Catalpa slices

That looks like a huge tree there! I have not worked with Catalpa and I’m not familiar with it. How hard and how tight is the grain? Is thie grain straight or does it have movement? What are you going to make with it?

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

Its pretty tight & has a really nice shimmer. I have found it to be highly split resistant. I added some pics of some finished catalpa.

-- Ted, TX or PA www.around-the-bend.com

Do you intend to slice all the logs anyway? Wouldn’t you spare some for lumber stock of future furniture making project? Like Edgar, I’m also not familiar with Catalpa, hence not sure as to the suitability of it’s usage.

Thanks for sharing.

Ok I edited my post after seeing the pics you just added. Beautiful growth ring patterrn.

Thanks for additional pics too

Take care and work safe.

-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.

Awesome looking grain! I’ve never even touched Catalpa let along worked with it. Does it work well? Please do let us see some finished projects when you get a chance.

-- - Michael [..for God's glory." 2 Cor. 10:31] Over 300000 species of trees, yet we take the credit for their beauty...

Awesome, Ive never worked with this species before. I get excited every time I cut into something new.

-- Ron, Twain Harte, Ca. Portable on site Sawmill Service http://westcoastlands.net/Sawmill.html http://westcoastlands.net/SawBucks2/phpBB3 http://www.portablesawmill.info

There are a few finished pieces in my store:
http://stores.ebay.com/Around-The-Bend-Woodworks_W0QQsspagenameZMEQ3aFQ3aSTQQtZkm
I have never seen this wood in lumber form, so i’m not sure what it would do. I dont have my own mill or heavy equipment. It would hardly be worth it to hire a truck to take this log to a mill. & the giant log behind the slices is hollow anyway. It must have been popular around 1900…. its a town tree. the mills around here dont carry it.

-- Ted, TX or PA www.around-the-bend.com

I’ve never had any Catalpa, but I’ve seen a lot of woodcarvers use it.

Its supposed to be great for carving.

You could cut it into blocks for carving.

Here's some beautiful carvings with Catalpa.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Very cool carvings on the above link. Thanks. It looks like its all holding solid. Mine will be table tops, & a guy bought one to make a giant clock for his log cabin. The slabs have a moon shaped vien of ant damage, in the center. it got smaller as i sliced & is almost gone now. BTW, behind the 2 pieces on the left is a solid 30+ inch piece, with the least ants of all. & its not the mushie ant damage, but rather wher they clean it out to a hard surface. It will be really nice when cleaned up. It will be a while, But I’ll post some projects from these slabs. I wanted a large exact template of the state of Texas, So I sent off to the tourist bureau for a map. I cut it out & traced it on a piece of plywood & Made a template. It will fit nicely in one of the slices.

-- Ted, TX or PA www.around-the-bend.com

nice wood.

-- hap, gunbarrel city tx.

This came around on the roll the dice page. The finished slices look great.

Made me think, about 10 years ago my wife wrestled a Catalpa. It had 3 branches coming off at ground level, about 1.5 inch in diameter probably 8 feet long. She braided them pretty tight and had me tie it off about 7 feet up. Now its about 1 foot in dia. and about 15-20 ft tall. You can still “although very faintly” see the bumps from the braiding. Im thinking in another 10 years or so it might make some really cool pieces.

-- Measure three times, cut twice.