Laburnum

[Bedrock]

I have some small pieces from a wood turning friend and am very taken with the grain, and the colour. Freshly cut it is yellow, which darkens over time. "Wood - Identification and use" refers to the wood darkening over time, but does anyone have any hands on experience of how quickly the timber darkens. Each fresh cut exposes the yellow colour, and the piece I am experimented with, is still fairly yellow after one month from the last cut with a plane.

Another friend has offered me a whole tree from his garden, felled before Christmas, c.9" diameter. My end use is likely to be small items, rather than woodturning, tool handles, infill and the like.

Any advice on uses, seasoning, etc., very welcome.

Mike

 

[carlb40]

Hi Mike a quick search revealed quite a few threads on seasoning etc

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www ... h3n5tOG71w

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www ... MnCQM941aw

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

If you need any help cutting it up I'm in Hampshire and have a tanking great chainsaw

 

[MIGNAL]

I have a couple of sawn Laburnum veneer, about 3 mm's thin. Fresh it is quite Yellow, almost Greenish tinge. It oxidises to a Brown, fairly dark Walnut colour.
It's near impossible to say how long it takes. Put it outside in view of the sun and it will turn Brown in a couple of weeks.

 

[CHJ]

Whatever you do, keep it dry under cover whilst seasoning, left in wet, rain contaminated storage and the sapwood will deteriorate to white sponge and full of wildlife and fungal growth within months. The Brown Heart wood will remain sound though.

 

[SpinDoctor]

It cracks quickly so you'll need to get on with it if you grab the tree or cut it up into manageable pieces and freeze them. It's a fairly brittle wood so the chips come off the turning tool like bullets so you might find gloves useful for your forward hand. Biggest sliver I ever had embedded in my hand came from one. About 3/4" buried into my palm. I could believe how long it was when I finally got hold of it and pulled it out. Love the wood though. It's like a yellow oak.

 

[NickWelford]

Be aware that it is poisonous. Try to avoid breathing in too much dust.

 

[chipmunk]

I'm pretty sure that the darkening is caused by sunlight.

In many ways it behaves like yew and rosewood - to which it is related.

Boxes of laburnum remain a ginger colour on the inside while the outsides go a deep chocolate colour. The top face of coasters are always darker than the bottom.

HTH
Jon

 

[Bedrock]

Thank you all for so much excellent advice. It exemplifies the best of this forum.
Nick, I knew that the flowers were poisonous but not the dust. "Wood - identification & use" refers only to the seeds. I will proceed with caution!

I am scoping the tree this pm, and will know better what I have to deal with, and whether it is useable or firewood. Thanks for the kind offer, Bob. My chain saw has just developed a glitch but my mate has one of his own.

When I have a better idea of what we are dealing with, I should be able to pass some on to you.

Mike

 

[Bedrock]

having picked up the laburnum, the tree is a bit "curate's egg". It's about 10" in diameter and I have cut the largest sections into about 2ft. lengths. The lowest part has some core rot affecting about 1-1/2 diameter. The higher sections have some star shaped splits which seems to be characteristic. There is still some decent small sections and oyster veneer potential.
Bod - if you are still interested in some of this, PM me contact details and we can arrange a hand over.

Mike