Milled Some Wide Catalpa- Beautiful Wood, WOW!

[lumberjackchef]

A freind called me up yesterday and told me he was gonna bring me over a Catalpa stump that had been cut out of his front yard. It was bigger than I expected it would be , and solid to boot! Here's what it looks like so far..........

 

[Can8ianTimber]

That is an awesome looking chunk of wood. Good job, keep the pics coming.

 

[BeechBum]

Wow!!!

 

[smokinj]

I know where one of these are, have you worked with this wood before. I have been over looking it thinking that the wood is really soft?

 

[mtngun]

Beautiful BBW (big bodied wood) ! ! !

Thanks for the pics.

 

[Timberframed]

Dang! Nothing short of Mother Nature at her best again. Never see them around here much more than 16". Good work with that. As a kid we used to smoke the beans like a cigar.

 

[keh10]

Great looking wood. The real question is what are your plans for it? I've always been under the impression that catalpa has limited practical uses beyond carving. Good luck!

 

[Gunther274]

Very beautiful wood! Soft wood though, idk what you are going to do with planks. Gosh though, them colors, there has to be a use for it!

 

[lumberjackchef]

THese guys seem to like it quite well!

Characteristics and Value of Catalpa Wood

 

[lumberjackchef]

Here are some pics of an example of what i might build out of slabs like these from the Catalpa.

 

[tbone75]

A freind called me up yesterday and told me he was gonna bring me over a Catalpa stump that had been cut out of his front yard. It was bigger than I expected it would be , and solid to boot! Here's what it looks like so far..........

I would love to get hold of some of that for knife handles.Got any spare small pieces?

 

[smokinj]

That color really changes wow reminds me of redwood. The fresh pic's look alot like walnut.

 

[sachsmo]

Catalpa was grown in plots on many farms. It was said to be great post wood.

Do not think farmers ever let 'em get that BIG.

 

[jerrycmorrow]

nice looking wood and grain. all i ever thought they were good for was the worms for fishing. almost makes me want my big catalpa to die; but naw, i like the shade.

 

[redoakneck]

Very awesome LJC!!! How wide is that wood and mill??? Nice furniture too...

 

[rarefish383]

My neighbor used to be an engineer for the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. He would make mock ups of things like the space shuttle to the bridge of a nuke sub. He said when they needed to make frame work they used Catalpa because it looked kinda like Oak but was very light. He said it had pretty good structural strength, Joe.

 

[lumberjackchef]

My neighbor used to be an engineer for the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. He would make mock ups of things like the space shuttle to the bridge of a nuke sub. He said when they needed to make frame work they used Catalpa because it looked kinda like Oak but was very light. He said it had pretty good structural strength, Joe.

That is pretty cool , thanks for sharing. I would have never guessed that!

 

[john taliaferro]

Big wood can always be used ,especially when its looking like that . I have tried to turn some but had to stop as its makes me sneeze .

 

[jerrycmorrow]

Big wood can always be used ,especially when its looking like that . I have tried to turn some but had to stop as its makes me sneeze .

just saw your monkey wards saw in yer signature. that's what my dad used to call it. never heard anyone else use that terminology. you must be really old, eh?

 

[rarefish383]

just saw your monkey wards saw in yer signature. that's what my dad used to call it. never heard anyone else use that terminology. you must be really old, eh?

Yep, back here in MD, all the men called it Monkey Wards. I'm 55 is that old? I still haven't grown up, so I can't tell, Joe.