# Turning Chinaberry



## ldl (Dec 4, 2011)

Anybody ever turned chinaberry. This is my first time with it. Is it a good wood to turn? Seemed to be kinda stringy. I got two 10" x 12" green blanks. I painted the edges with latex paint. I cut one blank in half and turned a bowl. Ended up about 8" x 4". I placed it in a paper bag and put on the shelf. I turned to about 3/4" thick walls, dated and put the species on the paper to help me rem when I put it up. How long would you think I should leave it in the bag?


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

I don't do turning yet, but have used Chinaberry for boxes and a couple of other small items.

As you say it's stringy. It also seems to take forever to sand to smoothness for finishing.

What I cut out of our tree didn't take long to dry at 6/4 -8/4 by 6×18. Maybe a couple of months and it was down to 6-10% MC.

I doubt if this helps you, but it's all I got.


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## hunter71 (Sep 4, 2009)

How long depends on a lot of factors. I add some sawdust to the bag and change it a couple times the first month. I don't know if it helps or not. A fair guess is like Dallas says, a couple months.


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## ldl (Dec 4, 2011)

This is the first time I have tried the paper bag to dry a bowl so I was courious.

Hunter did you use dry sawdust or shavings from the turning?


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## SirTonka (Jul 27, 2013)

Idl, How did the chinaberry bowls turn out? Have a patch of the stuff that I've been wanting to log, wax, and add to my air dry wood stack.


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## ldl (Dec 4, 2011)

They turned out pretty good. It is a very light wood when it dries.


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## SirTonka (Jul 27, 2013)

I would like to see a picture if you get a chance, interesting chinaberry dries light. the fresh cut has some vivid red and tan growth rings. When looking up info on the wood, apparently the plant can cause nerve damage so no idea if any leeching would be high enough to avoid using as a food grade wood. Also read the seeds were often used for beads in a rosary. Collecting a bucket full of the seeds for future bead supply.


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## mileskimball (Nov 19, 2012)

I got a chinaberry log off the side of the road (power department tree trimming day!). It wasn't punky, but it was so soft it would barely cut. Is that typical?


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## ldl (Dec 4, 2011)

Here are a couple of bowl I turned from the Chinaberry wood. When I said it was light I was referring to the weight after it dried but it also is light in color in places. 
.

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## SirTonka (Jul 27, 2013)

looking good, what finish are you using? light in reference to weight did not even cross my mind, moved a few chinaberry logs around, heavy stuff when green


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Very nice turnings.


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## ldl (Dec 4, 2011)

Actually haven't finished any of them. I may finish them one day when I think about it. The wife liked them as they were.


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