Nutmeg and Laburnum wood

Daniel O Donnel

Hello

Have some of the above mentioned wood and was wondering if it was of any use to anyone and does it have any value?
Also have Elm wood lying about.

woodturner

Daniel O Donnel wrote: »

Hello

Have some of the above mentioned wood and was wondering if it was of any use to anyone and does it have any value?
Also have Elm wood lying about.

Where are you based?

magicbastarder

letterkenny, according to his location info.

DeVore

Elm wood is generally quite highly prized among turners, as is Laburnum (though I've heard some things about the later ie: that it needs care when turned for respiratory reasons?).

Never heard of nutmeg being turned but I'm not long turning!

I have no way of getting it to Dublin but I would certainly be interested in some if it heads this way at all!

magicbastarder

yep; mushroom dowels for growing mushrooms can't be used in laburnum as the mushrooms would end up toxic.

This beautiful tree is one of the most feared of the poison plants (and produces the most searches of all of them) but it does not justify its harmful reputation.
...
All parts of the tree are poisonous: roots, bark, wood, leaves, flower-buds, petals, and seedpods.
...
As long ago as 1928, it was said that exposure to the sawdust of laburnum wood caused ‘constitutional symptoms’. This phrase is used to mean a general feeling of being unwell.

http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/atoz/laburnum_anagyroides.htm

DeVore

Yes along with being nasty to breath, Laburnum wood will give some people the runs too

recipio

Its not that bad. ! Probably the best use for laburnum is to make veneer 'oysters' - slices across the trunk at an angle which are dried under clamps. It makes wonderful parketry type inlay.

DeVore

I've worked it myself for smaller objects mainly (only because I haven't had big chunks of it). Its fine but I wear my respirator all the same!
(I do that with most exotics anyway, I find some of them trigger my asthma/allergies... bloodwood for sure does!).