Fun with firewood

[bugbear]

Having chopped down a nasty tree a while ago, and stacked the logs on my fire pile, I noticed that the logs were rather dense.

Since many dense woods are "interesting", I split one in half with an axe, and roughly levelled the resulting surface (which was in wind due to normal spiral tree growth).

I further dressed the resulting surface with my fairly-scrubby jack plane:

http://www.geocities.com/plybench/scrub.html

(process was similar to this:
http://galootcentral.com/components/cpg ... ub_use.JPG
http://galootcentral.com/components/cpg ... b_chip.JPG
)

Having made one fairly flat surface, I wanted to mark a parallel face (which was still a half round log at that stage).

I did this with a well known woodworker's tool - the scribing gauge

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... hp?t=22873

Albeit with a fibre tip pen taped in place.

Having cut to this line with a sequence of axe, bill hook, scrub plane. jack plane, I flipped the piece again, and took a coupla' passes with a finely set #05 plane.

Result:

Does anyone recognise the timber? I'm not sure what it is, other than quite pretty and free

BugBear (who enjoyed the process)

 

[Alan Smith]

Looks like locust wood or false acacia to me. Very tough and long lasting.

French use it a lot for straining posts in vinyards but also for tool handles etc. In fact on my desk at the moment is a robinet ( barrel spigot or tap) the body of which is turned from locust.

 

[frugal]

Strangely enough, one of my projects on the go at the moment is a small box made out of a piece of yew firewood that the previous owner left in the woodpile

 

[bugbear]

I eventually found it was Cotoneaster;

cotoneaster-t79087.html?hilit=cotoneaster

BugBear

 

[rxh]

It looks quite like laburnum.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I eventually found it was Cotoneaster;

cotoneaster-t79087.html?hilit=cotoneaster

BugBear

That's been mentioned on another thread in the last few days, but I can't think where.

 

[Bedrock]

I thought the same as rxh.

 

[biskit]

WoW that must have been old, I've not seen a cotoneaster trunk that big :shock: ever.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Must admit, it surprises me slightly that the identification is cotoneaster. I've always known them as bushy, rather low-growing shrubs with very small, glossy leaves which it sheds in autumn, and a profusion of red berries in autumn and winter; that said, I don't personally know any specimens more than about 40 years old. I'd have plumped for laburnum, too; that can grow quite large, though it takes it's time to do so.

However, there must be a huge variety of relatively exotic species about in gardens, and especially in long-established ones, quite large specimens, too.

 

[NazNomad]

I eventually found it was Cotoneaster;

cotoneaster-t79087.html?hilit=cotoneaster

BugBear

That's been mentioned on another thread in the last few days, but I can't think where.

T'was here interesting-book-t94551.html

 

[bugbear]

Must admit, it surprises me slightly that the identification is cotoneaster. I've always known them as bushy, rather low-growing shrubs with very small, glossy leaves which it sheds in autumn, and a profusion of red berries in autumn and winter; that said, I don't personally know any specimens more than about 40 years old. I'd have plumped for laburnum, too; that can grow quite large, though it takes it's time to do so.

However, there must be a huge variety of relatively exotic species about in gardens, and especially in long-established ones, quite large specimens, too.

My house is around 60 years old - the plant may be the same. I'll try to post a photo of the trunk tomorrow.

BugBear

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Oddly enough I've just bought a book called The Illustrated Guide to Garden Trees. It's a rather good quite comprehensive paperback - I bought it on a market stall for 50p (new). It lists Aurocarias, Dalbergias, Diospyros and even Kauri Pine (as garden species :shock: ) but not Cotoneaster. :?

(My friend and I have just got hold of part of the trunk of a 40+ foot mimosa )

 

[blackrodd]

Oddly enough I've just bought a book called The Illustrated Guide to Garden Trees. It's a rather good quite comprehensive paperback - I bought it on a market stall for 50p (new). It lists Aurocarias, Dalbergias, Diospyros and even Kauri Pine (as garden species :shock: ) but not Cotoneaster. :?

(My friend and I have just got hold of part of the trunk of a 40+ foot mimosa )

All I could find on mimosa is a cocktail, the colour of the E type and SD1 etc or Acacia Dealbata which hardly looked anything that size.
Wotcha bin feeding that on I wonders
Rodders

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My book gives Dealbata as up to 50' ( and this is Penzance, which is fairly warm). Quite a pretty colour. We've done a deal with a guy who does some tree surgery who doesn't like to see wood wasted to replace his laburnums, mimosas, yews, etc. with firewood - as he burns it. :shock:

 

[blackrodd]

I'll be interested in any pics on the wood you end up with, should you have the time.
Penzance, I've heard Jethro speak of Penzance, in hushed tones I believe!
Regards Rodders

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've got to speak to No.1 child to sort reducing pictures. I'm a total dork with computers. I did manage to post pictures of s/s after xmas - after which I stood back in amazement, but that new found ability deserted me in a nanosecond. I need to do it as I have a mountain of small tools to get shot of.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Rod, you have a PM.
Phil.

 

[Woodmonkey]

BB, when I click on your first link it goes to an "aabaco create your own website" page...

 

[bugbear]

BB, when I click on your first link it goes to an "aabaco create your own website" page...

You mean in my first post, from 2008? Yeah. Link rot.

As a placeholder, I've copied my site here:

http://www.woodworkinfo.site88.net/scrub.html

but that won't be permanent.

BugBear

 

[Woodmonkey]

Aah sorry I didn't notice it was a resurrected thread