Desert Island Woods

[PhillH]

Being of a certain age (no comments please) and an avid Radio 4 listener I had a thought last night.

How about Desert Island Woods ? Not sure if this will work, but might be fun and give some of us newer turners some food for thought.

Similar to the radio show but you list your 8 favourite timbers and then if you could only have one of them, which would it be.

Here's a starter

English Yew
Brown Mallee Burr
Mulberry
English Elm Burr
Spanish Olive
Spalted Beech
Thuya Burr
Golden Camphor Burr

My choice for only one , English Yew.

 

[bluntchisel]

Burr wych elm would do it for me.
Bob.

 

[PhillH]

What about your other 7 ?

 

[Woody]

Mine would be
Box wood
Elm burr
Yew
wet sycamore
spalter beech
Red Mallee burr
American red Mulberry
All fruit woods
African black wood logs
Sweet chestnut

My favorite it is a toss up between Box and red mallee burr one for its texture the way it just peals of the tool the other for its beauty

Other than that it is the bit of wood I have on the lathe

 

[edlea]

I'm not in the hobby long enough to experience all these exotic woods. So going on what I've used :


Zebrano
Ebony
Yew
Bubinga
Tiger Myrtle
Coolabah
Olive
Blackthorn

The top one wood be my first choice.

 

[Woody]

I'm not in the hobby long enough to experience all these exotic woods. So going on what I've used :


Zebrano
Ebony
Yew
Bubinga
Tiger Myrtle
Coolabah
Olive
Blackthorn

The top one wood be my first choice.

Well for some one who hasn't had a lot of experience with exotic woods you have only listed 2 from the UK

 

[bellringer]

Thyua burr
Brown mallee
Elm burr
Maple burr
Buckeye burr
Yew
Burr ash
Massur birch not sure of spelling

 

[edlea]

Well for some one who hasn't had a lot of experience with exotic woods you have only listed 2 from the UK

Three , Woody.... Yew, Blackthorn and Olive (grown in Lincolnshire)..the ebony was from a broken Edwardian walking stick given by a friend; none left. The others were from my first order from T/B ; none left. .......Thinks ! must get more blanks, only Ash and mahogany left.

 

[Woody]

PM sent Ed re some pen blanks

 

[Grump]

Anything that fits between centers will get a chisel slammed into it in my shed no preference no favourite and the neighbours cat is getting dangerously close.
If I can just put some salt on its tail???

 

[Doug]

Interesting question Phill.

There are hundreds of beautiful timbers out there so I wouldn't say these are my dead cert favourites, more the ones I have turned & can remember the names of at the minute

Bocote.
Rippled Ash.
Chakte Viga.
London Plane.
Amboyna Burl
Damson
Cocobolo.
English Oak.

If I could only use one type for the rest of my life including the furniture I make, I`d go for rippled Ash.

 

[Jim]

Thyua Burr
Brown Mallee
Elm Burr
Yew
Blackwood
Amboyna Burl
Cocobolo
Red Mallee

Amboyna Burl would be my favourite, but i wouldn't urn my nose up to any of the above ...

 

[wm460]

I'm not greedy I would just be happy with Peter's collection.

 

[Terry]

My collection would be:
Thuya burr
Burr elm
camphor laurel
Zebrano
Snakewood
Yew
Rippled Sycamore
Brazilian purple heart

 

[silver]

My selection would be,.....

Thuya Burr
Bocote
Kingwood
Pink Ivory
Hornbeam
Yew
Whiskey Barrel Oak.
Hawthorn
Rosewood.

My Favorite..... Whiskey barrel Oak, because it smells lovely and you can use the shavings after and chuck them on the BBQ. stunnning .

 

[rowdyyates115]

Not having tried many but I am the same as Grumps. Slam it between centers, sharpen up the chisels and I'll give it a go.

English Yew
Thuya Burr
Cherry
English Oak
Bocote
Sycamore
Teak
Mahogany
Eucalyptus (Favorite Wet)
Lacewood
Camphor
Holly

Loved everyone of them so far

 

[yorkshireman]

Cherry
Yew
Holly
Boxwood
Burr oak
Spalted beech
Apple
Any free wood
Box probably favourite for its close grain and finish

keith

 

[nimrod]

This is quite a difficult task, it reminds me of a quote I don't think it was used in the context of timber
SO MANY WOODS NOT ENOUGH TIME
I have finally whittled it down to
Pink Ivory
Black Palmira
English Yew
African Blackwood
Cherry
Laburnum
Ebony
Kingwood

Pink Ivory would be my favourite

 

[Penpal]

Out in the shed today will take pics of some of my favourites I must say though the titled Brown Mallee blanks I see presented look different to mine in Pen Blanks it is a difficult one to show in pics for me as well.

Kind regards.

Peter.

 

[Penpal]

A Ten Minute Pic in my Blank Room divided into Aussie Grown and Imported Blanks. Missed the ones in and under.

No must haves, no regrets ones I have enjoyed.

I could live without them all after all this is my hobby priority family first church, Friends Pen Turning.

The first pen I turned was Tasmanian Huon Pine then Musk Burl after introduced to Brown Mallee Burl the rarest blank there is Huishiache pic 2 third down r/h.

Felt it was easier to send a pic with captions.

The most recent arrival is Cassia in the Aussie Pic 1 Middle Row 2nd Bottom it is a revelation looks like fine Bird Feathers must look for more it changes patterns every side. Reminds me bof Hawaii Timber called the feather tree common name, some put away? where.

These are some that I have others hidden or used.,

Good idea to talk about blanks better idea to show pics so I do.

PIC 1. ROW 1 TOP TO BOTTOM ROW 2 TOP TO BOTTOM ROW 3 TOP TO BOTTOM
HUON PINE BURL RINGED GIDGEE
HAIRY OAK MUSK BURL GOLDEN AMBOYNA
POPLAR BOX BURL POPLAR BOX BURL BUDGEROO BURL
40000 yr RED GUM OLIVE WOOD TASSIE MYTLE BURL
FIG BLACKWOOD CONKERBERRY RED MALLEE BURL
NEW FARM PARK CASSIA BROWN MALLEE BURL
BLACK HT SASSAFRAS WADDY WOOD NTH TERRITORY BURL
FLAME KURRAJONG


PIC 2 ROW 1 TOP TO BOTTOM ROW 2 TOP TO BOTTOM ROW 3 TOP TO BOTTOM

S AMER ROSEWOOD BURL RUSSIAN MASUR BIRCH BURL LIGNUM VITAE
SPALTED BOX ELDER DESERT IRONWOOD HONDURAN ROSEWOOD BURL
MESCAL BEAN AMBOYNA BURL HUISHACHE
ENGLISH BOG OAK GOLDEN AMBOYNA BURL FIGURED CITRUS
MADRONE HONDURAN ROSEWOOD REDWOOD BURL
STH AMERICAN SNAKE WOOD
KIND REGARDS PETER>