New Catcher and sometimes Turner

Hi all.
Good to find this forum and the wealth of information it contains.
I'm new to wood turning. Have been mucking around for the past few months on a little WL-18 Hafco lathe.

Have found the imitations of the lathe... continually finding more of my own limitations as I try new techniques.
I'm turning dead, cracked, burnt and unwanted hardwoods. Plenty of catches, occasional chunks flying, and a little success now and then. Not he easiest learning curve but am learning to listen to what direction the timber wants me to go.

Would like to upgrade the lathe, the shed needs a good fit out and I need help identifying different tree species and how to work with them.
I have been browsing various topics and will post on relevant threads sooner or later.

Heres one of my efforts of making a mortar from a dead tree that has been sitting on a mates property for 9 years outside.
Very hard, very heavy (sinks in water), impervious to termites, unknown timber. Looks like kwila but that doesnt grow here. Could be a bloodwood or some other Corymbia sepcies. Some 1-1.5mm growth ring voids/delaminationsk filled and a chunk reattached with epoxy.

Can click images to go to image hosting site for bigger size.
Final finish pics aren't great - they were taken in a hurry to give the mortar to the mate who gave me the timber. I might post a video when time allows.

Looking forward to the conversations
Cheers - Fallen

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Welcome to the forum.

G'Day & Welcome to a top forum "Fallen".
There are a few members up the Top End plus the rest of Australia and the world.....
You'll find a heap of helpful & knowledgeable blokes & ladies on the forum and for most very willing to assist.
Make sure you show off your handiwork as everyone loves a photo, especially WIP [Work In Progress] photos with build notes.
Enjoy the forum......
Enjoy your woodwork......
Cheers crowie

Welcome to the forum

Thanks for the welcome gents.
I will be sure to post other works in progress on a relevant thread.

I visited my mate over the weekend and got a side profile shot of the mortar on his bench top.
Perhaps a bit of an odd odd shape . I'm sure I will look back at this in years to come and chuckle. I wanted to work on the shape of the base some more but I must have lost 10mm from one of my crown gouges from all the sharpening and took to my carbide roughing tip with a diamond card about 15 times. I also wanted to retain as much of the timber as possible for weight and, show glimpses of the cracks and weathering to remind my mate this this wood literally came out of the ashes from his block.

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The log has endured at least 9 wet seasons (thats how long he has owned the block) completely exposed to the elements and at least one fire which went thru the bush block. The other end of the log was almost completely charred