300 Year Old Woodturning - Video

[@johncatt1867]

I just have to say that the shavings that are coming off of the bowl while you are doing the shear scrape are just BEAUTIFUL. Thank you for going into so much detail during this part of the process.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

My pleasure, John. Thank you for writing and sharing! Happy Turning!

[@geraldmoore3686]

Kent, from how you describe the wood, with the pitch and such, I feel you are turning a pine. You are working with the heart of the tree. What happens, is the sap wood decays away and you have the heart left. It basically petrifies, thus causing the pitch. Here in South Carolina, when the wood reaches this state, we call it fat littered or light wood. It is used for kindling when starting fires. It burns like gasoline, almost. Most times you will only have a stump sticking up out of the ground. I have turned it, and each time I swear, not again. The wood makes a lier out of me because it is so beautiful when you are done. You are right about it being rough on your tools. I use the wire brush on one of my stationary grinders to buff the pitch/tar off of the tool before I sharpen the tool. The pines in my area are yellow pines.

[@alanjones939]

Wow. Kent I have no words to describe how wonderful that piece looks.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you kindly, Alan! Happy Turning!

[@FyrFly106]

Hi Kent, I'm very new to turning and just love your mentoring videos. Now in my 50th year of Horticulture and 6th year of Beekeeping, I have a "theory" of why Conifers produce resin/pitch. Bees take that resin and line their hives/nests with it, what we know as Propolis. Please keep those vids comming. Phil Clark

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Phil, Thank you for writing and sharing! Wow, interesting. My guess is there are millions of symbiotic relationships in nature that we are completely clueless about. ;) Happy Turning!

[@alangibb3100]

Kent, I always watch you videos but this one was really exciting as the amount of growth ring on that bowl was absolutely amazing, that tree must have had a hard life with very little water for a few hundred years, nature is so amazing. I loved the end product well done you have done the piece justice.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Alan! Happy Turning!

[@rhondacostanza6133]

Nature is so astonishing.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

It truly is, Rhonda! All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@larrystanley3886]

ABSOLUTELY 😍😍😍

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thanks, Larry!

[@joelahnstein2281]

BRILLIANT. no other words will do.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Joe! All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@MarineFitz65]

Kent thank you very much for sharing this turning with us, it turned out absolutely amazing!

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Glad you enjoyed it Fitz! Happy Turning!

[@loucinci3922]

Beautiful bowl. Turner out real nice. WOW!!! Remember it is 460 years old since it was cut down. May have sat in a yard for years too. Beautiful!!

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thanks Lou, yes Chuck has mentioned a couple possible dates. Including the tree's limb might have been used for posts around 1895 and the trunk was left dead and standing then. Which would make it much older. Happy Turning!

[@deancamery5102]

Thanks. That was very interesting. Nice results

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Dean! Happy Turning!

[@LaraeP]

Absolutely stunning.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you Larae! Cheers!

[@geraldmoore3686]

Another note Kent, I never doubted the turnout of your bowl. Heart pine is one tough wood. Very difficult to split for kindling. As to the trees age, think about how much sap wood you have on a tree with the heart being the size of the piece you turned. I don't doubt that that tree, counting the lost sap wood is another 100 - 150 years older. A true treasure, you did it justice. Job really, really well done.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thanks Gerald 👍 Yes, now that I've spent some time with this piece, it's clear that the sap rotted off. What's weird is how the exterior of the log still retained the pattern of the bark. It's as if a film of decay wrapped the tree bark and just proceed inward without changing pace and maintained the bark shape. The tell was the broken grain lines inside the valleys on the edge. Simply amazing. Thank you for writing and sharing! All the best to you and Happy Turning! Kent

[@jimhiguera1774]

That is amazing piece great job just beautiful

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Jim! Cheers!

[@RonMc-k2k]

I am from southwestern Colo. And I think that is juniper. My grandfather made fence post of this kind of tree because they would last for years. Colo national monument park around & out of Grand Junction, Colo, which is central west slope of Colo is where some of this growth of trees are. It is a beautiful drive thru this park. They are all along the park roadside of the main drive. This turning you did was awesome, I was sorry you didn't put your tried & true finish, that would have looked really good! Thanks I live in Utah now, but was raised over there.

[@chuckwalton2868]

Spot on. It came off a hillside beside Cripple Creek rail line between there and Manitou. My uncle thought it was cut down in 1895, the branches taken for fencposts, and the trunk left to parch in the sun for 130 years, till we dragged it down. An ancient ( but living) juniper nearby shows a branch cut off from the same era. (Again, fencepost theory). Chuck W

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Sounds like you know the area and trees well. Thank you for writing and sharing! Happy Turning!

[@clydeschuyler]

That turned out amazing.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Clyde! Happy Turning!

[@cobberpete1]

Beautiful bowl. You did a great job on a very special piece of wood. Just a thought.... Bees collect Resin and sap to make 'Propolis', which is their Anti biotic and glue. It's sold for it's health benefits. So maybe it is the trees natural defence and anti biotic ( I'm also a Bee keeper).

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Pete, oh, that makes sense. It could very well be. Especially since the resin filled wood seems to not have any predictors and resists weather erosion as well. It's anti-everything. ;) Thank you for writing and sharing! Happy Turning!

[@coreyrenner6516]

I've watched most of your videos, and this might be the coolest bowl yet!

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

I think so too! Thank you, Corey! Happy Turning!

[@kevinbooth2063]

Kent, you topped them all! Just a gorgeous bowl I love that you kept the natural edge. This is one for the books. If it were mine it would never leave my possession!!!! Congratulations on this beautiful piece of natural art.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you, Kevin! All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@PatGreevy]

That is fantastic never saw anything like it

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thanks. Happy Turning!

[@siph2o]

Early this past spring I was gifted an old growth maple "sinker" log that we estimate was harvested shortly after the first settlements were established here in central Ontario Canada around the 1850's or 60's. After setting up a log cabin home, the first settlers here in the Canadian Shield usually spent their winters clearing land for farming and harvested logs from the forests that blanketed the area. After falling a tree the traditional method of moving the logs to market was to have horses drag the logs to the closest river during the winter and leave them on the ice. When the spring thaw came and the river opened up, tens of thousands of logs were sent rushing down the rivers in a "log drive" by teams of men until they reached the saw mills where they were then cut into lumber and sold. Not all the logs made it to their destination and many waterlogged and sank to the bottom and then sat in the silt and mud for well over a century and a half. While on the bottom of the lake or river the wood would absorb the minerals and tannins from its surroundings giving the wood a beautiful grey or olive colour. Because there is minimal oxygen on the river bottom, the log doesn't decay and the wood is still as sound as the day it was cut. The piece I have was recovered from the Muskoka River two years ago and was taken to a local sawyer to have a portion of the log cut into a fireplace mantle. Two five foot long by 20" diameter "off cuts" from each end of the log were gifted to me. The sawyer identified the log as being original "old growth" maple based on it's tight grain and would have been harvested when it was about 200 years old. Add in the time it sat on the river bottom this log was a sapling well over 300 years ago. I can relate to how careful you want to be when turning a "one of a kind" piece. In my case I was able to turn a total of 12 "mother" bowls that were around 13 to15" diameter and from each of these I got at least one usable core. They are currently in my drying shed or kiln waiting to be turned again and finished over the winter. Many times I said to myself "DON'T screw this up, You can't go to Home Depot and get another log like it" Many thanks to you Kent, for all of the amazing tips and videos that I've seen over the last few years since I've been following your channel. You have been an inspiration to me and how I turn.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you kindly for writing and sharing "Siph" (don't know your name). As cold as winters must be, the ice in the winter can be quite useful. I didn't realize logs were hauled and left on ice, but it makes perfect sense. I bet you don't have to let those turnings "dry" they should already be equalized and stable. With the amount of oil and resin in them, they probably aren't going to change weight or deform at all. All the best to you and Happy Turning! Kent

[@siph2o]

@@TurnAWoodBowl Hi again Kent. Thanks for the reply. My name is Frank Drinkwater. I've contacted you a few times over the last few years by email. The log did need to dry, but after waiting this long to finally end up on someone's table as a bowl, I didn't want to rush it.

[@h.w.miller4180]

I finished off my detail gouge today turning a snowman with a big knot hole through the center of it

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Nice! Happy Turning!

[@MrEngineerseven]

Very well done

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@jean-louishoules5198]

MAGNIFIQUE ++ 😲😲👍👍

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Jean! Happy Turning!

[@HRConsultant_Jeff]

Beautiful looks like an explosion. Would have been a great light as well.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Jeff. Happy Turning!

[@oldcharlie5533]

Very awesome kent..

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thanks, Charlie! Happy Turning!

[@StrideAheadinc]

Bravo!

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thanks! ;) Happy Turning!

[@maryphillips3706]

This is my favorite piece I’ve seen you turn! I’d be so nervous that I would catch the edge and ruin the character. You did this wood a real justice!

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you kindly, Mary. All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@caryreprogle6445]

I am watching your 300 year old video and wondered if you had run into (Swamp Kauri). This wood is carbon dated to be around 50,000 years old and predates the last Ice age. It was found on an island off New Zealand and was buried so no air could get to it, so it didn't petrify. You can read about it on Wikipedia. There is a US distributor in either Wisconsin or Minnesota, I forget which. I purchased a small box of cut offs for pen turning several years ago. It is easy to turn and finish, with a light reddish/brown color with a pale golden shimmer. Very pretty, but not a cheap wood. I believe it is distributed in the US under the name (ancient wood). anyway, I enjoy your videos, you do some beautiful work. Best Wishes to you and yours in the new year.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Cary, wow, that sounds interesting. No, I have not heard of that wood until now. I'll have to keep that in mind. Thanks for sharing. Happy Turning! Kent

[@panamafred1]

Wow Kent. You look great for 300 years old! (Sorry, couldn't resist.) BTW, the piece is gorgeous!

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

LOL, thanks, Fred. ;) Happy Turning!

[@michaelmcdermott2178]

So glad you saved / displayed the history.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Michael! All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@markduggan3451]

That is an amazing piece of wood, which has been turned into a stunning bowl .

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Mark! All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@kathdiyetoirinakshaghor]

Thank you Alhamdulillah many congratulations and best wishes welcome stay connected with us my friend.❤

[@davidbrooks1378]

I read that the the growth ring pattern in a piece of wood can actually be analyzed an correlated to match the calendar. They use comparative analysis. Maybe the Colorado State University ? How cool it would be to actually know the birthday of this tree. 🤔 Maybe an eager beaver collage student could use it as a case study. I, for one, would love to see this. Very interesting kent. Great job.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

David, OH, that's cool info. There are definitely, patterns of large and small growth years. I'm sure that relates to water and temps. All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@howiedalious4531]

What a fantastic piece of wood!! That is an amazing bowl. Great job!!

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Howie! Cheers!

[@tonysmith3143]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Beautiful ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Amazing, what a pc of history and I bet it smelled great also. Thanks for sharing.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Tony! It did smell amazing! All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@jeanlong4285]

Kent, this piece is amazing. I can't seem to find the words to express how much I love this piece. Thank you so much for sharing this video.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Jean! All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@xyz9250]

Gorgeous, just gorgeous! If you have more of this tree, I’d love to see how an end grain natural edge piece looks like

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Scarlet Tanager! (I also bird. ;) ) Oh that would be a nice turning. I don't have any more…at the moment. All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@xyz9250]

@@TurnAWoodBowl that’s good to know you also bird! Bird photography and woodwork have been competing for my spare time :-). I don’t even own a lathe, enjoying those videos though, and I carve bowls using angle grinder. Your tip on supported grain was quite helpful for me with carving and sanding, even though I wasn’t using a lathe but angle grinder.

[@barrykeller7410]

Hi Kent. Your videos are so helpful in so many areas. It would be great to get a dendrologist (?) to look at that bowl and share their knowledge with you. And then you with US! There must be one at a college nearby. Maybe. I'd love to hear what they say. Thanks again and Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Great idea, Barry! Thanks and Merry Christmas to you too!

[@TRUCKTUBEGAME]

From some angles it resembles the construction of the Death Star.😀

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

LOL, I suppose it does. ;) Happy Turning!

[@jackthompson5092]

Very beautiful Kent.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thanks Jack! Happy Turning!

[@scottmedori1437]

Amazing piece! That live edge is phenomenal. So glad you saved it

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thanks Scott! Happy Turning!

[@MASI_forging]

What a beautiful piece of wood 😍😍

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you kindly! Happy Turning!

[@NeilStewart-ez8jj]

Looks like "White Bark" or "limber" Pine I turn in the Canadian Rockies. It smells great, is very stable, and sands really well with its close grain. It grows at high elevation and erodes from severe weather. Some times it may be standing in snow all year. In others the snow may all melt and rain and wind erodes the soil feeding the tree.

[@tielkgate]

WOW Kieth - You have your own Rocky Mountain High! Really Beautiful! What a great gift you got from your friend. Knowing the history and age of the tree is awesome! As you said - Stunning! Lowell

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Absolutely. Thank you! Happy Turning!

[@snobear41]

Kent, you made me smile! Funny story, about 25 yrs ago my Dad (RIP) up in Vermont his neighbor had a very large rock maple tree in their yard die. So they asked if he could take it down (very experienced tree feller) Once it was down he jumped up on the stump (over 3 feet acrossed) and danced a jig- the homeowner started laughing and asked what the hell he was doing? "I figure it has been at least 300 yrs since anyone stepped on this spot" He replied. That was my Dad, quick with a joke right up to the end.- Tyler

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Tyler, Thank you for writing and sharing! Every good joke has a kernel of truth. It also takes a lot of wisdom to convey humor. Your dad might have been a jokester, but he was also very wise. All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@NeilStewart-ez8jj]

An added note on White Bark and Limber Pine. Both are threatened species and are protected in Canada. I only harvest trees that are long dead and never remove wood with pine cones still attached.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you for writing and sharing, Neil! It could be something along those lines. All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@Чипалина-20]

👍👍👍красота

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you! Happy Turning!

[@Jay.C.H]

Awsome

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thanks!

[@ronfinch5532]

The shavings looked the same as what I got from Ironwood and teakwood. It’s always a adventure turning something you haven’t done before. Turned out really cool looking! The outer edges gives it a wind worn look.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Ron! Yes, the shavings were mostly dust. All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@susanburrows5288]

Fantastic piece. That tree lived through so much, you just wish you could talk to it, find out what it had seen. At lease people can see your bowl and wonder.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Yes, exactly Susan! Imagine if there was a video time lapse or all the animals, birds, and people that passed by that tree. How cool would that be to watch? Plus all the surrounding plants and trees growing, dying, and regrowing. Happy Turning!

[@richardhampton9670]

Absolutely magnificent?

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Richard! Happy Turning!

[@davecrawford4418]

What a beauty! And very unique!!

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thanks Dave! Happy Turning!

[@ElmerMiller-cr6mj]

What a beautiful piece. I’ve had good finishing results using bronze wool on high resin pieces. Sand paper obviously loads up. Keep the bronze wool moving in a buffing-like manner and it does a great job

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thanks Elmer, I'll check that out. All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@dennismcneill6829]

Beautiful shape! For sanding I would try treating it like a finished lacquered piece and sand with wet or dry paper using lemon oil and naphtha.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Interesting. Thanks Dennis! Happy Turning!

[@fallentreewoodcrafts]

When I walk in the woods, I think about all the history and time the large trees have "seen." What would they say, if we could understand their language? What would we learn and how would that change us? Working with a piece like this is a mystic experience in my estimation. In our area, we have Oak that is far older than our existing culture. They are the first true settlers. Thanks for taking us along on this experience. What an amazing piece. As for finish, I like pure tung for old wood because it takes a very long time to fully cure. I've never had it gum up and it is very forgiving. You also have a very long extended time for multiple coats as they soak into dry areas. That extended time gives a very even final finish that retains the touch of the wood.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you for writing and sharing! Yes, it would be amazing to see the world through the eyes of its trees. Thanks for the tung oil tip. All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@desmondjones7540]

Great job. Beautiful wood

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, kindly! Happy Turning!

[@joeblow7489]

Wow!

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you, Joe! Happy Turning!

[@oeriv]

Kent what became of this bowl? Is it being displayed? It sure is amazing and you did a wonderful job with the turning.🙂 Jim from N.B. Canada

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Jim, it's right here. Not going anywhere. This is one of those pieces I love having around because it helps illustrate how little we know about the world around us. Humbling to see and touch. Happy Turning!

[@oeriv]

@@TurnAWoodBowl Tim I am happy to hear you are keeping that piece. You are so correct, there is so much historical data recorded in ancient trees, so much to learn about our past climate, and yet we slaughter these trees all for a one time prophet. Human greed. At least some of the wood is preserved as art.😊

[@richardhampton9670]

Possible Bristlecone Pine

[@MikeB0001]

Cool piece! Looks like there were a lot of cow farts a few hundred years ago causing some global warming and drought in Colorado. Lots of slow growth years.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

LOL, Mike! OMG, I didn't want to go down that rabbit hole, but yes! Today we make a lot of assumptions with only about 120 years of detailed weather records. It would be interesting if we could lay out true regional weather histories for hundreds, or thousands of years with wood samples like this. I know it's being done, but obviously, trees like this don't grow everywhere. All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@MikeB0001]

@@TurnAWoodBowl 😃 Have a great Christmas and New Year!

[@archiehebron8944]

I've heard that using oil to sand will keep it from gumming up the paper and leaves a nice surface for handling, buffing or finishing with a compatible product. Eg shellac, French polish, danish oil. Mike Holton used this method for his recent video turning a vase from lignum vaitai. Is that how you spell it?

[@archiehebron8944]

I would test with that off cut before you jump into that bowl though.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thanks Archie, good advice! All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@hirudo881]

Hey Kent. I was wondering, if you ever considered creating a Discord channel for turning/woodworking?

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

I haven't. Hm? I'll take a look. Happy Turning!

[@hirudo881]

@@TurnAWoodBowl If you need any help, i have a few years experience setting up and managing a Blender3D related Server 👍

[@KnotboredWoodworking]

You realize you just turned the Death Star. 😂

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

It does look a bit like it, doesn't it? ;) Happy Turning!

[@twoblacklabs]

First off, what a great sample of what can be done from old standing timber that has clearly seen better days. Don’t automatically dismiss a piece as “Junk” as there may be a hidden gem lying in wait. As always, you’ve done a tremendous job. But I have to say, I’ve never watched a KZbin video with as many advertisements as this particular video before. There was a SIGNIFICANT increase in the frequency of displayed ads which takes away from joy of watching your videos. Yes, I understand the need to monetize but this was ridiculously bad.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thank you for writing and sharing! This was definitely not junk wood. ;) As for the ads, KZbin places those and I know they can be annoying. I appreciate you putting up with them, as that is one way I get paid for making this content. Without those ads and other avenues, I probably wouldn't be making these videos. All the best to you and Happy Turning!

[@tomwristen372]

Instead of grinding resin off i think rubbing alchohol will remove the resin, try. It it will. Save on buying new toolsi think i remember using it after climbing a pine tree as a teen or younger

[@vincentwyble5346]

Apparently, olive oil will dissolve the resin. Haven't tried it myself, but I've heard people say that it works quite well

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Hm? I'll have to try it out. Thanks and Happy Turning!

[@vincentwyble5346]

I'd be interested to know if it works. Happy turning to you, too.

[@thomasarth2458]

Turtle Island (the Indigenous name for North America) also has thousands of years of history. We tend to think that the history of our nations begins with the arrival of our white ancestors.

[@TurnAWoodBowl]

Thomas, so true. It's simply a common reference point. It would be amazing to see the history of our great country through some of its oldest trees. Happy Turning! Kent

[@tomhospidor7997]

Bristelcone pine?? They old !