Olivewood Turning Blanks

Highly prized for it’s exceptional grain, Olivewood has become a favorite of woodturners. The heartwood is nutty brown, interlaced with fine veins of dark brown and greenish hues. The sapwood is a base of creamy yellow with similar striping. Olivewood is hard, heavy and fine textured. It turns and polishes beautifully. These turning blanks are available in an assortment of sizes for bowls, platters, carvings, bottle stoppers, chess pieces, tool handles, table legs, spindles, finials, candlesticks and whatever else your imagination can conjure up!

Due to high demand and limited supply, we cannot always guarantee that this item will be in stock. Turning Blanks come rough sawn to nominal thickness and are coated with wax.

• Botanical name: Olea europaea.
• Native to: Northern Africa, the Middle East and Southern Europe. Also grown in California, Florida and Arizona.
• Tree: Olive trees may grow to 25' tall, with trunk diameters of up to 12", and may live as long as 1500 years.
• Heartwood: Nutty brown with veins of rich green and dark brown. Acquires a rich patina with exposure to UV rays.
• Sapwood: Creamy golden color, interlaced with darker stripes.
• Texture: Fine, with closed pores.
• Working Characteristics: Routs and planes well with carbide cutters. Turns and carves beautifully. Sawing and drilling are somewhat difficult. Keep tools very sharp. Prebore when nailing and screwing.
• Movement: Unstable. Exhibits great movement with humidity changes.
• Odor: Emits a faint, sweet aroma when machined.
• Polish: Can be polished to an exceptional sheen.
• Strength: Very hard, heavy and strong.