CATALPA WOOD
Brad
>Can anyone provide some insight on using catalpa (also spelled catawba) wood for turning? I have access to several nice size logs. The wood appears to be very open grained, is it worth using?
Thanks in advance, Brad
CATALPA WOOD
Posts
Re: CATALPA WOOD
#2Re: CATALPA WOOD
Don O.
>Hi Brad, I have used Catalpa several times before and it is a very nice wood. Very light weight, dries evenly and quickly without much checking. Color is a kind of light greenish-yellow-brown, hard to describe. Coarse texture like red oak or black locust but very soft. Polishes up very nicely with a wide, interesting grain. I'd say grab as much as you can. It also doesn't rot so it should last a while. I roughed out a 9" wide by 4" deep bowl and it was dry in no time and never changed shape.
Happy and Safe Turning, Don
Re: CATALPA WOOD
#3Re: CATALPA WOOD
Phil Joines Krum, Texas
>Here's one I turned about 18 months ago. It's 14" across and 4" deep. Finish is laquar and wax.
Re: CATALPA WOOD
#4Re: CATALPA WOOD
Don O.
>That is Beautiful! This wood has a very striking grain and finishes nicely. Great Job!
Re: CATALPA WOOD
#5Re: By a curious coincidence . . .
Frederick Nelson
>Catalpa wood is the "wood of the month" in the April 2004 issue of "Creative Woodworks and Crafts" magazine, published by the same folks who publish "Woodturning Design." The author of the article, Wes Demarest, says essentially the same things about possible tear out. "Not too bad for a soft hardwood," was his verdict.
I stumbled across the article at breakfast this morning. (Hey, it beats the back of a cereal box!)
FNelson
Re: CATALPA WOOD
#6Re: By a curious coincidence . . .
Joe Herrmann
>I had access to some catalpa wood some years back and realy enjoyed turning it. Made some nice, large natural edge bowls and the bark stayed on. However, the first night I turned, I came back upstairs and both my wife and I thought that the dog had done something upstairs before we realized that it was me!! I don't know if it was just those pieces of wood or not, but the wood smeled so bad I gave most if it away. They came from a yard in the city and were no where near any pastures or septic systems that would naturally be suspect.
Joe
Re: CATALPA WOOD
#7Re: By a curious coincidence . . .
Brad
>Joe, Your response makes me laugh. I noticed that the wood had an odor, but did not think it was that bad. I have a labrador retrever that follows me everywhere. A few days ago he refused to stay in the garage while I was turning some of the catalpa wood, I commented on that to my wife. A while later she came to the garage to talk to me, she said "its no wonder the dog won't stay in here, that stuff smells so bad he probably can't stand it!"