Bradford Pear Wood Use?

[WoodWrangler]

Today a couple guys came out and chopped down two overgrown Bradford Pear trees in my yard. I asked them to keep the base part of the tree for me ... so now I've got two 4ft long trunks that I have no idea what I'm going to with them! :-?

I've found some articles on Google claming it's a good turning material ... but I don't have a lathe so that's out. :-x

Any other use? Ever used it? :eusa_thin

 

[DaveO]

I've turned Pear, and like all fruit woods it is good for turnings. You might be able to get a board or two out of it to make something small, or you could cut it up for bowl blanks for your turn with the GW lathe :eusa_danc :eusa_danc :eusa_danc

Dave

 

[ChrisMathes]

yah...definately great turning wood with beautiful color transitions throughout. I love turning the fruitwoods....I know that does not help your cause, but perhaps you could make some money to buy the wood you want...

Chris

 

[DIYGUY]

I think you should give it all to me as I have a lathe. I will give you a nice bowl in return :wink:

 

[PeteM]

Bring them down to my place. Between the two of us (blind leading the blind) and my hardly used Delta we should be able to make some nice pear chips. :eusa_danc

 

[JRD]

Makes very pretty turning materials. I've done a bowl or two with it and like the color and grain.

It is prone to checking during drying, just like most fruitwoods.

Jim

 

[jeff...]

I think most fruit trees make for good turning material, if you can get a big enough pith free chunk. Nick (NZAPP1) seemed to have drying with DNA down to a science, you might want to check with him to get his formula. I haven't seen Nick on much lately.

 

[dozer]

Re-saw it on the bandsaw and maybe make some boxes or a clock.

 

[BumoutBob]

had some hurricain downed Bradford pear that turned out a nice bowl. Wood was creamy colored and very fine grain. Finishing was harder because it had a tendency to splotch and absorb stain differant like Cherry.

 

[DaveO]

Today would be a good day for Bradford Pear collecting. The high winds we are having in the Triangle area are breaking them up left or right. I spotted 3 that had split in a short drive from Raleigh to Cary. Pretty wood, crappy tree :roll:

Dave

 

[ChrisMathes]

No doubt, Dave...I can only add 'overused' (in landscaping) to your description.

Pretty wood, crappy tree :roll:

Dave

 

[DavidF]

I've turned Pear, and like all fruit woods it is good for turnings. You might be able to get a board or two out of it to make something small, or you could cut it up for bowl blanks for your turn with the GW lathe :eusa_danc :eusa_danc :eusa_danc

Dave

This is a good idea. I had no blanks prepared for my first stint on the lathe and ended up glueing up some 2 x 4 for practise and cadging some walnut off of Sapwood for the real thing.

 

[Toddler]

Hmmm, so what fruit trees are good for landscaping? I am going to be planting a few over the next two months on the 11 acre field we hope to build on in a couple of years. I'll put in some non fruit trees too, but we have a long triangle lot, and want to put in a mixed orchard of sorts at the peak.

And I want them to be BIG and pretty. Crab apples of course, and maybe some other apple trees. I'll rule out Pear based on this thread

Todd

 

[DIYGUY]

Take a spin over to the NC State Arboretum off Hillsborough St in Raleigh and get an eyeful for yourself. Makes a great trip with the kids too. And while you are over there you can stop off at Capitol City Lumber to see what an old-fashioned lumber yard used to be like. Leave the wallet at home so you can afford some new timber for the lot ...

 

[Toddler]

http://www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum/
Interesting looking place, and I think maybe I'll bring the kids someday. Usually we go to Duke Gardens for picnics and such. But pretty as it is, I'm not sure that visiting an arboretum will do me a lot of good. NC State put together a pretty high maintenance research arboretum/garden, I want a low maintenance yard.

Anyway, I shouldn't have hijacked this thread. I'll consider starting a new one later when I have some time to think about the correct questions.

Todd

 

[WoodWrangler]

Thanks for all of the feedback ... and thanks Todd for hi-jacking the thread! lol :lol:

I'm going to pull some more of the larger trunk/branches out of the trash & take them to Pete's to TURN!

Maybe I'll even try my hand at turning one into some very small boards and then try to dry them out!

 

[wayne]

Correct me if I'm wrong here but the name is a little misleading Bradford pear trees are'nt really fruit trees seeing as how they don't bear any fruit just prolific in blooms. That being said it is some nice looking wood.

 

[DaveO]

They do fruit, but it isn't something that you would ever consider eating Bradford pear is Pyrus calleryana or a cultivated var. of Callery Pear. Where as the trees that produce the commonly eaten fruit are P. communis or at least cultivated varieties of that species.
Dave

 

[ChrisMathes]

geez, Dave...you don't have to patronize the guy...everyone knows it's Pyrus calleryana... hehe

I think the concept of fruit trees in this discussion is more 'meant' for classifying the wood characteristics...not to disregard the latin lesson, of course

Chris

 

[cskipper]

geez, Dave...you don't have to patronize the guy...everyone knows it's Pyrus calleryana... hehe

I think the concept of fruit trees in this discussion is more 'meant' for classifying the wood characteristics...not to disregard the latin lesson, of course

Chris

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