Hornbeam

[Phil Pascoe]

Dockyards etc. .............. it might be worth trying to find a bit of greenheart.

 

[dickm]

If your daughter is in the US, why not try Hickory [Carya illinoensis & spp]? Commonly used over there for hammer/axe etc, handles, and good Janka hardness.

Interesting thought; problem is the lathe is over here! Hadn't thought of hickory as being particularly hard, but happy to stand corrected.
While fitting my winter tyres, spotted some pieces of boxwood lurking in a corner. Might see if there is enough to laminate.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've just got some hornbeam from S&B, it's a nice clean bit of timber. It's slightly oversized so with a bit of care centring you'd get very nearly a 3" max. I might get hold of some wood hardener and soak it with that when the time comes.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've just looked by chance at Durston Tools | Jewellery Tools & Rolling Mills | Fast Global Shipping

Their bracelet mandrells go up to 75mm, so it would appear there's no real point in going over that anyway.

 

[joshvegas]

How about Rowan, it's about the same as hornbeam I think?

I have a trunk here if you are ever Peebles way and you need a bit.

 

[dickm]

If you specifically want hornbeam, most of it seems to end up as kiln-dried firewood logs sold in bulk, predominantly in the Midlands and South, which isn't much help to you. However, Stiles and Bates have some blanks 12" x 2" and 12" x 3" which you'll find at this link:

Hornbeam Spindle Blanks | Stiles & Bates

For speed, decided to order from them, and laminate a bit if necessary. Ordered mid-morning Wednesday, no postage charge and they arrived lunchtime yesterday. Had never used S&B before, but very pleased with the service and the quality of the blanks. They seem to use a company called Alternative Parcel Delivery, whom I'd never encountered, but they too seemed excellent.

Oddly, a local tree surgeon friend had just bought a 1980s Landrover for his business and was standing admiring it Wednesday afternoon outside his house. He'd just driven it the 700 miles from Kent! So he could have scoured Kent for hornbeam for me!

 

[dickm]

I've just looked by chance at Durston Tools | Jewellery Tools & Rolling Mills | Fast Global Shipping

Their bracelet mandrells go up to 75mm, so it would appear there's no real point in going over that anyway.

Daughter actually buys quite a lot of stuff from them; apparently it's much better quality than is available in the US.
I think she just wants to be able to do really big bracelets on which to hang gewgaws.
Rowan is an interesting thought. There's quite a bit in the wood behind our house, and of course it blew down in Storm Arwen if anyone asks!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

How much did you spend to get free P&P?

 

[dickm]

How much did you spend to get free P&P?

20-something pounds. Most places seem to put the threshold higher than that, so I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My fault for not looking into it - Mine must have been just short of £20 and the P&P was nearly a tenner.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Ordered mid-morning Wednesday, no postage charge and they arrived lunchtime yesterday. Had never used S&B before, but very pleased with the service and the quality of the blanks.

I wonder how you got away with that.

"1) ALL TIMBER/WOOD BLANKS (Except pen blanks, which we treat as Accessories). £9.90 Carrier charge."

 

[dickm]

I wonder how you got away with that.

"1) ALL TIMBER/WOOD BLANKS (Except pen blanks, which we treat as Accessories). £9.90 Carrier charge."

Hmmm. Pehaps I'd better have another look at the receipt!