Broomstick - what wood?

[GrahamRounce]

Hi - just an ordinary cheap broom handle, but it seems it's made from a pretty hard wood. You can't put a screw in, even into the end grain, without a good-sized pilot hole.
I'm just wondering what kind of wood it might be. Enc a pic, if it means anything to anybody.
Thank-you as usual!
Graham

PS: Isn't a pic max of 256K a little mean these days?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Compressed bamboo?

 

[GrahamRounce]

It does look a bit like bamboo at the end... I didn't know you could get it compressed! How does that work? Is it resinated to stop it flaking apart? It's very cheap, though..

 

[bugbear]

It's got visible curved growth rings, so I don't think it's bamboo.

BugBear

 

[Steve Maskery]

It's a broomstick. It must be witch-hazel.

 

[andy king]

Hi Graham,
I'd say its ramin, certainly looks similar to that on endgrain.
Common timber for broom handles and other tools handles, dowels etc for years but now endangered so if it's from an old broom I'd say pretty certain but you can still find ramin handles being sold if it's from a new one, although more than likely sold from old stock because of its endangered listing.
Hope this helps.
Andy

 

[thetyreman]

looks like silver birch to me

 

[monkeybiter]

It's a broomstick. It must be witch-hazel.

I was going to say I'll ask SWMBO but Mr.Misogyny got in first! :twisted: :wink:

 

[transatlantic]

These 'what wood is this' threads seem about as useful as a fart in a lift.

 

[andersonec]

These 'what wood is this' threads seem about as useful as a fart in a lift.

Obviously got nothing to offer then...

Andy

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Personally I find them interesting and occasionally directly useful. They broaden my repertoire of the woods I can recognise and with identity comes information about behaviour....how it might respond to planing, finishing etc, all very handy to know when faced with using that species in a project. I was particularly interested in the broom handle because 2 years ago I made some welly racks for our local junior school and found the cheapest source of cylindrical stock to be, you guessed it, broom handles. I needed to know what their weather resistance was likely to be since they were going to be outside.

Also, turning has a perennial interest in species for all the reasons stated above ie how might it behave.

Frankly, I'd still be interested purely out of curiosity!

 

[bugbear]

Personally I find them interesting and occasionally directly useful. They broaden my repertoire of the woods I can recognise and with identity comes information about behaviour....how it might respond to planing, finishing etc, all very handy to know when faced with using that species in a project. I was particularly interested in the broom handle because 2 years ago I made some welly racks for our local junior school and found the cheapest source of cylindrical stock to be, you guessed it, broom handles. I needed to know what their weather resistance was likely to be since they were going to be outside.

Also, turning has a perennial interest in species for all the reasons stated above ie how might it behave.

Frankly, I'd still be interested purely out of curiosity!

They're certainly useful to whoever starts them, when you find a cheap/free source
of timber, but don't know what it is; if you don't know what it is,
you can't make best use of it.

I say - keep 'em coming.

BugBear

 

[transatlantic]

What I meant was that you get 10 replies giving 10 different wood species

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

True, but you're slightly missing the point which is it develops a discussion about the probable species which helps the OP along their journey towards understanding it.

 

[hammer n nails]

I make boot and welly stands and use broom handles for the staves and they take a screw well but don't know what wood it is I buy 50 handels for £24 free delivery on flea bay

 

[RobinBHM]

Tauari?

density 650-680 kg m3