Hollow Wood

[Emdiesse]

I have seen people make stokers for fire out of hollow woods like elder. Hollow, as in a pithy centre that is easily poked through. What other suitable woods are there that are easily hollowed out without cracking them open?

Cheers

 

[Harvestman]

Branches of monkey puzzle seem to have a pith that crumbles to a powder once the wood has died. Easily scraped into a hollow tube.

 

[Shewie]

We have a rampant Buddleia in the garden which has a pitch and gets a hair cut twice a year

 

[wildranger]

Elder is a good choice, I made a fire piston and two nice sounding flutes from it. Elder pith is usually about 1/2 inch or smaller in diameter but you can be lucky and get pieces with 3/4 inch diameter pith. Wild rose species also have a pith which is usually smaller in diameter than that of elder. Japanese knotweed is hollow with solid walls at the nodes like bamboo.