Monkeypuzzle

[Dave Hoskins]

I brought in a piece of wood called monkeypuzzle a while back. I am just now getting around to turning it. It seems to have the same colors and texture as cottonwood. I was having a devil of a time with it burring up same as I do with cottonwood. It looks like it is going to be a nice little bowl. Has anyone ever turned this stuff?

 

[Chuck Ellis]

Never heard of Monkeypuzzle, have heard of Monkey Pod... no experience turning though.... I have turned one piece of Cottonwood and don't remember any particular problems... I turn a lot of Paulownia and talk about burring up, the turning is almost fur l lined... takes longer to do the sanding than the turning.

 

[Ted Calver]

Haven't turned any, but have seen lots of monkey puzzle trees in botanical gardens and estate landscapes. My plant materials professor would use it on pop quizzes to stump the dummies. It's listed as an endangered species and the wood is on the CITES list, resulting in no legal source of the wood on the international market. Same problem as some of the woods luthiers use.

Sharp tools should help.

 

[Ryan Mooney]

Monkey puzzle | The Wood Database (Softwood)

www.wood-database.com

"In addition to the normal wood, tight knots from long-dead Araucaria trees are collected from the forest floors in Brazil. Called clavos de pino, or pine nails, these small, conical wood chunks feature vibrant reddish orange color, and have a recorded density of up to 74.3 lbs/ft3 (1,190 kg/m3). They are usually burned as firewood, or sometimes used for small ornamental projects or turnings"

Well that's interesting...

Never actually seen the wood. I do have several decent sized chunks of monkeypod.. but haven't done anything with them yet.

 

[Dave Hoskins]

Thanks, everybody. Seems to be an interesting wood. I have given it two coats of walnut oil over two days and now three coats of walnut oil based wax. The wood seems to be darkening up into something really neat looking. Might prove out to be something I want to get more of.

 

[Jay Caughron]

Thanks, everybody. Seems to be an interesting wood. I have given it two coats of walnut oil over two days and now three coats of walnut oil based wax. The wood seems to be darkening up into something really neat looking. Might prove out to be something I want to get more of.

Pictures, PICTURES, Dave we need PICTURES

 

[Dave Hoskins]

They's a coming, Jay! They's a coming.

 

[Mike Stafford]

Never turned it myself but the images I found sure look like pine. Not in the same family at all but the wood looks like a good grade of pine.

Look forward to seeing the finished product.