stuckinthemud
Established Member
Anyone know the density and elasticity of cytisus scoparius? I can’t seem to find it’s properties listed in the timber databases I searched on-line
Scotch broom timber properties
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Checked my own database on Latin species names and can find very little and no direct references.
In Great Britain and Ireland, the standard name is broom. This name is also used for other members of the Genisteae tribe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genisteae
"Genisteae is a tribe of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants in the subfamily Faboideae of the family Fabaceae. It includes a number of well-known plants including broom, lupine (lupin), gorse and laburnum."
So laburnum is the only one of a type of timber we can recognize, so it possibly shares properties with that. The few references I can find list it as a super hard timber used for charcoal and also arrow heads.
Laburnum is also a high density timber
Most other references place it as a kind of scrub type shrub. It's not tall, listing at maybe 6' max.
I've also seen a reference of laburnum in bowmaking, but that specifies sapwood, and maybe this Broom isnt capable of producing any distinction, might be too thin.
What is it you are thinking of using it for ?
In Great Britain and Ireland, the standard name is broom. This name is also used for other members of the Genisteae tribe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genisteae
"Genisteae is a tribe of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants in the subfamily Faboideae of the family Fabaceae. It includes a number of well-known plants including broom, lupine (lupin), gorse and laburnum."
So laburnum is the only one of a type of timber we can recognize, so it possibly shares properties with that. The few references I can find list it as a super hard timber used for charcoal and also arrow heads.
Laburnum is also a high density timber
Most other references place it as a kind of scrub type shrub. It's not tall, listing at maybe 6' max.
I've also seen a reference of laburnum in bowmaking, but that specifies sapwood, and maybe this Broom isnt capable of producing any distinction, might be too thin.
What is it you are thinking of using it for ?
Orraloon
Established Member
I am guessing that it is a bow project you have in mind. I also could not find anything on wood database but I have heard that bows can be made from it. I recall mention of it in the bowyers bible and I think primitive archer too. If you can find a good sized bit its worth a go.
Regards
John
Regards
John
stuckinthemud
Established Member
It makes an astonishing bow, I’ve just finished tillering a feisty little crossbow and I’d like to run a comparison against yew but with no data re properties it’s tricky
Jacob
What goes around comes around.
You aren't going to get much more than thick twigs from Scotch Broom. No "timber" at all.
I just happen to have recently cut down two gigantic bushes of broom about 3m high. Mostly very bent 2" max diameter and a couple of short thicker pieces about 3" max.
Might do for turning small items I suppose. Didn't know about the cross bows! Not on my list of things to do as yet.
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
Plante genêt - planta genista. The symbol of the Plantagenets was a sprig of broom. Damhikt.
stuckinthemud
Established Member
Cleave it and you’ll see why it’s called raspberry ripple wood. It is VERY hard, would be excellent for turning, especially pen blanks, I would think.
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