Hornbeam

[dickm]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but search doesn't seem to find anything useful. Daughter in the US needs me to replace the bracelet mandrels made some 20 years ago (they get a bit battered - see pic). The originals are hornbeam, which has the requisite tight grain and hardness. The one in the picture came from a log from Hatfield Forest, but that is a bit of a trek from Aberdeen. As indeed are most timber suppliers! So would welcome any suggestions where I might find enough to make two or possibly three of these, which are about a foot long and range in size from 2" to 4" diameter

(PS. Asked a guy on a local market who was selling turned items and plants if he had any hornbeam. Yes, we have one and two year old saplings. Sorry, it was timber I was looking for. Oh, no, can't get that, it doesn't grow well up here. So why.............. oh, never mind)

 

[niall Y]

I would think that Beech , will be a pretty good substitute. for Hornbeam. It is not far off in the Janka scale.

 

[Ollie78]

What about hard Maple or Sycamore, though Sycamore might be too soft.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I assume they are tapered so why not get the originals skimmed flat?

 

[Yorkieguy]

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

Beech would be more plentiful - most timber merchants would likely have lengths of rough sawn 75mm sq and100mm beech, or woodturning retail suppliers would have spindle blanks at a higher price.

Hope that might help.

Good luck in your quest.

David.

 

[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

Beech would be more plentiful - most timber merchants would likely have lengths of rough sawn 75mm sq and100mm beech, or woodturning retail suppliers would have spindle blanks at a higher price.

Someone locally suggested S&B. Might contact them to see if they have anything bigger.
We've tried beech, and it isn't quite hard enough.
Will probably suggest I skim the existing ones, at least as an interim.
Just hoping someone in the south has an odd log in their firewood pile!

 

[mikej460]

We had several hornbeams blown down in 2018 and I burned a load of it in our wood burner - lovely stuff. Have a search for hornbeam pen turning blanks such as here Hornbeam - Wood Pen Blank

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Ideal for really tiny wrists.

 

[dickm]

We had several hornbeams blown down in 2018 and I burned a load of it in our wood burner - lovely stuff.

Are you 100% sure there aren't a couple of logs still lurking in the pile????

 

[bansobaby]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but search doesn't seem to find anything useful. Daughter in the US needs me to replace the bracelet mandrels made some 20 years ago (they get a bit battered - see pic). The originals are hornbeam, which has the requisite tight grain and hardness. The one in the picture came from a log from Hatfield Forest, but that is a bit of a trek from Aberdeen. As indeed are most timber suppliers! So would welcome any suggestions where I might find enough to make two or possibly three of these, which are about a foot long and range in size from 2" to 4" diameter

(PS. Asked a guy on a local market who was selling turned items and plants if he had any hornbeam. Yes, we have one and two year old saplings. Sorry, it was timber I was looking for. Oh, no, can't get that, it doesn't grow well up here. So why.............. oh, never mind)

I’ve just cut one down on the site I’m on.
I’m saving this from near the base for next years Yule log.
There’s loads more, it would need a fair while to dry out though…..

 

[stuckinthemud]

Hawthorn should do the job

 

[niall Y]

Hawthorne does have a hardness value greater than Hornbeam, but the OP might be hard-pressed to find it in large enough diameters or in round enough sections to form a smooth ( what I am guessing to be ) 3 inch diameter cylinder. Unless, of course, he glues pieces together. I have quite a few lengths in my workshop, but given the way it grows, not enough to turn a smooth cylinder - certainly not without bark inclusions

 

[yetloh]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but search doesn't seem to find anything useful. Daughter in the US needs me to replace the bracelet mandrels made some 20 years ago (they get a bit battered - see pic). The originals are hornbeam, which has the requisite tight grain and hardness. The one in the picture came from a log from Hatfield Forest, but that is a bit of a trek from Aberdeen. As indeed are most timber suppliers! So would welcome any suggestions where I might find enough to make two or possibly three of these, which are about a foot long and range in size from 2" to 4" diameter

(PS. Asked a guy on a local market who was selling turned items and plants if he had any hornbeam. Yes, we have one and two year old saplings. Sorry, it was timber I was looking for. Oh, no, can't get that, it doesn't grow well up here. So why.............. oh, never mind)

Oddly enough, I have a board of it, also from Hatfield Forest, which my daughter bought for me when she worked there for the National Trust, but it's only about 40mm thick. Lovely stuff and very heavy. Haven't found a use for it yet but I have plans for a new handle for a club hammer when I get round to it.

Jim

 

[dickm]

Hawthorn is a nice suggestion, but they don't understand hedges up here!!

I’ve just cut one down on the site I’m on.
I’m saving this from near the base for next years Yule log.
There’s loads more, it would need a fair while to dry out though…..

That wouldn't matter greatly, as the customer will surely want more in a year or two!! But an affa lang way from Aberdeen!

 

[Keith 66]

Hawthorn is hard as hell but often tends to grow in a spiral fashion, cutting it into planks it wants to turn into aeroplane propellors! Trying to dry a log without spiral shakes will be hard.
We cut some about 4 years ago & i machined some up a few weeks back for guitar fingerboards, It seems ideal having a very tight grain with a silky smoothness.

 

[Tris]

Could be worth emailing the people at Interesting Timbers, they look like they do a lot of native species

 

[bansobaby]

That wouldn't matter greatly, as the customer will surely want more in a year or two!! But an affa lang way from Aberdeen!

I did think that, it seems a bit 'coals to Newcastle ' to send a pallet load of native timber up to Scotland, although I do appreciate it's far more common in the south......

It is however, an option......

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Someone locally suggested S&B. Might contact them to see if they have anything bigger.
We've tried beech, and it isn't quite hard enough.
Will probably suggest I skim the existing ones, at least as an interim.
Just hoping someone in the south has an odd log in their firewood pile!

My wrists aren't large but neither are they small - 2½" across. I'd think that as most bracelets will be made for women and many are ultimately made elliptical (even if only slightly) 3" should be enough. It gave me an idea, anyway - the blocklaying on my new 'shop starts this weekend, so in the new year I'll get my jewellery and silversmithing facilities back, so I've just ordered three pieces to turn mandrells.
At a push you could leave the large end of one partly square - as long as it's mostly round it would still be perfectly usable - you only work one part of the bracelet at a time, you'd just revolve it. That would give you a diameter over 3" .............. which is one hell of a wrist for a woman.

 

[dickm]

My wrists aren't large but neither are they small - 2½" across. I'd think that as most bracelets will be made for women and many are ultimately made elliptical (even if only slightly) 3" should be enough. It gave me an idea, anyway - the blocklaying on my new 'shop starts this weekend, so in the new year I'll get my jewellery and silversmithing facilities back, so I've just ordered three pieces to turn mandrells.
At a push you could leave the large end of one partly square - as long as it's mostly round it would still be perfectly usable - you only work one part of the bracelet at a time, you'd just revolve it. That would give you a diameter over 3" .............. which is one hell of a wrist for a woman.

Think the problem is that some of the designs are meant to be "large and floppy" (don't ask me, I'm only a bloke who understands wood, not jewellry. And no, I don't wear an ear/nose or whatever ring!). Have not had a chance to contact Stiles and Bates to see if they could do a bigger blank. Trying to remember where are Interesting Timbers; were they the folks somewhere round Towcester?
A friend tells me there are a couple of hornbeam in Aberdeen due to come down shortly, not soon enough to season for this time, but maybe if the current ones are skimmed, she could manage for a bit longer.

 

[spanner48]

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.