which wood for small items?

[nev]

What timbers are recommended for turning small scale 'sticks'?
Thinking about this months challenge and the novelty item to go inside, if said item were to have say, a very small axle for example :wink: are there any non exotic woods to be recommended for strength ?

 

[Chrisp]

How about box?
Chris.

 

[henton49er]

What timbers are recommended for turning small scale 'sticks'?
Thinking about this months challenge and the novelty item to go inside, if said item were to have say, a very small axle for example :wink: are there any non exotic woods to be recommended for strength ?

How about box or holly - they're what I use for small items and seems to turn very small diameters quite readily.

As an alternative, you have said we can use, for example, paper clips. Take a large paper clip and cut a straight portion. That should make a good axle - or is that cheating slightly?? :twisted: :twisted:

 

[CHJ]

Cocktail Sticks or Cooks Matches.

 

[henton49er]

Cocktail Sticks or Cooks Matches.

Chas,

I think you might get disqualified if you used either of those!! :twisted: :lol:

 

[CHJ]

Why, nothing stopping their use as a source of wood is there?

 

[nev]

As an alternative, you have said we can use, for example, paper clips. Take a large paper clip and cut a straight portion. That should make a good axle - or is that cheating slightly?? :twisted: :twisted:

I could indeed, but seeing as its a turning challenge I'd like to try and turn as much as possible (just to make my life a little trickier :roll: )

I suppose I could start with a cocktail stick between centres and take it down from there :shock: :twisted: good skew practice (hammer)

 

[Wildman]

lime is worth a go never turned it but seen a bird carved fron it with a 2" beak 1/16 dia as solid as a rock.

 

[tekno.mage]

For very small items, try holly, boxwood, hawthorn, lilac, blackthorn, apple, pear or damson - these are all homegrown hard, dense woods that will take small detail well.

 

[KimG]

I'd with Kym's list too, apart from perhaps the holly, nothing wrong with it as such, but my recent experiences with it show that it is a pretty lively wood even when dry and frequently changes shape slightly after a day or so, so if the thin turning is to be precise it could possibly impact on it. Sycamore would seem to be suitable too, the French turners make those incredible long and very thin turnings from it