I visit my sister yearly near Venice Florida and bring home wood scavenged from park trimmings (Pepper wood) and others from neighbors (Punk wood). I had run out of my "stash". (under tarp at the side of their house) and asked sister to be on the look out (Last year we found an abandoned piece of what turned out to be pine that someone had dumped at an empty house that was chain sawed down the pith (another turner at work????), and made some quite pretty striped bowls from them. So this past year my sister hailed a tree trimming crew that came by her house, and they gladly gave her 7-8 pieces of "logs" from their truck, saying it was carrot wood. I retrieved some of these after chain sawing to blanks-even got some in the carryon without security taking them from me !! Also bring a tough nylon bad for checked in baggage-I have turned 2 1/2 bowls from them, natural edged. They have spalted nicely. I googled carrot tree and didn't get much in the way of a tree. Does anyone in the south know of such a beast??? Gretch
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carrot wood-florida
- Thread starter Gretch Flo
- Start date
Pictures, my friend, pictures. Closeup of grain (end and side) and bark.
Dietrich
Dietrich
Carrotwood Tree = Cupaniopsis anacarduiudes.
Planted widely as an ornamental now classifled as an invasive species and being removed from public places. Unfortunately, Florida is trying to erradicate a lot of very nice turning trees. I've never bothered with Carrotwood so I can't give you any turning specifics.
You need to have your sister keep an eye out for Norfolk Island Pine, Camphor, Mahogany and Rosewood. You'll really like all of those.
Ed
Planted widely as an ornamental now classifled as an invasive species and being removed from public places. Unfortunately, Florida is trying to erradicate a lot of very nice turning trees. I've never bothered with Carrotwood so I can't give you any turning specifics.
You need to have your sister keep an eye out for Norfolk Island Pine, Camphor, Mahogany and Rosewood. You'll really like all of those.
Ed
pictures
Gretch
I can photo some works in progress. All the bark was removed to get on the air plane. I am having so much dial up problems I keep getting kicked off in the middle of emails and lose the letter and takes 5 minutes to get back in and start over. Tried signing up with a different server and spent one whole day trying to connect to no avail. Have had my son in law investigate and a 17 yr old computer geek look, and he recommended not going to the one I signed up with. So On my same old Mich State University dial up . Will try to get a photo posted in another posting (before I lose this one!!!)dkulze said:
Gretchrosewood
It was quite heavy and took 2 trips to walk it to my sisters house 4 blocks away. I left it under tarp (I was leaving the next day and it was too heavy for my luggage that was already maxed out with other wood.) The next year it had more varmint holes , weighed less of course, and I turned 2 lamps, and 3 small bowls(they have sold and don't have to photo), The wood was quite pretty!!!! I have spotted some Norfolk pine in her subdivision, but they look pretty healthy Gretch
Ed thanks-while taking a walk 4 years ago (in Fla),. I heard a chain saw-made a beeline to it. Watched the tree trimmers and saw some interesting end grain. At a lull in cutting I introduced myself, and asked what they were doing with the "carcasses". They said "dumping". Asked if I could have some, and they gladly supplied me with the lengths and part of the tree that I wanted. Said it was "rosewood".Ed_McDonnell said:
It was quite heavy and took 2 trips to walk it to my sisters house 4 blocks away. I left it under tarp (I was leaving the next day and it was too heavy for my luggage that was already maxed out with other wood.) The next year it had more varmint holes , weighed less of course, and I turned 2 lamps, and 3 small bowls(they have sold and don't have to photo), The wood was quite pretty!!!! I have spotted some Norfolk pine in her subdivision, but they look pretty healthy
Gretch
Gretch:
Carrotwood is not the most eye-grabbing wood, but it is a pleasure to turn when green. Beautiful curly ribbons stream from your gouge when it's wet. Thie pieces I have are practically "grainless", in that there is very little in the way of striations and color variation between growth rings, and the density if pretty consistant throughout.
You can find it at most any brush dump in central and southwest Florida, next to the piles of camphor and Norfolk Island Pine. Funny, how the stuff we throw out here is the stuff people in all of the other parts of the country are clamoring for.
You should enjoy turning it, and - because of it's unextraordinary character - it may be a good wood to experiment with some embelleshment if you are so inclined.
-enjoy.
-Steven
Carrotwood is not the most eye-grabbing wood, but it is a pleasure to turn when green. Beautiful curly ribbons stream from your gouge when it's wet. Thie pieces I have are practically "grainless", in that there is very little in the way of striations and color variation between growth rings, and the density if pretty consistant throughout.
You can find it at most any brush dump in central and southwest Florida, next to the piles of camphor and Norfolk Island Pine. Funny, how the stuff we throw out here is the stuff people in all of the other parts of the country are clamoring for.
You should enjoy turning it, and - because of it's unextraordinary character - it may be a good wood to experiment with some embelleshment if you are so inclined.
-enjoy.
-Steven
Gretch,
I had some friends from Florida bring me some carrot wood about 18 months ago and most of what you've been told here is quite accurate. I turns nice and smooth, dries well and has little to no figure. It does, however, at least here is Wisconsin, spalt readily. And, when spalted it shows off considerably better.
I had some friends from Florida bring me some carrot wood about 18 months ago and most of what you've been told here is quite accurate. I turns nice and smooth, dries well and has little to no figure. It does, however, at least here is Wisconsin, spalt readily. And, when spalted it shows off considerably better.
Go to http://bio.fiu.edu/trees/ to see the variety of South Florida trees we get to choose from. I've turned carrotwood but wait until it spalts for more a interesting look. We have many more desireable woods to turn down here so most turners don't play with it.
florida wood pics-carrotwood and pepper
I will try to send these in 2 parts since there is a 3 picure limit.
The first 3 show 3 pieces-2 carrotwood, and the smaller darker one of pepper tree. wood, and then close ups of the carrot wood. Indeed both have uninteresting "grainless" growth rings that are very visible. "The spalting saved them". These are NOT finished yet- "works" in progress, but Dietrich asked for pics.
Griesbach said:
I will try to send these in 2 parts since there is a 3 picure limit.
The first 3 show 3 pieces-2 carrotwood, and the smaller darker one of pepper tree. wood, and then close ups of the carrot wood. Indeed both have uninteresting "grainless" growth rings that are very visible. "The spalting saved them". These are NOT finished yet- "works" in progress, but Dietrich asked for pics.
Attachments
Part 2-florida wood doomed to mulch
as in recent post, these are not finished. I like sheen, not shine, So it sometimes is put on, and take away!!!! Some still drying. This second set photos are of the pepper wood brought back 2-3 years ago-darker wood- (larger stuff has been turned 4-6 years ago and sold), and recently turned and another close up of the "grain" of the carrot wood. Viva la difference!!!!(sp?). Gretch
dkulze said:
as in recent post, these are not finished. I like sheen, not shine, So it sometimes is put on, and take away!!!! Some still drying. This second set photos are of the pepper wood brought back 2-3 years ago-darker wood- (larger stuff has been turned 4-6 years ago and sold), and recently turned and another close up of the "grain" of the carrot wood. Viva la difference!!!!(sp?). Gretch
