Best way of cutting monkey puzzle timber?

[18 stoner]

Think it might end up as a new kitchen floor.

 

There were 12 planks in total, 1 inch thick. average 18" wide. Enough for a floor 10 foot by 15 foot easy i recon.

[tommer9]

Very nice. It polishes well, and good job you sticked it up quick- it doesnt do that well lying on the floor...

[nepia]

Think it might end up as a new kitchen floor.

 

There were 12 planks in total, 1 inch thick. average 18" wide. Enough for a floor 10 foot by 15 foot easy i recon.

 

 

I think we're all impressed with that; good one. Can't wait to see your new kitchen. You realise don't you that with a new floor you'll need a new cooker, fridge, worktops, saucepans to match...

[Big J]

Very nice!!

 

Only thing I would say is you might need more frequent stickers to avoid distortion (due to the thin boards) - every 18 inches or so at most.

 

Jonathan

[18 stoner]

Cheers for that Jonathan, they are presently 4 lats on 10 foot boards. I can easily take the weight off and slot more lats in:thumbup:

[DaveB]

Hi,

 

To answer a question in an earlier post on this thread, the going rate for a butt of monkey puzzle is around £20 to £25, although at the moment there's a glut of mp here in the south-east.

 

Monkey appeals to a lot of turners but lathe sizes limit the market especially when you have butts around the 20" and upwards diameter.

[[email protected]]

Anyone heard of Phytophthora ramorum in Monkey Puzzle? It is possible?

 

I have a client with a MP that's loosing its needles in a big way, probably 20% have fallen since Autumn. Tree is 50' +, no change to drainage recently, has had lower branches removed over the years so now has approx 25 swirls of branches on it, of which 8-10 have lost their needles.

 

Any advice welcomed.

[nepia]

At that size and age (probably late Victorian) perhaps the tree's just reached its end? The similar one I dealt with 15 months ago was loaded with Honey Fungus at the bottom but that may well have been effect, not cause. To be fair a spill of domestic heating oil 20 yards away probably finished it off but it was on the way out.

[bumble B]

Never touched 1 and never will. I have been told it has extremely sticky sap and this jams the saw up nicely. I think my old boss reorted to an 88 with a v small bar just so he had the revs and torque but apparently that struggled. Let us know how it went.

[Kraftinwood]

Hi I read with interest the threads re Monkey Puzzle trees, you may have seen my first thread posted Monday this week. I am a woodturner and am especially interested in Monkey Puzzle trees and happy to pay a fair price and collect within a hundred miles. I am picking one up from Essex on Friday unfortunately its only smallish but the larger the tree the better.

I was quite amazed when I saw one planked, not sure why anyone would do that as when end turned the whorls really look best and always create a lot of interest. Most of the bowls and hollow forms in the picture attached are Monkey puzzle and are not finished yet. I have a photographer taking some individual finished pieces in the next week or so for my new website so I will upload a few.

I agree they are not easy to cut down but I have never had a real problem with my chainsaws clogging up albeit I leave the hard bit for you guys I just wander along afterwards and section it up. Yes the sticky sap you mention is a problem but to get the black staining they have to be left on end for 18 months to 2 years so tend to dry out a lot before I turn them so I guess you guys get the worst of it.

For anyone that may not know it is best cut midway between whorls as that gives the best choice of what to turn from each piece. I actually turn a lot with two sets of whorls so anything 14" or under can be cut midway between every other set of whorls.

Anyway please do not skip it as suggested just call me and I’ll be there.

Kraftinwood

Woodturning Large Bowls and Hollow Forms, Australian and Native Burrs.