Bombarde16 Posted June 12, 2014 Report Share Posted June 12, 2014 Those of you not familiar, it's a miserable invasive tree here in the midwest. Ugly, gnarled beasts that drop an annual mess of squishy, purple berries all over the place. We just had one taken down on our property. The folks who did the deed merely chopped things into 4'-6' lengths and left them near the back fence. I took those down to fireplace length and stacked them but, just out of sheer curiosity, decided to split one of the widest (ca 8") pieces to see if I could make a few boards. With the help of a sled, I got some straight cuts and have a promising harvest of what look to be tool handles in the making. The heartwood has a mild, pinkish straw color with very tight, hard grain. Currently green, it cuts nicely with a sharp blade and we'll see how it behaves as it dries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave H Posted June 12, 2014 Report Share Posted June 12, 2014 Common Name(s): Buckthorn Scientific Name: Rhamnus spp. (Rhamnus cathartica, R.purshiana, etc.) Distribution: Widespread throughout Europe, North America, Asia, and northern Africa Tree Size: 15-30 ft (5-10 m) tall, 6-8 in (15-20 cm) trunk diameter Average Dried Weight: 38 lbs/ft3 (605 kg/m3) Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .50, .61 Janka Hardness: 1,040 lbf (4,630 N) Modulus of Rupture: 8,700 lbf/in2 (60.0 MPa) Elastic Modulus: 960,000 lbf/in2 (6.62 GPa) Crushing Strength: 6,080 lbf/in2 (41.9 MPa) Shrinkage: Radial: 3.2%, Tangential: 4.6%, Volumetric: 7.6%, T/R Ratio: 1.4 I was going to ask some questions about the hardness of Buck Horn, just looked it up instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim0625 Posted July 7, 2014 Report Share Posted July 7, 2014 I need coffee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted July 7, 2014 Report Share Posted July 7, 2014 Hobbithouse has some great pictures and lots of info about Buckthorn http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/buckthorn.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treecyclehardwoods Posted July 10, 2014 Report Share Posted July 10, 2014 My experience with it around the mill is that if you don't remove the pith the pieces will split pretty badly. I have a bunch of it cut into small pieces for turning, knife handles, pen blanks etc... I also covered every piece with AS2 to help prevent checking. So far my methods have worked well in keeping the stuff whole. How is yours doing at this point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted July 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2014 Makes sense that Hobbit House would have the skinny on it. I gather that's a big turners' site and the trees are such wretched little punks as to attract little more than turners' interest. So far, so good. a.) It's only been a month, b.) northern Illinois is a swamp during the summer and c.) the pieces are stickered in my basement. So there's nothing rushing the drying process right now. Heck, they may well be gaining MC right now... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted August 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 Tying up loose ends, here's the first use of those buckthorn sticks. I'm doing a set of handles for a footlocker and stuck these in the lathe. Rather tough, but it cuts nicely and rewards a sharp skew chisel with a beautiful surface. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 I was about to say it almost looks like white oak at first glance in the rough...but now it looks more like a cross between osage orange and cherry. Interesting stuff. I'll like to see how it takes sanding and finishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phinds Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 Makes sense that Hobbit House would have the skinny on it. I gather that's a big turners' site Hm ... that's interesting. I've never heard my site referred to specifically as a "turner's site" before. I think it appeals to all wood craftspeople. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrdie Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 I was going to like the post with the turning pics but I'm out of likes so I'll just tell you about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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