Basswood

[J Lilley]

Is basswood any good for turning? Have an opportunity to get a large tree but have never turned it before and not sure if it is worth the effort. Thanks, Jack.

[Shop Dad]

Basswood is valued for carving but believe it is also good for turning, especially if you carve after turning. You could probably give away or sell what you don't need. Doug

[chips ahoy]

Hi Jack
   yes basswod can be turned, it is very soft so requires very sharp tools and a light touch. My neighbour is a
carver and uses it a lot. I have been teaching her to turn so she turned a basswood bowl, she wanted to carve the rim. I saw the finished product and it turned out good. If nothing else it would make good practice wood.

Mel





































































































m

[MichaelMouse]

Not number one on my hit parade, but turns well - light years ahead of the willows/true poplars - and makes a fine popcorn or utility dry bowl. 

Popcorn-style with undercut rim for the thumb.  Bottom about 3/4  thick to keep the heat off the user's lap. 



Oh, use as a carving wood says two things - reasonably soft, but holds detail well.

Reminder to get to it early on, because it has a tendency to go brown in the log fairly quickly.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Yes not a bad wood to turn, Tilia or Lime, Linden or Basswood is names for the same trees, not hard wood but still turns well, like Butternut or Catalpa.

I turned a good size endgrain bowl with the bark on, got only one picture as it sold real quickly, there are a couple of rough turned bowls that might get finish turned some day.

A more shallow bowl would be easier to turn than a deep bowl with this softer wood, the ones I turned have a rather nice color, I should find them and see if they changed color much,

Here are the pictures.


Wel it looks like this doesn’t work for me  

[clovishound]

Yes not a bad wood to turn, Tilia or Lime, Linden or Basswood is names for the same trees, not hard wood but still turns well, like Butternut or Catalpa.

I turned a good size endgrain bowl with the bark on, got only one picture as it sold real quickly, there are a couple of rough turned bowls that might get finish turned some day.

A more shallow bowl would be easier to turn than a deep bowl with this softer wood, the ones I turned have a rather nice color, I should find them and see if they changed color much,

Here are the pictures.


Wel it looks like this doesn’t work for me  

Click on the "insert an image" icon, not the "file attachment". When the box comes up paste the link. Should work.