# Scored Some Mulberry!



## JohnInTexas (Apr 1, 2014)

I saw some wood stacked in someone's yard and stopped to see if I could have some. I went back today to get the rest of the stump.










A closeup of the vase. It's currently drying in a paper sack.


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## cuerodoc (Jan 27, 2012)

Great score! You'll have fun with that.
Not much Mulberry around here--remember seeing it a lot where I grew up--Killeen area then.


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## red (Sep 30, 2008)

That is some awesome looking wood and a great bowl. Nice score.

Red


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## Hwood (Oct 21, 2011)

dang that is nice stuff


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## JohnInTexas (Apr 1, 2014)

Thanks, I almost feel guilty for having it. It isn't common around here either and I feel less than worthy to use it to its best advantage. The trunk piece in the photo has some great structure to it and I'm working on some smaller pieces while I ponder how best to show it off. I need to do some research on how others have shown off the grain direction changes and inclusions. I would like to turn a big platter from a wafer but most of the logs already have a split in the heartwood. Waiting to see how the smaller pieces dry out.....


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

That's cool! Makes me excited, my dad is taking down a couple mulberry trees on his acreage this spring and I plan on harvesting it for turning. I hope it looks half as cool as your score!


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## JohnInTexas (Apr 1, 2014)

ACP, I'm excited for you but hate to hear the mulberry trees are coming down. The fruit is great. From the bowl turning perspective, apparently this particular tree was cut down years ago and regrew in multiple trunks. Several of the trunks grew together and created the inclusions. If you like the fruit, you will love turning the wood. It smells just like the fruit if you turn it green.


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

They're common, at least on dads property. A lot of old mulberry with one or two spread by the birds. There's only two that'll come down now. The others will be around for awhile. I'll have to remember some pics if we ever thaw out.


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## bschiltz (Dec 30, 2013)

The big, old ones stop producing fruit after a while. We had a great big mulberry split in a wind storm last summer, the piece that split was about 22" diameter at the base. Very good wood for smoking, too. Pork and chicken especially


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## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

Very nice vase. I'd be curious too on seeing how it dries. I've got some straight grained Mulberry stashed away waiting for my skill level to catch up.
Yours look like it was a fast growing tree. Grain (growth rings) is more open than mine.


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## bond3737 (Nov 13, 2009)

Note to self. Mulberry is a gorgeous wood! kinda like if osage n walnut had a baby how did the wood turn? hard? soft chippy? stringy? Well done with the vase! happy turnin,
Bond


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## JohnInTexas (Apr 1, 2014)

Yes, it looked like a fast growing tree. We have a long growing season here in East Texas, plus this tree reportedly was a regrowth from established roots after the tree was cut down earlier. I hadn't thought about the connection but the logic makes sense to me.

These comments refer to wet turning. The wood was nice to turn, not stringy (ever tried turning willow?.....ewwww!). It has some very visible vascular bundles but I didn't notice any unusual issues with tearing out. The sawdust from the chainsaw was quite sticky but I didn't have any issues with it gumming up on the lathe. Sure smells good turning it wet, just like fresh mulberries. I did some final shaping with a very small bowl after it was dry and didn't notice anything unusual. The bowl was about 5" X 2" and warped a bit as it dried. Hopefully that won't be a bad omen for the larger piece now drying.


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## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

To me, it reminds me a lot like Bk Locust, in weight (density) and grain. I don't know how either of them turn, though.


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