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what do you all make with small diamater small "whole" logs

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Portland, OR
I have some 6"-10" diameter branches i'm wanting to turn into something. Just curious if any of you mess with these and what you make from them? I realize it's not the prime wood we're all looking for but it's good practice.
 
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Tom - I like making small natural edge (live edge) bowls from that size diameter. Good practice for when you want to turn live edge bowls twice that size. People love the smaller bowls to use as candy dishes, etc. I took some small live edge bowls to an Empty Bowls fundraiser recently. Put a few candy kisses in them as a prop and they sold right away for $10/each. (The buyer left the candy behind to use in some of our other bowls as a prop plus worked out well for after lunch snack) ;)

I also make charcuterie boards and usually turn a small bowl (kind of a cup) to go with the board. Great for olives, pickles, etc. Also - I learned how to do small hollow-forms using pieces like you have. Helps to get a feel before moving onto something bigger.
 

Dennis J Gooding

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I have some 6"-10" diameter branches i'm wanting to turn into something. Just curious if any of you mess with these and what you make from them? I realize it's not the prime wood we're all looking for but it's good practice.

It is the season for tree ornaments. They can be ornate or rustic. Bird house ornaments can be made using the smaller diameter portions of the branch.
 
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You must have a one track mind that says BIG. I keep any wood over 3inches if it is the species I want. It does come in handy. Just turned a few ring holders from small wood. Don't just think about bowls and maybe hollow forms and you will find many uses, even if you have to cut some of it smaller
 
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no one track mind, just less experience than most here. In fact if anything I'm gravitating toward smaller pieces. just inspiration fishing. I'd like to figure out how to turn green boxes and still have the lids work.
 
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Nov 30, 2020
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I finally broke into a 2 year old pallet of bradford pear branches and made some Christmas trinkets, they finished out @ 8/9" lengths x 3 to 3.5" dia.
what worries me is these are gifts and might crack up....not cool.
I did bore a 7/8" hole clear through the 9" lengths thinking if the core is removed the rest might be more stable. we'll see :) curious to see how you keep yours from cracking...

28EA7A3E-3BA0-4116-B481-0E652D1B14FF_1_201_a.jpeg



This is what's left of our 9 - 25 yr. old Bradford Pear trees that apparently threatened the power lines...so they cut 'em down.
 

Dennis J Gooding

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If you are thinking of tree ornaments, generally need to be light. Therefore, I hollow mine fairly thin. I don't remember having any of them crack.
 

hockenbery

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Those size logs are full of options, ornaments, weed pots, napkin rings, tool handles, small bowls small hollow forms, boxes, carving mallets.....


Great size logs for NE Bowls. I cut the logs in half through the pith and make the blank 2” longer than the width to accentuate the oval ness.3C3B952A-4681-4D65-A7AE-B23108AD8D76.jpeg Round bottoms D9C6D1DE-45BB-444A-83F4-76A9F3F9D5DB.jpeg
These are fun to turn an build skills
Logs with a rib will give a nice contour to the rimA67515A4-888D-4518-B4BD-DC095E4BE60E.jpeg


Endgrain vase51D57B6B-5004-4CC2-965E-1DAE4A401D48.jpeg
 
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Snowmen, Snowwomen, Snowfamilies. Over the last 5-6 years I've made several hundred of these silly things and probably 90% are made from branch wood less than 4" in diameter. I find a huge variety of it at my local green waste dump. Let it dry for a year and if it cracks, throw it out. But you can usually find sections of the branch that are useable. I kind of like the grain pattern that comes from turning pith centered wood too.
Red hat snow peoples.jpg
As a side note, when I turn these I put a small branch between centers and make a tenon on on end. Then with the tenon in a chuck, I drill a 1/4 or 3/8" hole as deep into the pith of the wood as the bit will reach. I can then put a cone center in the hole and I turn them kind of backwards with the bottom at the tailstock end. I turn the hats separate so I can glue them on crooked. The reason I started drilling the hole was so I could stick a dowel in that hole and hold them like a popsicle to spray the finish on them and then stick the dowel in a 2x4 holder to let the finish dry, kind of a mass production kind of thing. But the side benefit was I almost never have one crack since doing that. I think that drilling that pith relieves the tension so you don't get as many cracks that can be a problem with small wood.
 
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I will admit that as a "younger" old turner....( 2.5 yrs. experience at turning) that the turning of large object is a thrill that I and ...maybe many gravitate toward. Then, it seems that with more experience that we begin to recognize that the challenge of making smaller objects - that require more delicate tool control - can teach us more than turning the large object. A mistake on a large object can often be turned out with another pass. Small things....not as much room for error.
 
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101_1426.JPG
This selection of black cherry goblets were all made from green small trees between 3 & 4" diameter with wall thickness in the cup of about 1/32" and the bases undercut to about 1/16" thickness.
101_1407.JPG
This is another black cherry goblet with light to demonstrate the translucencies.
 
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Nov 30, 2020
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Clermont, Georgia
Gary I agree, Tom if you have any Bradford Pear it is pretty cool wood to work with, don't know that I would cut a live one down though.

Russ...here are some segments...90's and 4"couplings :)
4D7B3901-C3EF-42A8-A7EE-9DA7517C823D_1_201_a.jpeg
 
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