Turning Weeds

[JimB]

I was doing a bit of clearing up in the garden and I realised that one of our biggest weeds (using a growing in the wrong place definition) is elm. Everywhere looks like a wedding on speed with elm seeds like confetti. And they sprout anywhere there's a bit of loose soil.
I like turning elm and a few more timbers that actually are classified as weeds across here such as hawthorn and osage orange.
Are there any such in the rest of the world where a turner can feel good for protecting the environment. 8)

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I suppose sycamore is little more than a weed in many places. It's quite nice to turn.

 

[Bodrighy]

Only thing that I have tried so far and failed with is buddleia, like a bunch of straws. Even ivy can be turned if you get some decent sized pieces.

Pete

 

[duncanh]

I've turned gorse in the past and got a nice pen out of it. Unfortunately it's hard to find decent sized pieces (diameter is generally small and it tends not to grow straight) and it's the most abrasive material I've ever turned, requiring several tool sharpenings for just a pen. Definitely a weed - I've spent most of the day clearing it at work but there was none worth turning.
Gorse pen by duncanhoyle, on Flickr

For the last 5 years I've been helping manage a local ancient semi-natural woodland in Northumberland. On this site beech is treated as non-native to the area (apparently it shouldn't be this far north) so we fell it - I guess that means it's a weed. I have some nice 2-3 feet diameter logs up there waiting to be planked

 

[dickm]

A lot of foresters in Southern England used to regard ash as a weed, and it certainly grew like one in my garden near Milton Keynes. But with the new Chalara disease likely to wipe out ash, it's suddenly become more appealing.

Beech as a weed is a funny concept. There are some superb beeches right up here on the north east corner of Scotland, and the species has probably been up here for 1000 years, but SNH still insist its counted as non-native and so shouldn't be used in woodland restoration plantings.

 

[JimB]

We have native trees here that are regarded as weeds in other areas. I wish we had weeds like beech.
Gorse is defined as a noxious weed here that farmers etc have to eradicate but it looks beautiful in flower!
Ash is a common street tree here and is pretty fast growing but still giving strong timber. We've been lucky with both elm and ash in terms of disease.
Isn't sycamore what they called harewood when Chippendale used it?
I imagine elder is like Buddleia in texture, would that be right?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Iirc harewood is sycamore that has been coloured.

 

[Bodrighy]

Ironically one of the nicest 'weeds' I have ever used is Leylandii. Surprisingly hard, can have a good colour variation and turns a treat. The stuff I have turned was not fully dry either and yet didn't split on me.

Pete

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes. I've seen a couple of stunning bowls done in it recently.

 

[JimB]

A popular wood out here with turners is also a weed - camphor laurel. It smells as if you were turning mothballs.

 

[JimB]

Beech as a weed is a funny concept. There are some superb beeches right up here on the north east corner of Scotland, and the species has probably been up here for 1000 years, but SNH still insist its counted as non-native and so shouldn't be used in woodland restoration plantings.

When the BBC produced all Shakespeare's plays in the late sixties/early seventies As You like It was filmed in Scotland (Glamis Castle I think). If I remember correctly there were some magnificent beeches there.
What comes next? Pulling out the apples because the Romans brought it over? :shock: