Whadizzit? (SOLVED...Tung Tree)

[DanG]

I know this is a really skimpy clue, and nobody's gonna get it, but if ya want to take a potshot........ ;D




BTW, I took this pic this afternoon East of Tallahassee. ;)

[thurlow]

shoemake............sumac?

[DanG]

In a word, NO!

It is poisonous, but not in that way. ;D

I'll pull up another pic.

Maybe this'll help, but I doubt it.  You need to be a true-blue woodworker to get this'n. ;D

[Tom]

Well! Shut my mouth 'n bite my tung!!  I'll bet I know what it is. :D

[beenthere]

That be tongue, not tung. Or is that the tongue tree Vernicia fordii

Is this close? 


Thanks for the clue Tom. I've never seen one, but hear'd about 'em.

[woodbowl]

There used to be a tung oil grove and work place several miles from here. I guess that would have been in the 60's. I remember the old folks would call them varnish trees.

[DanG]

Well, Bless my Soul!  Y'all got that one right quick!  That is a Tung tree, the source of that succulent nectar that is so precious to woodworkers everywhere, Tung Oil.

The area just east of Tallahassee, specifically, Capps, Fl. was once known as the Tung Oil Capitol of the World.  I remember riding through the area when I was a kid and seeing the groves of Tung trees with the Clover growing around them.  It was a pretty sight.  Some of the old buildings that made up the refinery are still there.  I'll try to get some pics soon.  The industry is pretty much dead in this area now, but there may be a few old-timers that remember some details about the processes.

Meanwhile, I have permission from the man who owns this tree and several others, to take all the nuts I can when they fall next month.  It is my intention to dry as many as I can and try to extract a little bit of pure Tung Oil from them.  If I get so much as a teaspoon full, I'll be happy.  I'll also save a few nuts to plant, in hopes of having a few Tung trees of my own. ;D

[SwampDonkey]

Well I'll be. I ain't never heard of a tung tree. I figured it was made from some grain like we have lin seed oil, which is flax seed oil. I think lin seed is from french or 'Huile de lin'. Learned something new today.  8)

[sprucebunny]

I took this picture and one of the tree, of course, when I went to a botanical garden in FL last March. I just been waiting for a place to post it ;D

[Phorester]

You discovered the Foresters' secret of all tree ID.  Read the sign nailed to it.  ;D

[sandmar]

Never seen one before DanG thanks.Have used a lot of their nectar for sure.Have always heard the fable that the Great wall of China had this stuff on it.True or false?
nobody laugh to hard..I have had my leg pulled before  :-\
Sandmar

[DanG]

I don't know much about the Great Wall of China, Sandmar, except that it is one big honkin' wall.  Keep in mind, though that China is on the other side of the earth.  They may not pull your leg, but they might push it.  Good luck. ;) ;D

[richie47]

Hello DanG and others,

This thread may be a little old but I've been away...

have had some tung oil trees growing in the garden for 20 odd years - our climate here must be similar to yours in Fla; we are about 29deg south of the equator, 120 miles below Brisbane.  Very mild winters.
I just met a guy with a farm still [for distilling lemon oil from a local rainforest tree so I am collecting some seed to use in it.]
I guess I have to crush them a little to maximise results.  This still can handle about a ton of seed at one time so I may have to wait a bit.  Do they still use the trees for production over there?  and do you know what methods to get the oil out?

regards
richie47

[DanG]

Hi Richie47.  We are at about 30.5 degrees N, so our climates would be similar.

My understanding is that they would air dry the seeds, then remove the husk and squeeze the seeds in a press to extract the oil.  I don't know that there is any heat involved in the process, but I don't really know that there isn't, either.  I guess I'm under-informed.

I don't know of any commercial tung oil production in the States, now.  It was a pretty labor intensive operation, and the demand is low since they don't use it in paint any more.

I never did make it back over there to get any nuts, as the ol' boy went out of town for a while.  I imagine they are all gone now.  Maybe I can get some next year.  I did bring one home, and might be able to get one of the seeds to sprout.

[metalspinner]

What does the wood look like?  I wonder if it has a natural luster? ;D

[DanG]

I was wondering the same thing, MS, but the stingy old buzzard wouldn't let me cut his tree down to find out. >:(