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2nd March 2024, 02:34 PM #1SENIOR MEMBER
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Remember when camphor laurel was a weed?
And the government encouraged everyone to rip it out and down at all costs... You couldn't even give it away as firewood it was such a lousy wood... Now guys are trying to flog slabs of it for thousands... It's still an ugly weed.
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2nd March 2024, 03:20 PM #2
What is the problem?
- Little one are weeds,
- Big one are nice timber.
Easy.
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2nd March 2024, 03:31 PM #3SENIOR MEMBER
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2nd March 2024, 03:58 PM #4GOLD MEMBER
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2nd March 2024, 06:12 PM #5
I picked up some sizeable chunks from a local arborist for bowl turning for some practice turning
Ive read so much about how poisonous it is in fine woodworking and other magazines that I’m not sure I want to turn it on the lathe even either a respirator
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2nd March 2024, 06:15 PM #6GOLD MEMBER
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2nd March 2024, 06:18 PM #7GOLD MEMBER
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Yeah, nah. Makes good drawer sides. Smells good too.
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2nd March 2024, 06:28 PM #8
That does look good for drawer sides, I keep Douglas fir for this purpose also. Great to work with but camphor comes up way nicer.
I should try cut some up for sides
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2nd March 2024, 06:48 PM #9
It’s a good timber to use in winter. Cleans the sinuses out. And the big stuff is great for fine slab furniture because it holds batten screws really well eh. Seriously I don’t know about price but some of it is quite pretty, it’s easy to work and it’s a resource…
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2nd March 2024, 08:37 PM #10
Any time we can turn something officially classified as rubbish, or even worse, noxious, into a useful product it can't be all bad surely. Granted it may not be everybody's cup of tea. I think back in history it was favoured for blanket boxes as the camphor smell deterred moths. The smell is distinctive and not unpleasant to my nose, but the grain is very open.
Regards
PaulBushmiller;
"Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"
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2nd March 2024, 09:08 PM #11SENIOR MEMBER
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+1 for smells good. It's oil one of the key ingredients in Vicksburg vapour rub!
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3rd March 2024, 11:14 AM #12SENIOR MEMBER
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Well for starters it is not a lousy wood.
Nor is the tree an ugly weed.
I've milled Camphor in the past and can report the timber is exceptionally figured and displays a wonderful range of colours.
Most worthy!
Log Dog
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3rd March 2024, 04:08 PM #13SENIOR MEMBER
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Only an opinion folks!!
Just to clarify. I don't consider turned pieces as furniture. For me it's an entirely different craft that has it's own rules regarding choice of wood.
But I'll say why I think that with the pics below. By n large I'm suspecting that most here would consider the Georgian tallboy examples below are ugly, but that's not the point here, it's the choice of wood and how it impacts the overall design and outcome. When you have highly figured wood it can easily overwhelm and become an assault on the eyes, even if the piece is of a spectacular quality. Proportions, style and design are all of an incredibly high standard on both of them, but for me the mahogany one is much better because the wood doesn't overpower it. Obviously no one would ever consider making antique reproductions from camphor laurel but even in modern furniture I find the grain to be too figured and contrasting and quite frankly - ugly. It robs the maker of showcasing their skill because it commands too much attention. Even on a simple but elegant trestle table in a kitchen/dining room. Instead of the design and joinery of the wedged trestles being part of the showcase it's lost in the top. Might was well throw the slab on some metal legs and be done with it. YMMV.
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3rd March 2024, 05:54 PM #14GOLD MEMBER
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3rd March 2024, 07:13 PM #15
Only an opinion folks... I never understood why people say this when they offer an opinion and then others offer a different opinion. It's almost like stating mine is an opinion and the other is something else...
How do you think those antiques would have looked when made? Certainly not as muted as they are now. You only have to search for images of antique kusunoki cabinetry to find examples of beautiful antique Japanese cabinetry made with camphor wood. Beautiful muted cabinetry.
I find both of those chests are beautiful.
YKMMV