This is one of my crusades, to help people understand the difference between 2 different species of trees. Araucaria Columnaris or Cook Pine and Norfolk Island Pine or Araucaria Heterophilya. Wayne Omura and I went to help fellow Master Woodturner Todd Campbell today. He has limited mobility on one of his arms and he asked me to put some pewa patches on one of his giant bowls. He has been turning for over 30 years and this is one of his first pieces ever made out of Norfolk Island Pine. Take a look at the size of the knots, the main characteristic that separates the NIP from the Cook Pines. He has done thousands of Araucaria Columnaris or Cook Pine. If you bought Pine from Hawaii, chances are you got Cook Pine and not NIP. In Maui, we know where all 11 NIP trees are located, as opposed to thousands and thousands of Cook pines. Todd told us that the branches of this huge NIP had to be cut one by one and lowered with a boom, they weighed as much as some small pine trees. What a fun day, thank you Wayne Omura for setting up such a fun play date. The pewa are 1.1 in and 0.9. They look tiny inside the massive bowl. I forgot, but I think he said it's about 40 inches wide. Wayne probably remembers.
Todd roughed turned the entire tree, he has dozens and dozens of pieces drying.
Cook pine has very small knots compared to NIP. Their appearance is also very different when they are mature trees.
Todd roughed turned the entire tree, he has dozens and dozens of pieces drying.
Cook pine has very small knots compared to NIP. Their appearance is also very different when they are mature trees.
