Black Gum

[Chuck Jones]

I found two logs lying on a piece of adjacent property I recently bought and I'm not certain what they are... black gum is my best guess. I sawed 75 bf out of the larger one today and it has extremely nice color and grain pattern. I sawed the shorter one into several 3" and 4" cants up to 10" wide for turning later. The bark was deep grooved, rough, grey (just like dozens of other trees around here).

Based on the photos below, does anyone have an opinion on the species?

Also, what the heck is black gum good for?

 

[dkulze]

Welpers, wood that has that degree of color and character in it is good for 4 things off the top of my head. Panelling, flooring, rustic furniture, and turnings.

If you have pieces that are still usable for platter or bowl/vase stock, they will make really attractive pieces.

BTW, I think I remember some folks talking about black gum turning like butter.

Dietrich

 

[Barbara Gill]

Black gum is another name for Black Tupelo. We don't have any growing on the farm and I have never had any to saw. I have heard other turners talking about what a good wood it is to turn.

 

[hockenbery]

Trivia note: Black Gum was used as a walnut substitute in furniture during world war II when all the walnut went for gun stocks.

Drying the lumber is difficult to manage in pieces that have sap wood. Because the sapwood and heartwood dry differently the lumber warps and sometimes cracks.

What you going to turn from all that flat stuff?

Al

 

[Barbara Gill]

I have always heard that it was Sweetgum (AKA "Redgum" and "Sapgum") which was used as a walnut substitute during WWII. Sweetgum and Tupelo ("Blackgum") are not in the same family. Sweetgum is in the Witch-Hazel family and Black Tupelo ("Blackgum") is in the Dogwood Family. I believe that Sweetgum is being marketed in Europe as "Satin Walnut".

 

[Chuck Jones]

I saved several cants from the 5' log. They are 3"-5" thick and 6"-11" wide. I'm going to stack and sticker them in a barn with a lot of weight. The logs had been lying on the ground for quite a while, so I had to slab off most of the sap wood.

As to what I'm going to turn... I don't have a clue. I've been dabbling with woodworking most of my life, but never got serious about turning until recently. I tried it a little on an old light weight lathe I'd had off to the side for 30 years. Soon decided that wasn't going to work so I bought a Jet 1642. Wow what a difference. I believe I'm actually going to be able to turn something now. I must say, there is quite a learning curve. I went into it thinking I'd master it in about 2-3 weeks. Ha! Wrong! Of course the complexity, variations, infinite outcomes is what makes it great. I'm now neglecting my other fun projects because of that darned lathe. Aint retirement great?

 

[Donna Banfield]

Chuck, welcome to the 'Dark Side'! All who enter, thinking they can just get a look-see, are sadly mistaken.

The addiction soon overtakes them, and they fall helplessly down the vortex, doomed forever to care nevermore for anything other than woodturning.

By the way, you didn't happen to draw comics, (b4 woodturning, that is)? Like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wiley E. Coyote?

 

[Chuck Jones]

...By the way, you didn't happen to draw comics, (b4 woodturning, that is)? Like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wiley E. Coyote?

I've done a few comical things in my time but none that made me famous like the Chuck Jones your are thinking of.

 

[Chuck Jones]

After all the good information I've gathered here, I now find out those logs were not Black Gum after all. I spoke with the older gentleman who previously owned the property and put those logs there to begin with. He says they were Sweet Gum. Sure fooled me. I've sawed lots of Sweet Gum and this really looks different. Probably because of the size of the logs, where they grew, time since they were cut or whatever. Anyway it's beautiful lumber and turning blocks so I'm going to stack it and dry it.

Thanks for all the information supplied here.