Advice for turning camphor?

[Hy Tran]

I bought a few camphor platter blanks at the AAW symposium (roughly 12x12x2") and a spindle blank.

They are all sealed with wax, and I assume somewhat green.

I intend to make a box or two with the spindle blank (3x3x12), so that's just going up on the shelf for a year or so before I get around to it.

Advice on the platter blank, please? I haven't done twice-turning (I'm generally much more into instant gratification--finishing a project the same day, or possibly the same weekend).

Local humidity is much lower here than FL (I believe camphor is an invasive species in Florida, so I'm doing my bit to help the Florida ecology 😀--But I won't turn burmese pythons! 😱)

Thanks in advance for the advice!

 

[Ronald Plumley]

I bought some camphor blanks last year at the Atlanta symposium that measured 4x4x12 and the initial moisture meter readings were in the mid-to-upper 30 percent range. I had not turned any camphor previously.
I waited until this year to do anything with it and I must say that I love it. First of all, you have to understand that I was the little kid, growing up, who would sneak sniffs into the jar of Vicks Vap-o-Rub. I just love the smell.
I've turned two things from one of my blanks and they both turned easily and neither showed any signs of cracking.
The first thing I turned was a hollow form and I left it a little thick. It's been in the thick state for several months now and no cracks to be seen.
This is the hollow form:
View media item 14358
The second thing I turned was a lidded box for a birthday present. No cracks there either, although there was a slight amount of warping... just enough to make the lid fit a little sticky.

IMG_2159_1920x1440_L8

• Ronald Plumley
• Jul 2, 2017

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

We have lots of camphor here in the islands... I hate it, lol. Its only worth the smell in the shop if it is high grade curly, and then not even, Koa sell way better than camphor...

 

[Jim McLain]

Hy - I have turned mostly Camphor Burl but have found it to be fairly stable. I have worked it green and let it dry in block form both with success. With boxes it is always a good idea to rough them out in advance.

 

[hockenbery]

Camphor is one of my favorite woods to turn. A softer hardwood that is quite stable.
It is an invasive from Australia. Gets huge here four ft diameter+
Carves nicely.

It smells a bit like Vic vapo rub... a few people find this is a barrier tomturning and a few people are allergic to the wood.

You can do a twice turned piece let it warp and return,
If you do a single turn it will warp and the final shape will depend on the grain pattern If it is quarter sawn blank the platter will be relatively flat ant the platter slightly oval and slightly asymetrical a nice looking piece.
If it is flat sawn worn it bark side to the top the rim will get a little wave and the platter will be slightly oval.

 

[Hy Tran]

Thanks. Looking at the blanks, they all look more flat-sawn (I picked the blanks out, and I like the look of flat-sawn more), but with some figure (e.g. grain is not straight).

For a 12x2 platter, I'm not sure how much I gain by doing twice-turning--the 10% rule of thumb would have me leave my platter 1.2" thick walls, and add a fairly large tenon. I'm targeting final thicknesses in the 3/8 to 5/8 range (depending on where in the form). I'll begin scraping the wax off the face grain to accelerate a bit of the moisture removal anyway, and probably not turn my first platter until August/September.

For boxes & roughing out: Do you mean just rounding the box and putting tenons on both ends, then age; or do you mean round, tenons, shape, part-and-partially-hollow, then age?

For odor: My wife actually likes the smell in the garage when I'm turning juniper (cedar). We have bugs in the garage; with luck, the smell will drive the bugs from the garage to the house 😛

 

[hockenbery]

I like the smell of camphor.
When I cut platter blanks I dry them as slab like a board. But I cut them longer so I can trim away any end checking.

With a 12x12 - I would probably turn the platter green bark side up about a 1/4" thick and accept the warp. For sanding I would with sand on the Lathe with abranet to 320 or just do all the sanding off the lathe after it was dry..

For boxes they will dry quicker if you hollow out the lid and box parts each with tenons on them.
When totally dry return them and turn the lid fitting.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Another forum member gave me a block of camphor several months ago. It's just been sitting and waiting for the right project. This thread has given me some ideas ... probably a box. But, it will be a while before I can get back to turning.

 

[Paul M. Kaplowitz]

I turned a 20" Camphor crotch blank into a large platter. The smell was overpowering even with fans on. That was the first and last time I turn Champhor.

 

[Hy Tran]

I turned a 20" Camphor crotch blank into a large platter. The smell was overpowering even with fans on. That was the first and last time I turn Champhor.

There are some woods which I would not choose to turn again, given some choice. Mimosa has beautiful figure, but to say that it has a bad smell is an understatement (and I had the sneezies for several hours after), so that's my top choice for woods I would not turn again.

My wife likes returning to the garage if I've just completed something in juniper (western cedar), but it can be a bit overpowering. Cedar of lebanon is definitely overpowering, but I'm positive that there are no longer any moths in the workshop 😉. I wouldn't mind turning juniper and cedar of lebanon again, but would not do so if I cannot have an open window or door.

Based on what the wax-sealed camphor blanks are doing in my car, I have the suspicion that camphor will be similar to cedar of lebanon for the garage or the workshop.

I have a well-aged marblewood spindle that I have not had the courage to turn yet, based on rumors of marblewood's odor.

 

[hockenbery]

There are some woods which I would not choose to turn again, given some choice. Mimosa has beautiful figure, but to say that it has a bad smell is an understatement (and I had the sneezies for several hours after), so that's my top choice for woods I would not turn again.

Most folks in central Florida turn camphor when they can get it and find the smell enjoyable or tolerable. Show and tell tables at club meeting are sometimes 1/2 camphor. As I mentioned earlier there are some who avoid it totally. I enjoy turning camphor. I turned a piece a last month fairly green that hardly had any aroma. Last week I had a piece that was intense.

I usually avoid using camphor in demos but have used it a demo 3-4 times with unanimouse audience approval. In those cases I had a marginal blank of another wood and the camphor would be a better one for demo. One time a member of the audience requested that I not turn turn camohormsomimused the inferior blank.

One guy I know always takes a bunch when he teaches at Campbell so the students get a chance to try it.

I turn mahogany and red cedar once in while but both give me a stuffy nose and itchy eyes after a morning of turning it. But once in while the wood is worth using.

 

[Kevin Campbell]

My daughter has asthma, and the camphor is too much for her. I love it. The wetter it is, the more powerful the Vicks smell.

 

[Cliff Walsh]

I have read all the replies, but there is not one word about camphor laurel's color!! Camphor grown in Victoria, Australia Is generally colorless, just plain white. Camphor grown in Queensland has various shades of red throughout. One can find such marvellous pieces, so full of color. It is very much sought after. Very nice turning, too.