Lilac?

[darin-N O S P A M-nntp2]

Has anyone out there done anything with lilac? We had some heavy straight-line winds roar through here Sunday night, and our neighbor lost a 60-year-old lilac about 6" in diameter. I was cutting it up to dispose of it for him when I saw that it had the most amazing reddish purple rings. I managed to salvage about 5' of reasonably straight wood, and I've tucked it away for the day when I finally buy a bandsaw :-)

(I have no idea what I'll do with it, but maybe I can make some small boxes or use it for inlay or pen blanks or something. It just seemed too interesting to toss out.)

Darin

P.S. I just did a quick Google on "lilac wood", and it turns out I could make myself a Wand of Enrapture:

you suppose there's a huge market for these things? (I sure hope not. Not to make fun of another's belief system, of course :-P

[Charlie Self]

Darin states:

The good news: Lilac is said to be easy to work, polishes nicely, turns and carves well. Color is gorgeous. Good for jewelry, candle holders, small turned items. Close grained and medium density, basically yellow-cream color with purple steaks.

The bad news: Difficult to season without checking.

Recommended seasoning method (Useful Woods of The World): split down the center (lengthwise), remove bark, wax ends, air dry very slowly.

Sounds like a fine wood, but my wife will kill me if I take out any of hers, all of which are under 2" in diameter anyway.

Charlie Self "In our civilization, and under our republican form of government, intelligence is so highly honored that it is rewarded by exemption from the cares of office." Ambrose Bierce

[Larry]

Lilac is wonderful stuff. It's beautiful and works & finishes beautifully. Its one fault is that it is very prone to splitting. If I were you, I'd get it to someone's bandsaw immediately. Slice it & then seal all surfaces - then wait till completely dry. It will be worth it.

[j.duprie]

you seem to have found the info.. one comment: if you leave it unfinished for a bit after you make something, the purplish color will turn a beutiful deep purply brown..

As for making a "wand of enrapture", if I could get folks to pay me $60 for a twig with some carving on it, I'd be cranking them out faster than spit.....

--JD

[George]

Feel free to attack any mainstream belief you care to in this forum. You'll find lots of support.

Best to invest in that bandsaw now, as lilac is worse than apple for honeycombing and splitting.

I managed to salvage about 5' of reasonably straight wood,

[Andy Dingley]

In a couple of week's time, I'm working the bank-holiday weekend as shop assistant in a travelling Wand Shop at a biggish LARP (role-playing) event. Amongst the LARPers, there is indeed a market for finely crafted wands. Custom woodwork or ironwork for sale too.

I'll also be in costume. I'm not yet sure what as, but this may be a rare chance to see me wearing a kimono in daylight....

If you're at the Heartland Games, say hi to the guy with the collapsible plywood throne.

[bridger]

yep. that's the problem with people nowadays. they go around

*believing* stuff just because somebody told them so, or because their great aunt bessy believed it or something.

when are they gonna get it; *Nothing* is true....

[Charlie Self]

Bridger responds:

Possibly true. Possibly not.

Charlie Self "In our civilization, and under our republican form of government, intelligence is so highly honored that it is rewarded by exemption from the cares of office." Ambrose Bierce

[Robert Bonomi]

Aup. not even _that_ statement.

[bridger]

whew. for a while there I thought nobody was gonna get it....