{"id":2124,"date":"2016-12-18T04:00:07","date_gmt":"2016-12-18T09:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/?p=2124"},"modified":"2016-10-28T12:43:24","modified_gmt":"2016-10-28T16:43:24","slug":"2124-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/2124-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Mulberry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Geographical Distribution<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When talking about Mulberry wood, we enter a zone of potential confusion.  Most all trees known by the common name of “Mulberry” belong to the genus Morus<\/em>, although there are some notable exceptions such as the “Paper Mulberry.”  Paper Mulberry is properly known as Broussonetia papyrifera<\/em>, closely related to Morus<\/em>, but alas, not identical.  Within the Morus<\/em> genus there are some 10–16 species of deciduous trees, most of which are native to eastern Asia, although there is one native to Iran, one native to Africa, and three native to the Americas, but only two which are native to North America.<\/p>\n

Of the two native to North America, the first is Morus celtidifolia<\/em>, also known as the Texas mulberry.  As the name implies, it is native to parts of western Texas, as well as New Mexico, Arizona, Mexico, and Central and South America as far south as Argentina.<\/p>\n

The native Morus<\/em> which is of primary interest to us because it is the one with the widest range and the one most likely to be encountered by the hobbyist wood turner, is Morus rubra<\/em>, or the Red Mulberry.  The tree is so named because of the color of the fruit which it bears, although fruitless cultivars are widely cultivated as landscape plants.  M. rubra<\/em> is native a very large swath of North America ranging from Massachusetts and southern Vermont west through the southern half of New York to extreme southern Ontario, southern Michigan, central Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota; south to Iowa, southeastern Nebraska, central Kansas, western Oklahoma and central Texas; and east to southern Florida. It is also found in Bermuda.  M. rubra<\/em> reaches its greatest size in the Ohio River Valley.<\/p>\n

\"Mulberry

Mulberry Interior<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

It is possible, but not as likely, that Morus<\/em> wood harvested for hobby purposes, trees of the Morus<\/em> genus are rarely if ever harvested commercially, could belong to either M. nigra<\/em> or M. alba<\/em>, both of which are native to eastern Asia but which have been planted in North America to differing degrees.  M. nigra<\/em> is known to have been introduced to Texas, Louisiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia as well as the island of Puerto Rico.  M. alba<\/em> has been reported in all states with the exceptions of Nevada and Alaska.  M. alba<\/em> has also been reported in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.  M. alba<\/em> is considered by some, in fact, to be an invasive foreign species and it readily cross-pollinates with the native M. rubra<\/em>.<\/p>\n

It is most likely that the Mulberry wood that I worked with was in fact M. rubra<\/em>, although it could also be M. alba<\/em>.  These species are most likely because the origin of the wood was the state of Missouri and those are the two Morus<\/em> species known to be found within that state.  Without seeing the fruit from the tree in question, barring expensive and needless DNA sequencing, it is impossible to know for certain, but at any rate, the working characteristics of the wood are quite similar.<\/p>\n

For sake of simplicity, I will simply refer to Mulberry from this point forward.<\/p>\n

General Characteristics<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The heartwood of Mulberry is of a golden brown color.  This color will darken with age to a medium reddish brown tone.  The Mulberry sapwood is of a pale yellowish white color.  In appearance, Mulberry can difficult to distinguish from Osage Orange<\/a> or Black Locust.  However, Osage Orange tends to be considerably heavier by volume and while Black Locust and Mulberry are of quite similar density, they can be differentiated by using black light fluorescence;  Black Locust is highly fluorescent while Mulberry is not.<\/p>\n

The grain of the Mulberry tends to be quite straight with a uniform medium texture.  Mulberry displays a good natural luster.<\/p>\n

Mulberry endgrain shows both small and large pores in a ring pattern.  Medium to wide rays are common as are gum deposits.<\/p>\n

Mulberry is rated as being very durable in terms of resistance to rot.  Mulberry also has good insect resistance.  Mulberry also weathers well.  All of these characteristics make it an excellent choice for outdoor utility applications.<\/p>\n

Working Characteristics<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Mulberry is not commonly used as a timber wood so the working characteristics are not as well explicated as is the case for many more commonly utilized woods.  However, Mulberry is reported to respond well to both machine and hand powered tools.  Mulberry is also reported to turn, glue and finish well.  It should be noted that Mulberry is quite hard, notably harder in fact than either Red or White Oak.  Mulberry is not noted to have any distinctive odor.<\/p>\n

\"Mulberry

Mulberry Reverse<\/p><\/div>\n

Pricing and Availability<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Mulberry is almost never commercially harvested because most trees of are not of suitable size.  When Mulberry is sold, it is sold by and for hobbyists from small mills local to areas in which Mulberry is native, mostly in the southeastern United States.<\/p>\n

When available, expect Mulberry to be quite expensive for a domestic hardwood due to its scarce availability and generally small size.<\/p>\n

In this blog, I almost always recommend several vendors with whom I have done considerable business and in whom I have great confidence.  These vendors are: West Penn Hardwoods<\/a>, Bell Forest Products<\/a>, NC Wood<\/a>, Got Wood?<\/a>, and WoodTurningz of Indiana<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, none of these fine vendors only Got Wood? currently sells Mulberry turning stock, in sizes ranging from 6”x2” to 10”x2” but only one of each size.  Hurry or they may be gone by the time you look.  The most expensive piece is slightly over $14.<\/p>\n

I did do a quick search to see what I could find in terms of Mulberry turning blanks and the results were quite limited and only consisted of limited dimensional lumber sizes.  I purchased my Mulberry turning blanks through Ebay<\/a>, a source I am reluctant to use, but for a wood of such limited availability the choices are few.<\/p>\n

Woodfinder <\/a>is an excellent website that is dedicated to advertising wood dealers.  In your search for Mulberry, this can be an invaluable resource provided you use multiple search terms to capture all the possible listings.  I can’t speak to the quality of any of the listed dealers, but Woodfinder does have the advantage of allowing searches to be performed based on location which might allow an interested buyer to visit a listed wood dealer in person to hand pick pieces at a comfortable price.<\/p>\n

A significant problem with using Woodfinder is that many vendors are listed for woods that, upon further investigation, they do not offer.  I don’t know if perhaps once they did and they didn’t update their listings or if some vendors use a standardized list of woods that include most everything conceivable with the idea that once you land on their page you will find something you want to buy even if you didn’t know it beforehand.  It happens to me all the time!<\/p>\n

Uses<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When Mulberry is used, it tends to be used for outdoor applications such as fence posts or for indoor or outdoor furniture.  In addition, because of its hardness, Mulberry is also used to make turned objects.<\/p>\n

\"Mulberry

Mulberry Exterior<\/p><\/div>\n

Sustainability<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Mulberry is not listed as being in any way threatened or endangered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendices<\/a> nor is it on the IUCN Red List<\/a>.  However, within Canada, M. rubra<\/em> is considered endangered<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To my knowledge, Mulberry is not subject to special restrictions by any United States government agency.<\/p>\n

I realize that inherent in working with wood is the killing of a part of the natural world that may be slow to return and if I become deeply concerned about this fact, I will have to find a new hobby.  I hope that such a time does not come to pass or at least not any time soon.  In part because I am concerned about legally and responsibly obtained wood, I am reluctant to buy from sellers outside of well-established and known vendors.  I am highly unlikely, for example, to purchase any wood from auction sites, such as Ebay, because of uncertain sourcing and documentation, as well as the potential, even likelihood, of material being misidentified in order to achieve a higher selling price.<\/p>\n

However, due to the commercial scarcity of some domestic woods, resorting to auction sites such as Ebay or Etsy <\/a>may be the only way to obtain some desirable domestic, or in some cases exotic imported, species that are not routinely commercially harvested.  The potential risks of buying in these marketplaces have to be balanced against the desire to work with a specific species of wood.  That is inherently an individual decision.<\/p>\n

I also realize that many, if not most, wood workers do not have endangered species lists memorized, therefore I think it worthwhile and important to do even a small amount of research before purchasing any lumber, domestic as well as imported, to be certain of the potential impact you are having, even in a small way, on threatened or endangered populations.  This information is easy to come by and takes only minutes to locate through any Internet search engine, including those you can access on your phone as you are standing in the lumber yard or store.  Unfortunately, you simply cannot count on a vendor to tell you a product they are selling is endangered.<\/p>\n

Health Hazards<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There have been no specific negative health reactions associated with Mulberry at this time.  However, the long-term negative effects of exposure to sawdust of any species are well documented.<\/p>\n

It is important to remember that although many people may, or may not, be sensitive to any given wood, the only experience that truly counts is your own, so use reported side effects as guidance but not as a substitute for cautious and safe practices.<\/p>\n

Appropriate protective equipment is therefore always recommended when working with this, or any other, wood, exotic or domestic, unless you have worked with the species before and are certain you are not sensitive to it.<\/p>\n

Complete information about health hazards<\/a> associated with a wide variety of exotic hardwoods is available from The Wood Database<\/a>.  Additional information about how to best use a dust collection system and personal protective equipment, such as respirators, can also be found through this excellent and comprehensive resource<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, I experienced no negative side effects when working with Mulberry.<\/p>\n

My Personal Experiences<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I have written about Mulberry briefly in the past in relation to a small goblet<\/a> that I made from the wood.<\/p>\n

The most immediately notable attribute of Mulberry was its incredibly hardness, easily one of the hardest of the domestic hardwoods.  Despite being very hard I did experience some roughly cut areas on the cross grain sections that I had a difficult time removing.  I often find that repeated very light cuts with a freshly sharpened bowl gouge will go a long way toward removing these rough areas and that was the case here as well, although I did need to freshly sharpen the gouge to get clean cuts on such a hard wood.  Hard woods such as Mulberry are difficult to sand because the hardness of the wood resists the sandpaper but with patience anything is possible.<\/p>\n

I found the wood to be quite yellow-greenish in color, especially the fine dust from sanding.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the wood turned out quite nice and achieved a very beautiful natural luster well before I applied any finish at all just through very fine grit sanding down to 800.  When I did apply the finish it took extremely well and served to further highlight the greenish color of the heartwood.  I have never yet seen a wood with such a pronounced greenish cast and I was quite pleased with the effect.<\/p>\n

I could easily see myself working with Mulberry in the future if I can locate reasonable sized pieces for a decent price.  If any of my readers locate some, please do let me know.<\/p>\n

As always, I wish all my readers a great experience in whatever their wood working interests happen to be and to those who like working with lathes especially, do a good turn today!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ultimately, the wood turned out quite nice and achieved a very beautiful natural luster well before I applied any finish at all just through very fine grit sanding down to 800. When I did apply the finish it took extremely well and served to further highlight the greenish color of the heartwood. I have never yet seen a wood with such a pronounced greenish cast and I was quite pleased with the effect.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":175,"featured_media":2126,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[128,138,139,130],"tags":[154,171,181,183,194,200,204,210,217,239,240,247,252],"yoast_head":"\nMulberry - Wood Turning Pens ..<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mulberry is a very hard wood native to the eastern United States, that is not commonly available but which makes an excellent turning wood when found\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/2124-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mulberry - Wood Turning Pens ..\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mulberry is a very hard wood native to the eastern United States, that is not commonly available but which makes an excellent turning wood when found\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/2124-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Wood Turning Pens ..\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-12-18T09:00:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-10-28T16:43:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/Mulberry-Exterior.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Wood_Pens\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Wood_Pens\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/2124-2\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/2124-2\/\",\"name\":\"Mulberry - 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