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Offline Boro

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Some wood questions, newbie needs help
« on: December 20, 2008, 02:18:28 pm »
Hello,
I have set my mind on felling a Ostrya carpinifolia (Ironwood if it is ironwood at all) tree. Now my question is does anybody know is it similar to Ostrya virginiana, thats American brother of it. I'm in Central Europe (more less) Picture is here




It is well around 40 cm / 16 inches in diameter in trunk area so it is a lot of bowmaterial if it is good. If not, no felling.
Please I need response in next 14 hours becaouse weekend is coming to an end quickly   ;D
Thanks in advance
Boris
« Last Edit: December 20, 2008, 03:33:26 pm by Boro »
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Zagreb, Croatia

Offline Pat B

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Re: Some wood questions, newbie needs help
« Reply #1 on: December 20, 2008, 02:59:14 pm »
My tree book says it is very similar to the American and Japanese versions but my book was written by Michael Dirr, a landscape plant expert from The U of Georgia(USA). If your tree wasn't so big, I'd say give it a try. There are lots of staves in that tree of yours and from looking at the bark, it is very straight.     Pat
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline PeteC

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Re: Some wood questions, newbie needs help
« Reply #2 on: December 20, 2008, 08:50:16 pm »
Boris ,do you have any smaller trees in that area you could experiment with?I cut Ostrya virginiana 4"-6" in diameter.Like Pat said,it looks good.Give it a try,and let us know your progress. Merry Christmas,and God Bless
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What you believe determines how you behave., Pete Clayton, Whitehouse ,Texas

Offline cowboy

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Re: Some wood questions, newbie needs help
« Reply #3 on: December 20, 2008, 11:04:10 pm »
Wish I could help - don't have a clue about the it being ironwood, but looks nice and straight like PatB said. Just looking at the tree gets my blood pumping - where's the saw >:D ;D?
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Offline Hillbilly

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Re: Some wood questions, newbie needs help
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2008, 09:39:16 am »
It should be similar to our species, if so it should make some good bows.
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Offline dragonman

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Re: Some wood questions, newbie needs help
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2008, 02:47:37 pm »
doesn,t look an ironwood tree to me and I don't think it as very good policy to sacrifice the life of such a big tree if you're not even sure if it is going to be of any use to you?  thats an an awfull lota wood just to experiment on one bow!, thats my opinion anyway.
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Offline Boro

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Re: Some wood questions, newbie needs help
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2008, 04:20:53 pm »
I agree with you Dragonman, so I did as Pete C suggested and found another, smaller tree wich I did fell. Anyway it is not experimenting with only one bow for my father is a woodworker (instruments, carpentry etc.) so even if it is not good for bows it will be good for his makings. We also make souvenirs for tourists that come to our house (Plitvice lakes-google it it is interesting) during touristic season.
Thanks for Your replys all I will post some pictures of this felling soon as I procces them. (I am in the middle of it now  :D )
P.S.
Excuse my lack of international names, here it is called "crni grab" and I think it is going to make a bow.

Now You got me thinking Dragonman :)

« Last Edit: December 21, 2008, 05:29:36 pm by Boro »
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Zagreb, Croatia

Offline Boro

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Re: Some wood questions, newbie needs help
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2008, 06:44:41 am »
I don't know what is it. By the bark it could be Ostrya Carfpinifolia but it also resembles maple when split.





Maybie someone could help? ???
After working with it it left an orange tone on hands and clothes.

Thanks for reading all and Merry Christmas!
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Offline dragonman

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Re: Some wood questions, newbie needs help
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2008, 11:01:56 am »
everyone was keen to chop the tree, I just wanted to consider the other side of the situation, I,m sure you wasn't going to waste the wood. I also take down a few trees for bows, but I only make the decision after very carefull consideration. If we tread lightly on this earth and only take the minimum that we need, then greed can not enter our hearts and we become wise. Wisemen make the fastest bows.
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'expansion and compression'.. the secret of life is to balance these two opposing forces.......

Offline Pat B

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Re: Some wood questions, newbie needs help
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2008, 11:08:54 am »
Boris, Split out some staves, seal the ends and set them aside to season. Take one stave, remove the bark, seal the back and ends(shellac works well for this) and reduce it to almost bow size. You can take it down to about 4" of floor tiller stage without over stressing it. Clamp the stave to a form with a bit of backset and give it a month to cure.
   Have you split it yet? how well did it split? was the grain stringy or did it split out OK?        Pat
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Boro

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Re: Some wood questions, newbie needs help
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2008, 05:15:15 pm »
Well said Dragonman, I thought it over and deciced on a smaller tree.

Pat B,
I have splitted them





In the beggining the small wedge was keen to bounce off when hit, but once it came inside it went easy, 5-6 blows with big mallet

I sealed the ends, I used acril putty



and this is the texture of wood



9 staves came out



quite big also, maybie some of them could be split more.

Anyway, 8 were put in a dry place (basement) and I took one to my apartment  :P (im in luck with extra room for this)
This one is waiting to be reduced.
One more question tough, if an average temperature of this extra room is around 12-15 Celsius (heating for this room is turned off) and relative humidity around 55-60 %, is wood kept there is going to overdry?
 
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Offline cowboy

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Re: Some wood questions, newbie needs help
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2008, 08:46:55 pm »
Those are some nice straight/ clean looking staves you have there Boro. Whatever kind of wood it is, that should keep you supplied in materials for quite awhile.   
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Offline Badger

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Re: Some wood questions, newbie needs help
« Reply #12 on: December 22, 2008, 08:56:26 pm »
  You did a nice job splitting out those staves. I wished I had somewhere to go to cut my own wood. Steve
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