# Holly wood



## frostysnowman (20 Jan 2010)

Dear all,

I have had two substantial holly trees come down in my garden in the recent snows. They are exceptionally big trees for hollies.

The trunks are probably 40 feet long and range in diameter from some 18 inches wide at the bottom to about 4 inches wide at the top.

I understand (I am not a woodworker!) that holly wood is prized by some woodworkers both for inlays and for working whole pieces. Is there likely to be demand for my trees or should I simply be chopping them for the fire?!

Thoughts or advice would be most appreciated. 

Many thanks.


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## LocalOak (20 Jan 2010)

Holly can produce very good walking stick blanks. The branches tend to be straight and you can get very good ready made handles from them too. That works when you have a suitable stick branch meeting another branch at near right angles. So if you cut the thicker branch a bit above and about 5" below where they meet you get a good walking stick with a handle at just the right angle. This pic sort of show's what I'm talking about.








(Edited to make image show)

So I'm not sure about the other bits of the tree, though I suspect they will be prized, keep an eye out for some good stick branches.

Toby


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## mickthetree (20 Jan 2010)

Hello frostysnowman

What is your location?

cheer


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## frostysnowman (20 Jan 2010)

Hi Mick,

I am on the Hampshire/West Sussex border


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## woodbloke (20 Jan 2010)

Holly ought to be quite a decent wood to work with (never done anything in it myself) if it could be converted and seasoned - Rob


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## dickm (20 Jan 2010)

woodbloke":1z9a21hv said:


> Holly ought to be quite a decent wood to work with (never done anything in it myself) if it could be converted and seasoned - Rob


I think that's the nub of the problem. From a few attempts I've made, it's an absolute pig to season, and will split almost irrespective. But if you can get a nice clean piece, it's loverly to work with. Excellent for detail turning, because it's got a very tight, if uninteresting, grain. 
Certainly worth offering to turners, but probably not worth trying to plank?


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## JohnBrown (20 Jan 2010)

Apropos of nothing, I found a felled holly tree on the local common with an almost perfect right angled single branch. I have made a mallet out of it, but one end had split badly. If I ever find another, I will wait for a couple of years before cutting it to size and stripping the bark! Sadly, I now scour the countryside when out walking the dog, searching for the "holly grail" of another such holly hammer. It's almost an obsession!


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## hanser (20 Jan 2010)

Frosty snowman

Good luck with splitting it for the wood burner!

I chopped up a holly some years back -most difficult wood to chop up - the grain goes all over the place and it doesn't split where you think it ought to.

Mind you I am a bit better tooled up for that sort of thing now!


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## paulm (20 Jan 2010)

I don't have any direct experience of holly, but it can be challenging to make good use of by all accounts.

There would be more wastage than useable timber in reality and a lot of time and hard work to achieve what you could get from it, but could be worthwhile and satisfying to do potentially.

Would be helpful to see some pictures of the trees concerned and the context they are in, and some information on how accessable they are in terms of being able to get alongside with trailer and equipment or whether a lot of fetching and carrying of heavy timber is involved ?

Would think that there is little if any monetary value in the proposition, but you could have the satisfaction of knowing the timber had been used to best effect and perhaps some mementoes from it for your home to remind you of it.

Cheers, Paul


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## frostysnowman (20 Jan 2010)

I will measure it properly and see if I can post a photo if anyone is interested - this will involve clearing away the rest of the carnage around it. 

Access is not brilliant but there again I need to remove it in any event and chopping it up and moving it to the woodpile is actually a longer carry than taking it to where you could get a trailer. I was not so much thinking of its monetary value rather to discover if there might be - particularly given its size - a better use for it than firewood - as you say there would be quite a lot of long term satisfaction in creating/seeing someone create some useful items out of it.

Cheers

Frosty


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## Aled Dafis (20 Jan 2010)

I remember hearin/reading sometime in the dim and distant past, that holly was traditionally left in a river for a good few months after felling to "wash away" some of the sap, this was supposed to reduce the risk of it splitting. 

I'm not sure if there's any truth to this, or it may just be an old wives tale. How about chucking one in a river and leaving the other to season naturally to see what happens?

Cheers

Aled


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## big soft moose (20 Jan 2010)

Its quite nice to turn - and green part turning can help with the seasoning issue - i'm quite tempted to offer to clear it for the wood but swimbo will kill me if i bring anymore wood home - someone who is closer might be interested tho


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## Doug B (20 Jan 2010)

The guy i buy holly from recommends quarter sawing it for the best chance to stop it splitting (though it is still likely) & felling when the sap is not rising.


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## Jaybee24 (20 Jan 2010)

Hi there FrostySnowman

I live in Tadworth (Central Surrey). I am probably not that far from you. If you feel like PM'ing me your exact location or post code I could look at the trees and see if there is anything of value. If there is I may make you an offer but I cant make any promises. You will have read some of the posts from others who tell you that holly can be a bit difficult. I suppose that depends on the quality of the tree and also the use to which it will be applied.

I have tools like a good sharp axe bowsaws and an electric chainsaw that can run from a car battery - plus a car with a roof rack.

I am a private individual who is not involved in any kind of Company.
I dont even work for a living!!!

For me it would be worth a trip down there even if it comes to nothing - Whatsay?

John


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## frostysnowman (21 Jan 2010)

Thanks for the offer but I think the size of the tree is a bit beyond a 12v chainsaw and a roofrack..... :wink: 

I am not too worried about the logistics of chopping it up (although given where it is lying it will not be straightforward) as I have the kit.

I am really just trying to find out if there any demand or interest for the wood from woodturners or furniture makers and, if so, how I should go about chopping it up into bits that are as useful as possible.

I said before that I will try to post a photo and the dimensions of the trunk in the next day or so.

Cheers

Frosty


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## Jaybee24 (21 Jan 2010)

Just for the record my chainsaw is a 2KW Mains Saw. I have a 12v to 240v Invertor so I can use it where there are no mains supplies. I also have access to a truck.

Best of luck with the clearance though.

Best regards

John.


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## yetloh (21 Jan 2010)

Hi Frosty,

It is nice timber but drying it is a problem; it will split and wander about so there it is just a matter of accepting that there is ahigh wastage rate with it. I felled a smaller tree and got some useful timber out of it. Just a shame no one seems to want it.

Jim


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## miles_hot (21 Jan 2010)

big soft moose":3e6zphwg said:


> Its quite nice to turn - and green part turning can help with the seasoning issue - i'm quite tempted to offer to clear it for the wood but swimbo will kill me if i bring anymore wood home - someone who is closer might be interested tho



BSM, now I have my wood store I can take some... should you get it past SWIMBO and want a hand  

I have heard that rough turning and then boiling can have an impact on the ability to season; could be worth a go??

Miles


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## BMac (21 Jan 2010)

Some of the turners should grab a bit to try letting it spalt. Spalted Holly is really beautiful and suitable for small boxes and other wee stuff where splitting is easier to avoid.

Brendan


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## NickWelford (21 Jan 2010)

Try giving local timber mills a call - they might well buy it from you.


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