is Hickory a good wood for turning?
Ironically, hickory turns extremely well with very sharp tools, but it does scratch easily, so always sand hickory with the grain rather than holding sandpaper on the turning while the lathe rotates it in the spindle, as the wood scratches easily opposite the grain pattern.
How well does Cedar turn on a lathe?
2:1910:00Woodturning Rescued Cedar Firewood WOW! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHere you can see the lathe wobbling it's due to the wood being out of balance and out of round. So IMoreHere you can see the lathe wobbling it's due to the wood being out of balance and out of round. So I set my lathe to about 400 rpms. And I use my tail stock for extra supports.
What is the highest quality wood?
What is the best type of wood material for furniture? Hardwoods are the best type of wood material for furniture. A product that is getting harder and harder to find, hardwood furniture has a combination of beauty and durability that cannot be matched by any softwood or engineered wood.
Can you use any wood for turning?
Fundamentally you can turn with any type of wood, however it's a good idea to stay away from anything pressure treated. Also, certain tropical woods like cocobolo and rosewood and can cause some irritants. It doesn't bother all people, but some people have a stronger reaction to those than others.
Is hickory good for turning?
Ironically, hickory turns extremely well with very sharp tools, but it does scratch easily, so always sand hickory with the grain rather than holding sandpaper on the turning while the lathe rotates it in the spindle, as the wood scratches easily opposite the grain pattern.
Is Cherry a good wood for turning?
Cherry is a hardwood but it is not as hard as oak or maple; it will scratch or dent if subjected to misuse. But due to cherry's unique colorization process the scratch or dent will color up to match the surrounding wood and will blend in quite nicely.
What type of pine is good for carving?
The 5 needle pines produce wood that is good for carving. We have an Eastern ( Pinus strobus) and Western White Pine ( Pinus monticola) , that are 5 needle pines, that produce commercial wood. Other 5 needle pines growing in B.C., are Whitebark Pine ( Pinus albicaulis) and Limber Pine ( Pinus flexilis) that grow at higher elevations ...
How to avoid undulation on pine?
Sharp tools can reduce the amount of undulation and careful sanding will work. When I was just learning to turn, and using sanding to smooth out my rough cuts with a spindle gouge, I found that heavy sanding with 80 grit sandpaper increased the undulation from the growth rings. Use light tough and sand with 220 0r finer paper to reach a smooth surface with pine, and avoid undulation.
How many needled pines are there in Canada?
There are three, two needled pines in Canada. The Red Pine ( Pinus resinosa ) in eastern Canada, the Jack Pine in eastern Canada extending to Alberta in the west, and Lodgepole Pine that is in BC and Alberta. The Jack ( Pinus banksiana) and Lodgepole pines can cross and produce viable hybrid offspring.
What wood is used to turn a scoop?
Scoop turned from Lodgepole Pine. Pine is an excellent wood for beginning turners. It is a soft wood and is easy to shape on the lathe. Cutting with a gouge or skew chisel produces a better finish than a scraper when turning between centres.
What are the different types of pines?
There are a lot of pines throughout the world and there are 9 native to Canada. These are divided into two groups, 5 needle pine (soft pines) and two or three needle pines (hard pines). The 5 needle pines produce wood that is good for carving. We have an Eastern ( Pinus strobus) and Western White Pine ( Pinus monticola) , that are 5 needle pines, that produce commercial wood. Other 5 needle pines growing in B.C., are Whitebark Pine ( Pinus albicaulis) and Limber Pine ( Pinus flexilis) that grow at higher elevations and as a result are quite twisted in their growth pattern.
Why is there a line of lighter wood at the tip of the scoop?
The line of lighter wood at the tip of the scoop is because this wood has been protected from light. So the exposed wood has darkened over time. The knots on this branch are on the handle so the star pattern is not visible. With these turnings I did not avoid the pith of the wood.
Does the pith of wood go through the handle of a scoop?
With these turnings I did not avoid the pith of the wood. The centre of the wood goes through the handle of the scoop and the centre of the hollow cup. I turned these six years ago and there has been no separation of the wood.
Why use pine glue ups?
I also have used pine glue ups to test an idea before committing a design to hardwood. Besides getting a better idea of how an idea will look in full size I am often able to identify problem areas in the turning process on the way to that shape. On more than one occasion that experience allowed me to modify the shape or come up with a better way to turn it before encountering that problem with expensive wood in the lathe. This kind of discovery in pine can represent a substantial savings in wasted money and time.
How to use a chisel to shave wood?
When you get the angle of the chisel just right the bevel rubs on the wood as the cutting edge shaves material off. With the bevel rubbing the depth of cut is more controlled and that lets the cutting edge do more slicing than tearing. Also, the rubbing of the bevel essentially burnishes the pine. Between the cutting edge slicing cleanly with the bevel rubbing at the same time the results can be a surface that is literally shiny. If you have decent lighting around your lathe you can actually see the shine developing while turning. Of course you may also notice the dull, fuzzy appearance of the wood just as quickly when you don’t have the bevel rubbing.
Is pine a good wood to use for chisels?
If you are looking to improve your skills with turning chisels and to do it in a less costly manner, using pine can be a very good alternative to more costly woods. Eventually you want to practice these same skills on hardwoods but learning how to present the bevel correctly on pine first will save a bunch of wood money. Once you get the feel of riding the bevel that technique applies directly to any type of wood including expensive hardwoods.
Does hardwood grain get fuzzy?
This fuzzy/shiny effect does happen with hardwoods but usually to a lesser degree. And because the grain is generally much tighter in hardwoods sanding the sections of upset grain out can be a little easier (not always) than sanding the same problem out pine might be.
Can you ride a bevel without stopping a lathe?
When using pine for learning the difference between riding the bevel and not riding the bevel is readily visible, often without stopping the lathe. The fragile pine fibers fray badly when only the cutting edge of the chisel is being used. Without the bevel being in contact with the wood the cutting edge can tear its way through the wood and while it can remove lots of material quickly it also leaves a badly frayed surface.
Is it safe to use a chisel on pine?
In pine the chisel has a much better chance of tearing through more of the wood which reduces the initial impact of a catch. However, don’t let that make you brave. If you have the chisel and or your fingers in the wrong place a catch in pine is going to hurt in a big way and still has the potential to be dangerous.
Is pine more dense than hardwood?
It is true that pine is considerably less dense than most hardwoods but that can work in your favor, particularly if you are new to turning. Catches, where the chisel grabs the wood and tries to plunge into it deeply are a fact of life in turning but more so early in the learning process.
What is pine wood used for?
And Pine Wood, in particular, is a common choice for making almost any wood craft; such as furniture, fences, and floors.
Why seal pine?
It is important to seal pine if you want to stop knots from leaking.
What is the best sealant for pine knots?
Sealing pine wood knots with a natural shellac sealant is your best option, if you want to prevent seepage. It also makes for a great finish too (which means you won’t need to apply a polyurethane top coat, if you don’t want to).
What wood has knots?
Pine wood is famous for having a lot of problematic wood knots.
What are the disadvantages of pine wood?
1 – It Is A Bit Stiff. When it comes to wood carving, Pine woods main disadvantage lies in its stiffness. While that stiff durability makes it a great pick for sturdy furniture, it can be less fun trying to carve away at it once its dried out. 2 – Low Density Means Lots Of Dents.
How long does it take to season wood?
2 – Season The Wood (Time Line: 6-12 Months) Seasoning wood involves a long process of removing as much moisture from the wood as possible. Typically a technique used to create firewood, you can season Pine wood for carving too.
How many different types of pine wood are there?
Now, at last count, there are 126 different species of Pine Wood! And not all of them are suitable for carving.
Why are pine blades so sharp?
Because of the relatively soft nature of the wood, a less-than-sharp blade or bit will tend to crush the wood instead of cutting cleanly. This will lead to a lot of chipping and splintering in the cuts, and less than optimum results.
What is pine wood?
Pine is among the most common species of softwood available in home centers today. When woodworking with pine, there are many species from which to choose, but they all tend to get lumped in together and are commonly regarded as being somewhat utilitarian in nature (good only for building shelving, framing, or other projects not typically ...
How to remove pitch from woodworking blades?
For basic cleaning, use a quality all-purpose cleaner such as three tablespoons of a natural laundry soap mixed in a quart spray bottle filled with water. This does a great job of removing pitch from blades and bits, particularly before the pitch buildup has gotten too heavy.
What to use to address a dent in pine?
Dents can be a little more tricky to address. Old-school carpenters commonly use a generous dab of saliva to address a hammer dent in pine (that's a nice way to say that they spit on the dent). The moisture tends to fill the crushed stock, and 20 to 30 minutes later, the dent is barely noticeable.
What to use to stain pine?
For stained projects on pine, it's important to use a pre-stain conditioner. This conditioner will even out the color of the stain across the project, providing a much more consistent color than a project not using such conditioner.
Can pine be scratched?
Most of the limitations fall into two categories. For one thing, pine tends to scratch or dent easily. Second, pine from the lumber yard is typically sold a bit wetter than optimum. This can lead to movement in the wood as it acclimates to the local environment. Fortunately, both of these limitations can be dealt with rather easily.
Is pine wood easy to dent?
As mentioned earlier, fresh pine also is relatively easy to dent and scratch. To address this when building with pine, keep a clean work surface, removing any loose wood chips, tools, or fasteners from the work table. When working on the shop floor, a cut-up cardboard box will protect the surface of the wood from imperfections on the floor quite nicely.
Is Mahogany good for turning?
Mahogany increases its appeal to woodworkers. It works with both hand and power tools, and it also glues well and takes a finish with ease. Make sure to use breathing protection to keep the dust out of your lungs.
Is Oakwood a good wood for turning?
Live oakwood turns smoothly. Green live oak wood is for turning balls. No dust, and it scrapes well. It makes better natural edge bowls and cuts rim bowls. Oaks come in three groups: red, white, live. White oak wood is easier to turn into pens, and it is smooth and soft.
Is it better to turn green wood or dry wood?
When it comes to turning, choosing between greenwood and dry wood is a personal choice.
