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[honey badger]

Just saying hello,my name is Steve, I live in South Wales, new to wood turning, although my step father has over 50 years of turning under his belt.
He has just given me his Union Graduate lathe, so I am hoping to get some turning done.
My wife does park runs, and yesterday came back, and said they had cut a tree down in the park and there was a pile of logs, she had asked the rangers, they gave her permission to drive into the park, and they said we could help ourselves to the wood.
When she explained, I said that I had no idea what it could be, and also, what to do with it.
Having searched on here, we went this morning, with the thought,whats the harm, I knew it was green,I would have to store it, it's free, worse case its going to the next door neighbour for fire wood.
Well, all I knew it was not a fir type tree, luckily we found a few twigs with decaying leaves which we brought home to try identify the wood.
Our dilema, do you take a couple logs, not knowing what species it was, and hope its useable at some point, but if it is, your then dissapointed, because you only got a couple of logs..
Or...
Do you fill the Land Cruiser to the roof, get home and find the woods no good, and you have spent the morning collecting firewood for the neighbour..
Well, the tree was huge, the base was around five foot in diameter at the base,the wood was very heavy, I went with option where I filled the car, I got around 20 five foot long logs, 3-5 inches in diameter, 3 logs about 2 foot long by 12 inches in diameter, i was just able to carry them, and some chunks out of the base..
I am now, after some detective work the owner of about one ton of........ Lime ok, wood apparently, and good to practice with..
Hope to learn more..

 

[NazNomad]

Lime wood is perfect for carving too, apparently.

As a relatively new woodturner, I would say that every piece of wood you can get for free, even if it's just to practise with, is a bonus.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Welcome. Quickly whack some PVA, old paint, varnish or candle wax on all end grain to help stop it splitting. Your small bits won't be good for anything much, but you can turn the bigger stuff - it's a bit featureless that's all. That's why it's good for carvers - it might pay to search out a carver and try to swap some of the larger stuff. It's not very good firewood - it used to be used for the brake blocks of carts as it was resistant to bursting into flames.

 

[pollys13]

Lime wood is excellent for carving, very forgiving, costs a fortune.

 

[graduate_owner]

Even the small stuff would be good for practising on though.
Where in Wales are you?

K

 

[Dalboy]

Lime is good if store correctly by the time you come to use it you will have learnt enough to use it to turn and carve to produce some nice pieces

 

[John. B]

Ditto to all the other replies, But, Lime! a wonderful wood! The reason carvers like it is because it has virtually no discernable grain
to deflect carving tools. Very easy to turn, wood is quite hard so will take form readily, and perfect to decorate with paints, hand brush or airbrush.
Remember, ALL FREE wood is Good wood!
John. B