Splitting Hazel?

[C_Claycomb]

A quick question. Didn't find the answer in any previous threads :roll:

Do hazel rods always spiral as they grow? I haven't split many pieces of hazel, but those that I have, 2" diameter, green, have grain that twist through nearly 180degrees. They split clean, but the split spirals.

Is that always the case? The reason I was splitting 2" diameter hazel was that I was looking for bow material, wondered how hazel would work.

 

[Realgar]

I've never seen it spiral, I split using a billhook tapped in from the end, this must influence the splitting as it's cutting through the full width in one go ( I use it for fencing & hedges ).

As for use in bows, I gather it's great as a green wood but a bit stiff when seasoned.

Realgar

 

[Ed]

Was it cut from a tree or a copice?

Ed

 

[C_Claycomb]

Old coppice. Quite a lot of straight stems, but not being maintained.

 

[Tantalus]

hazel usually grows straight and long afaik

which is why it makes such nice walking sticks

unless it is one of the wiggly ornamental varieties

did it come from somewhere exposed to a lot of wind?

Tant

 

[led]

I thought this occurred in all trees, due to the earth's rotation. It's not usually that marked in younger trees, but can certainly be seen more easily the older they get.

 

[Jack]

A quick question. Didn't find the answer in any previous threads :roll:

Do hazel rods always spiral as they grow? I haven't split many pieces of hazel, but those that I have, 2" diameter, green, have grain that twist through nearly 180degrees. They split clean, but the split spirals.

Is that always the case? The reason I was splitting 2" diameter hazel was that I was looking for bow material, wondered how hazel would work.

Chris.

No worries, you aren’t doing anything wrong!


Hazel is pretty good at doing this and so to is the majority of British hardwoods.

You here many tales of why hazel does this, a favourite is that it is caused by the wind rotating the hazel, the hazel following the direction of the sun and even some people say that it is caused by high levels of nitrogen in the soil.

Like most wives’s tales, you only have to stand still and think for a moment and you soon realise that none of them make any sense.


What is actually happening is when the hazel is growing and the cells are being laid down, instead of the cell growing vertically on top of each other, they are in fact just growing off centre, so when the next one is laid down that too, is growing of centre so as the rod grows, you get the spiralling effect.

This is actually a genetic defect in the plant itself and nothing you can do about it. The whole will be the same. This becomes a nightmare when you have to use this for hurdle making as it can ‘throw’ your hurdle out as it has so much tension it and it is trying to twist in your hurdle.

Have used some that was so bad that it done a 360 in about 12”………..that took some splitting, so in the end I just coppiced the stool and left it to be recycled by nature.

The strange thing is that the hazel will give you no clue as to how it will split, it only tells you once you have opened it up.

I think that the nursery of centuries past, would off been aware of this and would soon be told by the woodsman that they are selling them duff stock……….but like most business’s, would of more than likely ‘slipped’ some duff ones in the mix…….and we are having to deal with their decisions now, in the 21 centuary!

 

[redflex]

This is not always a defect in wood,

Sweet Chestnut always grows with a twist due to the cell structure,
It also cause the blocks on cherry trees etc.

 

[Jack]

and Chestnut is pretty proned to shake as well

 

[Tantalus]

just curious , (and slightly OT too sorry)

how do the wiggly ornamental hazels work ? is it the same twist just bred to the extreme?

Tant