Processing holly and hawthorn wood

[tombear]

We'll be picking up the first load of green wood tomorrow evening from where the nice guy is clearing his wooded garden. He's only done the holly and hawthorn so far but from what I saw it will be quite thick sections.

ill try to turn some green but the rest il have to do something to to try and stop it splitting. I'm currently thinking of getting the bark off the holly and then depending on the radius either halving or quartering both and sealing the ends with some paraffin wax we were given. Both woods I've read are prone to splitting and if there's enough to quarter i'll whip the pith off with the band saw and see if that helps.

Any advice folks?

ATB

Tom

 

[Macaroon]

I can't really speak to the Hawthorn as I've only ever used stick-sized pieces, but I've used Holly extensively in the past. The main thing with Holly is to stop it drying almost completely; you need to keep it moist as possible
with plenty of air moving about it. The same as seasoning any wood but really keeping moisture loss to a minimum. Quartering is a good thing to do, as is the wax treatment, but I wouldn't de-bark the Holly. The chap who
cut it may just have got it before the sap is up, in which case you're in with a good chance of keeping most of it shake-free, but over the years I've discovered that it's something of a lottery with this wood; some you cut at exactly the right time, treat it like it's in intensive care, store it perfectly and you come back to 80% of it split. Other times I've been given Holly in mid Summer, cut two weeks previously and not sealed so I've just thrown it aside and neglected it and hey presto! a year or so later, perfect and without the slightest twist or split.

Another thing that's just come to mind, people used to quarter the wood, then take two of the quarters opposite each other and turn them the other way around (lengthwise), then tie all four really tightly with wet hide or cotton scrim at both ends, the idea being that any warping tendency would be counteracted by the two quarters that were turned exerting the opposite tendency to warp.

I hope this makes sense and helps a little

 

[tombear]

Cheers, that just the sort of experience based advice I need!

Thanks!

ATB

Tom

 

[dwardo]

I have speed dried pretty much all of our native woods and they mostly.. comply. Holly on the other hand will check like nobody's business minutes after cutting in the right circumstances.
Hawthorn is similar and is definitely not a candidate for splitting, best sawn.
Once you get either seal the ends with pva glue, old paint anything really then let season properly. If you are in a rush the smaller the mass the less chance of checking and warping but its always a gamble.

 

[British Red]

Got any use for blackthorn Tom?

 

[tombear]

If its long enough for walking sticks aye, I've not heard of another use for it to be honest.

Cheers!

Tom

 

[British Red]

Its tree length. I'll try to save some straight bits. They may still have my blood on. Damned stuff bites.

 

[Toddy]

It's not exactly 'organic' but it will enable you to use Holly and Hawthorn.

Cut when either green (anytime really with Holly) or just starting to pull up liquid as buds break open, and immerse the cut end into a bucket with a solution of PEG. That is pulled up and saturates the timber, driving out the plants own sap as it does so. It can leave the surface feeling a bit waxy, but a good wipe off with solvent and if you're not overly fussed about a French Polish finish, it can save known splitting timber like Holly and Hawthorn, and let you use them relatively quickly.

I know it's supposed to be a total immersion process, but that done like glycerin way seems to work well. Bound to be links we can find.

atb,
Mary

 

[Fraxinus]

Got any use for blackthorn Tom?

As an aside I saw these structures in Germany and visited the little museum there too, web link as I cannot find my pics...

http://www.staatsbad-salzuflen.de/en/bad-salzuflen/graduation-houses.html

Rob.

 

[British Red]

That's really strange...interesting though!

 

[tombear]

Its tree length. I'll try to save some straight bits. They may still have my blood on. Damned stuff bites.

Cool, i'll make you a old English cudgel so you can hit back!

I think I've missed the boat this year with the PEG thing, but its something for next. A the guy will be clearing the grounds for years to come as its a huge site, for a domestic one.

Ta!


ATB

Tom

 

[British Red]

What is PEG out of interest?

 

[Macaroon]

I think it's some form of polyethelyne glycol, but I stand to be corrected. It's used in many fields, e.g. as a laxative, an additive in many food applications, a solvent and on and on...............

 

[Toddy]

Mac's right it's Polyethylene Glycol 1000.
It's used in wood conservation….timbers from the Mary Rose for instance.

It's reportedly long term stable, non reactive, non toxic, and very, very, useful. I know that woodturners use it too. My Uncle used it often to stabilise greenwood to stop it splitting. On some pieces it was worth roughing it out and then simply putting it into a bucket of the peg in water and letting it sit for a couple of weeks.

There's all kinds of technical information available on it on the net.

M

 

[British Red]

Its a new one on me, thanks guys.

Tom, I assume the rootball forms the knob on a cudgel?

 

[Toddy]

Here you go….nice clear introduction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_glycol

M

 

[tombear]

Its a new one on me, thanks guys.

Tom, I assume the football forms the knob on a cudgel?

It varies, I've seen them carved form a soild log, around a knot for the head, from where a branch comes out. There may be regional styles but I don't know about them if there is. The common denominators seam to be heavier construction all the way up and a substantial head/grip. The ones preserved in museums seam to be often carved from the rootball of a sappling but given the choice I'd favour the heart wood of something thats grown a fair few years. Now a days weighting the head would probably mean your going equipped rather than just carrying a walking stick.

ATB

Tom

PS Unless im looking in the wrong places the PEG looks like dear stuff

http://www.fishpond.co.uk/Health/Ro...source=googleps&utm_medium=ps&utm_campaign=UK

 

[Macaroon]

You may find it cheaper if you look outside of the Wood Stabiliser bracket, Tom; try searching for generic polyethelyne glycol 1000, perhaps?

 

[Toddy]

Twenty quid or so for five ltrs…..and that's a lot of stabilising
http://www.chemicals.co.uk/polyethylene-glycol-400-tech-peg-400

M

 

[tombear]

Well that's much more like it! Thanks!

ATB

Tom