Turning grapevine?

[Chuck Jones]

I know I saw a post somewhere recently about turning grapevine, but the search engine fails to come up with it. I didn't pay much attention to it because I never thought I'd see a grapevine large enough to turn. This weekend we had to take one out of a fence row to clear a site for a building. The diameter is about 6". What a shame! I hate taking something out that unusual. That's not a typo, I mean 6". I saved several feet of it. I wouldn't believe it if I had not seen it so I'll try to get a picture tomorrow. I have never seen a grapevine that large in my life.

Anyone know if it's worthwhile for turning? I remember smoking it when I was a kid. I expected the center to be hollow, but it's not. I guess only the smaller vines are hollow.

I apologize if this is a redundant question, and I think it is, but I can't find the earlier info.

 

[Joe Greiner]

Try Google for a more comprehensive search. [woodturning grapevine] provides a heap of hits, mostly of the nature of "heard it on the grapevine" or events/enterprises in Grapevine TX, but a few actually related to the subject. [woodturning grape] also gives a few relevant. The consensus seems to be that it's worthwhile. You may have seen the post on another forum/website. If you have "several feet" of it, why not just turn a small lump, even if only for practice, and please report your results here. Your results will also wind up on Google sooner or later.

Joe

 

[Barbara Gill]

I know from pruning grape vines that the vines are full of sticky sap. We have several grape vines and poison ivy vines that are that large. I too would not want to cut them unless force to.

 

[robo hippy]

One of the student turners at Roseburg High (Oregon) turned a small vase out of it. Nice colors, not really hard, some checking. Go for it. From what I saw, it would make excellent nautral edge, and even end grain open or closed forms.
robo hippy

 

[john lucas]

I've only turned some Wisteria which is a vine but not a grapevine. It moved a whole lot from green to dry. This was quite large and I roughed out the bowl. It warped so much I can't put it back on the lathe.

 

[Chuck Jones]

Preliminary Update

I had a few minutes this afternoon and I turned a small piece of the grapevine. I'm not very impressed. It was almost white except for the center/pith which was brown (but quite solid, by the way). Pretty boring!

However, before I left the shop it started drying fast and the texture of the wood seemed to be changing; starting to show a matrix pattern similar to some sycamore I've turned... or elm. It was pretty amazing how fast it was drying and changing appearance. I turned a brandy snifter which happen to be one of the nicest shapes I've turned. What a shame; it'll probably be twisted and split in a few days. We'll see.

I'll try to get some pictures of this stuff later... has a bad busy streak last few days.

Thanks for the comments and help.

 

[Chuck Jones]

Grapevine for Firewood?

It'll definitely have to dry first. Only took about two days for this thing to split. Oh well, seemed like a good idea.

 

[Barbara Gill]

Chuck, don't give up. It might be worth a try to use Dave Smith's denatured alcohol drying regime.

That piece looks pretty thick. You might want to try again and get it down to a much thinner finished product.

 

[Ruth Niles]

Maybe don't use the whole diameter? I turned these goblets from a grapevine but they're from a smaller branch, about 1 1/2" dia. I'm guessing. The warp is not offensive, it's not like I'd use them for wine!

I didn't bother to fine tune the design because I was just playing.