You know you are over the hill when,,,,U- finish

Re: You know you are over the hill when,,,,U- fini

john lucas

I've only turned one tree older than me that I know of. They cut down a huge Oak on campus and estimated it to be 100 years old. Other than that every tree I've turned has been less than 50.

Re: You know you are over the hill when,,,,U- fini

dick hines

The only tree I have turned that I know is older than me was some poplar that came form Monticello. Mr Jefferson planted it.

I have also turned some mulberry from Monticello also.

It was a honor to be a few of the Va turners that got a chance to turn it.

Re: You know you are over the hill when,,,,U- fini

John K Jordan

I could send you a piece of 300 year-old magnolia if you want to feel young again.

JKJ

This one was older than me

Dick Coers

Just turned 50

steven antonucci

I'd like to think I'm still young, but my knees remind me that the warranty has worn out on more than a couple of parts.

>>>

Over the hill...when you no longer get wood chips in your hair because you no longer have hair?

Re: You know you are over the hill when,,,,U- fini

Keith Newton

Wow,, I'm a bit surprised that species would live that long.

When I started this thread, I was remembering when I was a youngster just marveling at large trees, imaging that they were ancient. Well, and I guess some are. In fact my latest tree/deck is probably upwards of 600. It is out in a slough, and would have been logged about 100 years ago, except it was hollow, so those were left.

Re: Just turned 50

Ron Pemberton

I wish the Good Lord would have put greese jerks on our joints.

He just didn't anticipate modern medicine

Dick Coers

100 years ago, most of us would have been dead before our knees wore out. So which is better? Easy decision!

That's why I only turn...

Ellis Walentine

... ancient kauri. 55,000 years and counting. I'll never catch up.

Ellis

No kidding!

Keith Newton

How is that to turn? I got some 15 ~ 30,000 year old cypress from out in SC some years ago, but it was about like turning a sponge. I soaked then froze it to be able to turn, without big chunks coming out. Plus I was having bad allergy problem that may have come from the wood, so I lost interest.

I think you and I are about the same age, which is somewhat less than old as dirt, so I can still find recently deceased wood that is older me. ha

Unremarkable

Ellis Walentine

It's medium density or less and turns pretty cleanly. It is very uniform and diffuse porous, sorta like poplar, maybe a bit harder. Holds detail nicely but isn't much to look at, so your form is everything.

Thankfully dirt is still older than me. Knock wood...

Re: Unremarkable

Lan Brady

Old Sayings- I'm not old as dirt, but I am neck and neck with mud!

Re: You know you are over the hill when,,,,U- fini

William Duffield

I have some white oak in my shed from a tree that was at least 10 ft. tall in 1735. It came down in a storm in August 2004.

The timbers in my house (also white oak) were cut down in 1726/1727, and some of them were 12x8 with over 20 rings to the inch.

Coincidentally, on Friday, I was in a fancy hotel in downtown Philly. Next to the chair where I stopped to rest was a "table" that had been cut from a block of petrified wood. I suspect it may have been even older than the Kauri, but it wasn't labeled as to age, species or location, so it might not even have been a tree. It could have been a giant fern or club moss.

Re: You know you are over the hill when,,,,U- fini

Keith Newton

William, that sounds cool. I've thought of, and wanted to use some petrified wood. I'm sure that would be millions of years old.

This reminds me of a trip I made driving across the West back in 1978. I was too tired to keep going somewhere near the Petrified Forest, so spent the night close by, then was waiting for the gate to open the next morning. There had been a light rain just before, which brightened those stones and turned them into jewels.