# Turning Cypress



## WillemJM (Aug 18, 2011)

Managed to get a 10" diameter 4" thick, cross grain piece of Cypress last night, with very nice spalting and red streaks in it. It is very wet.

Any experience turning Cypress appreciated, do I turn it wet to about 3/8" wall thickness and leave it out to dry, or do I wait until the blank dries?

Never done anything with Cypress before, do not know how stable it is when drying?


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I've never turned it, but I work with a LOT of cypress. It's one of the most forgiving woods when drying. Doesn't shrink much, doesn't warp, twist or cup much at all. It can be stickered pretty far apart and dries quickly... 5/4 is stable in 7 months just air dried with good circulation.

It does check pretty readily and wind shake is common in it. 

It hand planes and tools pretty well when wet so I should think it would turn decently when wet. Only problem though is that it's very spongy and frays / fuzzes pretty bad whether wet or dry. A scraper works pretty well on it if that translated to anything in regards to turning. A guy I know who runs cypress through his carvewright says a brass wire brush helps considerably to clean it up prior to sanding / clean-up.

Sorry I can't give you any help with the turning part of it but I hope that helps with what the wood is like.

~tom "Ignorance is not a lack of intelligence - it's a lack of know-how"


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## WillemJM (Aug 18, 2011)

Thx Tom

I will give it a shot wet, because at 3/8" thick it should dry pretty fast. Will finish sand after drying.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Willem,
I would cut the log up into blanks whatever size you plan on using. If they're going to be bowl blanks, you can either rough turn them to 10% of their diameter and put each of them in their own paper grocery bag and let them dry for a few months. Then finish turn them to desired thickness (thinness?). If you are going to turn them wet from start to finish, you can do that. You should turn each blank without stopping for lunch or whatnot. They will warp as they dry out. I would shoot for a very thin wall 1/8" to 3/16". You can go slightly thicker on the bottom, but not much. Make sure there is no pith left in the blank when you are cutting them up. 
Mike Hawkins


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## Bonanza35 (Jan 20, 2011)

How'd that bowl work out? I just heard about some cypress I think I can get and just wondered...


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## WillemJM (Aug 18, 2011)

Bonanza35 said:


> How'd that bowl work out? I just heard about some cypress I think I can get and just wondered...


Ended I was wrong, it was Sycamore,. Soft and cracked on me while turning, but I rescued it and glued in a wedge. Busy drying, waiting for finish.


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