Bog Oak blanks and planks

[Droogs]

A friends have managed to dig up some scottish bog oak. From what they say after doing some dendrochronology its inital estimate if between 5 and 7K years old. They have sent if off to be stabalizedand milled etc. They are thinking that after they have syphoned off what they what (they are all swordsmiths, armourers and restorers), they were thinking of making up various size blanks and boards to offer for sale to cover the costs of milling etc.
They asked me if there would be any demand and I said I'd ask here. So....

 

[marcros]

i fancy a few pen blanks, or maybe something a little larger (shaving brush blanks maybe) if the price and quality is right. I am not talking many though, so I wouldnt base the do or dont decision on my potential purchases!

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Timberline in Kent list bog oak at between £270 and £360 per cubic foot, so there is some commercial potential if the log dries successfully. BUT - bog oak is, apparently, very difficult to dry successfully without significant degrade (mostly checking and splitting, I think) and the high commercial price reflects the high wastage in converting and drying. It's well worth a try, but some research on bog oak drying techniques might be well worth while - just going at it blind could result in a log's worth of checked and split firewood, from which only tiddly little bits of sound timber can be salvaged.

 

[MIGNAL]

The middle piece of these three is bog oak, flanked by Ebony. Fairly rare to find it through and through Black as in this piece. I think I paid around £12 for this piece, 3" x 16" x 3/8 th's.
There is some demand from the Guitar makers but it needs to be very clear stuff, relatively straight grained, no knots etc.

 

[Bale]

I think slow drying is important. Years ago I used to go to the Summer Schools at Parnham College and asked about their Bog Oak. Most of their timber was dried outside under cover with generous air gaps to speed things up. If I remember right, John Makepeace told me their Bog Oak was sitting in the cellar with 1mm air gaps between boards so it wouldn't dry too quickly. I don't know how long it was there for.

Pete

 

[Droogs]

cheers guys will pass this all on to Paul. If anyone wants to have a chat with him he can be contacted here:

http://www.macdonaldarms.com/armoury/