Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Tulip Tree wood info
Gary Evans, Tallassee, TN
>A friend of mine in Florida just acquired a bunch of Tulip tree wood courtesy of the recent storms.
Has anybody turned it, and can you direct me to more info on this species?
In case there is any confusion, we are talking about the exotic, rather than the tulip poplar.
Thanks,
Gary
Re: Tulip Tree wood info
Chuck Ludwigsen
>Tulipwoood is very colorful, pinkish stripes. I've made several pens from it. It is an expensive wood so you just might have tree-gold on your hands. Congrats.
Chuck
Re: Tulip Tree wood info
Joe Herrmann
>Tulipwood is one of my favorites and it getting increasingly more difficult to get in good quality. Congrats, you really did strike it rich on this find!!
Joe
Re: Tulip Tree wood info
Mark Kauder, Phenix City, AL
>Gary,
Since it is in FLA, I am assuming that this is the Japanese/Chinese Tulip Tree like we have around here, and not Dalbergia frutescens, Dalbergia variabilis and Dalbergia tomentosa of the Family Leguminosae. The Brazilian Tulipwood is a member of the Rosewood (Dalbergia)family, same as Cocobolo. It grows mostly in Bazil, and I do not think that Florida has the same climate.
What you probably have is what we have around here that we call the Japanese Tulip Tree, that flowers in the spring with large Tulip-like flowers all over it. A neighbor cut one down after Huricane France two weeks ago, and though I was not able to get any of it, what I saw driving by (the end cut) looked bland - and light colored.
Sorry I cannot help more.
Mark
Re: Tulip Tree wood info
Mark Kauder, Phenix City, AL
>BTW, I just researched, and the Japanese Tulip Tree is in the same family at the Magnolia tree and is sometimes call the Japanese Tulip Magnolia. I almost said in the post above that it reminds me of a Magnolia both in outward appearance and also what I saw of the wood. Magnolia is fairly white wood when first cut, but spalts then rots fairly quickly. If you catch it before it rots but is spalted, it can be very pretty. I have seen some Magnolia that had some pink to it.
Gary, I got your email and have sent you one back.
Mark
Re: Tulip Tree wood info
Joe Herrmann
>With Florida's diverse climate that supports other "exotics", I thought Gary might have a real gold mine. A rose by any other name... ;-0
Tough luck!!
Joe