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How? or would you turn this

Joined
Mar 19, 2016
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Haubstadt, Indiana
A fellow wood turner game me a piece of cholla cactus. I guess you can turn cactus. I was thinking of putting a piece of walnut on the top and bottom and maybe a base leaving the outside natural and hollowing the inside. It is somewhat “hard” maybe like punky wood.


IMG_3104.JPG
 
I have not turned cactus. Looks interesting.

I have turned some other non wood plant material including palm, banksia pods, and bamboo.
The fibers of most palm and banksia are not dense enough to support the fibers for a cut so the fibers bend and tear.
The cactus photo looks to be non-dense fibers. Stabilizing the fibers will allow a clean cut.
CA glue usually does the trick. Also light cuts and sharp tools.

Gluing wood to the top and base is done on most palm turnings.
Most palm pieces have a real wood top and base because the palm fiber are not dense enough for a rim or foot to take any detail and not tear out. Also the gluing to the wooden base lets the piece be mounted in a Chuck when the tenon is turned in the wood.
 
I have had a piece of that for 10 or more years.... Still trying to figure out what to do with it....

robo hippy
 
Hi William, I've turned many small pieces of Cholla cactus for pens. I used cactus juice to stabilize the cactus. I would fill the holes with colored epoxy or crushed turquoise. Have not tried to turn a piece as large as yours but I'm sure that you shouldn't have turning it as long as you stabilize it....... You could possibly make a nice vase out of it?
 
I appreciate the responses. The theme is stabilization is necessary. I want to leave the outside natural and really don’t have the capability to pour resin to fill the voids. I’ve got some ideas, but not sure they will work. I have thin CA and Minwax hardener. I’ll look for some spalted maple to use for the base and top.
 
You might take a look at the cholla blanks that the Bangel Guy sells. I have been around cholla in three states and have never seen it that big. Allyn
 
Living in Arizona, I have chunks of this sitting all over my yard. If fresh from the outdoors, you'll want to boil it for 10 minutes to get all the little critters out of it, then dry it. I've not turned it directly, but I've embedded it in resin and then turned a dragon egg out of it. I don't have the means of stabilizing myself, but it's something I want to try and cholla is certainly a good candidate.
 

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