Which woods?

[isbfan]

I'd like to know which woods to avoid, for turning purposes. Not necessarily food compatible varieties, just those whose structure doesn't lend itself to turning.

If you know what I mean...

 

[Tris]

If you are just starting out I'd leave softwoods alone for now, the difference in hardness between early and late wood can make it difficult to get a good finish.
Even grained hardwoods like sycamore, beech and the fruit woods are a good starting point.
That said, if it's free and gets you practising, then use whatever sound wood you can get

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You can turn anything, some woods (often softer ones) take much more effort and time in finishing.

 

[Jonzjob]

Steer clear of iroko, or at least I do, as it can cause skin reaction and irritation.

Other than that it's always a very good idea to wear a good dust mask, but that aside as Phil said, any wood you can get is a good way of learning.

If you are just starting out on this wonderful slippery slope then it's worth investing in Keith Royley's book A Foundation Course in Wood Turning. I think most of us would recommend that.

Oooh and welcome to the forum

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, very remiss of me to forget to recommend the book.

 

[Blister]

If you are just starting out use any wood , Don't try and make your first master piece , Just use your first couple of weeks as practice practice practice , tool use / control / sharpening etc , Once confident then have a go at a bowl or platter just basic to start, Nothing fancy . Little steps to start. Have fun.

 

[Stigmorgan]

As above, soft woods are harder to get a clean cut and often lead to frustration even for the experienced among us, I've not had any reactions to the woods I've turned including iroko but that doesn't mean it won't happen, some wood dusts are considereal toxic, carcinogenic, irritant etc so it always a good idea to use respiratory protection of some sort be it a dust mask or the higher end powered head coverings.
Once you have safety sorted the most important thing is have fun, find things you like turning and experiment a little, personally I hate repeating things too many times (I have a love hate relationship with turning 100's of Christmas decorations )

 

[Rodpr]

I turned some pieces from a mimosa tree from my garden at my local men's shed. It didn't bother me but someone else there found the dust particularly irritating. I guess different people have different reactions but if you blow your nose after a session without a respirator you will see why you need one!

 

[Paul Hannaby]

There are no species of wood that can't be turned but some are more difficult to get decent results than others. There are many woods that are classed as hazardous but can be turned with the requisite precautions.
What it comes down to is what lengths you are prepared to go to to get an acceptable result and what your current skill level will allow you to do.

 

[treeturner123]

Paul

I think balsa might be a tad tricky!!

Phil

 

[Paul Hannaby]

Not at all, I know turners who turn it and I used to turn it when I was a teenager to make fishing floats.

 

[jonn]

I'd like to know which woods to avoid, for turning purposes. Not necessarily food compatible varieties, just those whose structure doesn't lend itself to turning.

If you know what I mean...

Pine (Pinus sylvestris) is great to turn if it is reasonably dense. Can be polished to a great finish, and some have very nice patterns. Elm is also great, and I was able to secure a good supply of big planks from a mate. Also, if in doubt about the dust, or if you are very sensitive to it, get one of the AXMINSTER APF 10 EVOLUTION® POWERED RESPIRATOR WITH IMPACT VISOR. Expensive, but that is soon forgotten after getting used to it. Which reminds me, I've better charge the battery

 

[Paul Hannaby]

The APF10 respirator is inadequate for use with hardwoods. The HSE recommend at least APF20 or P3 if you are working with hardwoods.