PDA

View Full Version : Hawthorn



wheelinround
15th October 2012, 06:19 PM
Has anyone turned Hawthorn?

Seems a roadside pick today I will get my first chance some time after its seasoned of course.

jimbur
15th October 2012, 06:41 PM
Turns very well. I've used it for tool handles from the branch. When I was a kid we used it for catapult forks. It's tough and we used to dry it in the oven - in the days when the oven was next to the fire. Takes detail well.
Cheers,
Jim

chuck1
15th October 2012, 07:05 PM
I like the stuff we have trees growing on my parents farm but I'm not allowed to cut it down. Some of my first turnings are out of it. The borers love it to if not stored properly

Christos
15th October 2012, 07:32 PM
...Seems a roadside pick today......

For some reason this gave me images of a dead rodent(road kill)? :rolleyes:

jimbur
15th October 2012, 07:51 PM
For some reason this gave me images of a dead rodent(road kill)? :rolleyes:
Turned rats probably would be ok as long as they're not green.
Cheers,
Jim

jimbur
15th October 2012, 07:53 PM
I like the stuff we have trees growing on my parents farm but I'm not allowed to cut it down. Some of my first turnings are out of it. The borers love it to if not stored properly
The one I was using had had white ants in the roots during the drought.
Cheers,
Jim

Scott
15th October 2012, 07:59 PM
Ask Sydney, they did a good job :D

wheelinround
15th October 2012, 08:18 PM
Thanks all for the variety of comments.


Christos.....you need to get out of the city where road kill is more likely to be roo's, rabbits, possum, wombat's, cows, snakes and foxes.

jimbur
15th October 2012, 09:28 PM
Thanks all for the variety of comments.


Christos.....you need to get out of the city where road kill is more likely to be roo's, rabbits, possum, wombat's, cows, snakes and foxes.

Spot on. These city types just don't have the variety of food we have up here in the country.:D
Cheers,
Jim

Woodwould
15th October 2012, 11:31 PM
Spot on. These city types just don't have the variety of food we have up here in the country.:D
Cheers,
Jim
Hmmmmmm... road kill sushi!

issatree
15th October 2012, 11:40 PM
Hi Wheelin,
I agree, it is absolute Cream to Turn & so is the Colour.
One thing wrong with it is, although a kind of weed, you hardly ever see a dead branch.
But it does dry out quickly. I find these weedy trees are some of the best Woods for Turning going.
Of Course, who wood complain about Camphor Laurel, Cotoneaster, Hawthorn, those prickly trees Osage Orange & Ti Tree, Box Thorn, Gauze Bush, & the list goes on.

wheelinround
16th October 2012, 07:54 AM
Must take photo before neighbour uses chainsaw on it and I use the BS to cut it up further.

Edited:- Here's the photos as you can see one side is eaten away and cracks about also as long as i get enough to make something out of even if just drop spindles for LOML.

Zedicus
16th October 2012, 10:25 AM
Thats a lot bigger than the Hawthorn we get down here in Tassie. I am sure there are different species or perhaps what I think of as being Hawthorn is something else! It is used a lot for barriers and along fences on rural properties. Lots of thin branches and sometimes the trunks get to a diameter of perhaps say a loaf of bread.

As already mentioned, it is very nice to turn. Nice tight grain and I have seen some wine flute shapes turned, by someone with much more skill than myself, very thin with very narrow stem. Hard wearing too from what I have seen of it.

hughie
16th October 2012, 10:56 AM
I really only associate Hawthorn with hedging, never gave a thought to turn it, be interested to see how it looks.

Paul39
16th October 2012, 12:41 PM
Must take photo before neighbour uses chainsaw on it and I use the BS to cut it up further.

Edited:- Here's the photos as you can see one side is eaten away and cracks about also as long as i get enough to make something out of even if just drop spindles for LOML.

In the second photo, on the lower right of the log you might have enough thickness to get a bowl. I think there is some spectacular figure there.

Please show us what comes out of the log.

TTIT
16th October 2012, 03:23 PM
I really only associate Hawthorn with hedging, never gave a thought to turn it, be interested to see how it looks.You should never ignore hedging Hughie! Arguably the finest carving and turning timber of all, ye olde English Box, is 'just a hedge'! :;

wheelinround
16th October 2012, 05:22 PM
All cut up took all day wet as and grubs the little blighters had done more damage than first seen.:~ Maybe I should go check the two 3m logs still sitting out there :U trouble is no chainsaw, no trailer and no storage room.:doh:

Heres one of the best colour pieces other wise all very light cream/white still being wet. Ended up with 7" bowl size and smaller down to pen blanks all boxed up and stored out of the way for now.


Photo of the thorns.

wheelinround
16th October 2012, 05:23 PM
I really only associate Hawthorn with hedging, never gave a thought to turn it, be interested to see how it looks.

I know where you can get some :;

Christos
17th October 2012, 07:37 AM
.......grubs the little blighters had done more damage than first though......

Did you find any of the grubs left?

wheelinround
17th October 2012, 08:12 AM
Did you find any of the grubs left?

Christos not sure if any had left they didn't leave a note :q


I did how ever find some stayed behind :~ http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4H1fVBHus8/UHz3a_hIOHI/AAAAAAAAC_I/sX3_55k8Gg8/s200/DSCF5143.jpg

chuck1
17th October 2012, 09:17 PM
There are few bigish old ones! And around the town I grew up in you can see where they used them for fencing. The berries make a nice jam too

pampelmuse
18th October 2012, 03:53 PM
Wheelin

I think I am inclined to agree with Zedicus on this tree. I don't think you have Hawthorn timber here but from the shot of the thorns and leaves (as well as the bark on the original log) it seems likely to be Robinia pseudoacacia which is a exotic tree which can be a bit of pest as it suckers like crazy and is very prickly. I think from a nth american group commonly named as 'locust' trees. As it is is in the pea family (Fabaceae) it has legume fruits as distinct from the typical red berries of true Hawthorns. Hawthorn also has flakey/rough bark not smooth as on your log. Black locust I think is quite a nice tough timber but not sure about other related species.

turnerted
18th October 2012, 04:24 PM
Ray
When you start turning it and find a half a grub , thats when it gets messy.
Ted

wheelinround
18th October 2012, 05:40 PM
Ted I decided yesterday all salvaged cut wood was to go through the Microwave (http://woolnwood.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/microwaving-wood.html). Fatser drying/seasoning and good grub killer (I hope).:;

wheelinround
18th October 2012, 05:51 PM
Wheelin

I think I am inclined to agree with Zedicus on this tree. I don't think you have Hawthorn timber here but from the shot of the thorns and leaves (as well as the bark on the original log) it seems likely to be Robinia pseudoacacia which is a exotic tree which can be a bit of pest as it suckers like crazy and is very prickly. I think from a nth american group commonly named as 'locust' trees. As it is is in the pea family (Fabaceae) it has legume fruits as distinct from the typical red berries of true Hawthorns. Hawthorn also has flakey/rough bark not smooth as on your log. Black locust I think is quite a nice tough timber but not sure about other related species.

Certainly open to ideas and suggestions of species. Trouble is the throns on the tree you suggesting are not long enough nor does it have thorns on the trunk.

Although when researching Hawthorn came up with this (http://www.2020site.org/trees/hawthorn.html)and the trunk has thorns that we picked up.

pampelmuse
18th October 2012, 10:12 PM
Actually I realised when reading the description for R. pseadoacacia that, as you say, the spines are not in the right place or long enough to suit the picture you have posted. I also didn't think R. pseudoacacia was the same thing as "black locust" but that turns out to be the common name for that species, along with "yellow locust" rather confusingly.

Reading the decription on weeds.org.au for other related species points the finger at Gleditsia triacanthos or honey locust which has viciously pointy and tough single spines 2-18cm long on the trunk and branches and is also deciduous with pinnate or bipinnate leaves, much like in your picture. It a declared invasive weed as well which means if your neighbour has any others he should give them the chop as well. Timber is supposedly nowhere near as hard as black locust, hence the borers.

Paul39
19th October 2012, 02:47 AM
Below are two bowls of Black Locust. The one with holes is a stump & root, the other about 2 feet up from the ground from a different tree.

When you ask the country people around here what the difference is between the trashy locusts that invade the pasture land and black locust used for fence posts, they will tell you "bout 20 years".

I have salvaged old, old, locust fence posts for turning and found them full of bug holes but still hard as stone and abrasive.

See: Black Locust (http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/black_locust.htm)

Robinia pseudoacacia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_locust)

Honey locust - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_locust)

I love the look of turned locust.

wheelinround
19th October 2012, 07:32 AM
Paul the bark on the Honey Locust looks close as the the bark on what we picked up was very black but thorns were singular not as depicted that may have been due to it being cut down rolled etc. If the two big logs are still there next time we head out that way I'll take pics of them. Still unconvinced though. Fellow that used the chainsaw to slice the log I got in half, had the day before had tried to cleave it with and axe. :o Not even an impression and we both heard how hard it was even with all the rot. We had both thought that it may have just split easily the chainsaw although an old chain had been sharpened prior and it found it hard going.

Paul39
19th October 2012, 09:48 AM
Fellow that used the chainsaw to slice the log I got in half, had the day before had tried to cleave it with and axe. :o Not even an impression and we both heard how hard it was even with all the rot. We had both thought that it may have just split easily the chainsaw although an old chain had been sharpened prior and it found it hard going.

Old dry black locust makes sparks that can be seen if cutting with a chain saw in almost darkness. The tree takes up silica.

This may explain why some of the AU timbers are abrasive: http://www.iuss.org/19th%20WCSS/Symposium/pdf/1647.pdf

pampelmuse
19th October 2012, 11:13 AM
Paul the bark on the Honey Locust looks close as the the bark on what we picked up was very black but thorns were singular not as depicted that may have been due to it being cut down rolled etc. If the two big logs are still there next time we head out that way I'll take pics of them. Still unconvinced though.

Wheelin
The various descriptions for Gleditsia I have read says in some trees thorns are singular not branched as depicted in that wickipedia page. Given there are not too many exotic weeds with thorns that big in Asutralia I think it is the prime suspect. Convinced yet?

Just a thought.....If it's very high silica content timber it might be wise to be careful of any dust produced when working it.

wheelinround
19th October 2012, 01:26 PM
Wheelin
The various descriptions for Gleditsia I have read says in some trees thorns are singular not branched as depicted in that wickipedia page. Given there are not too many exotic weeds with thorns that big in Asutralia I think it is the prime suspect. Convinced yet?

Just a thought.....If it's very high silica content timber it might be wise to be careful of any dust produced when working it.



Nope :no:

jimbur
19th October 2012, 03:11 PM
Wheelin, I hope it really is hawthorn as it means you are in for a real treat. It was used in the same way as european box due to its ability to retain fine detail.
Cheers,
Jim

cookie48
21st October 2012, 01:43 AM
Ohhhhh. I thought this was going to be about Aussie Rules. Carn the Hawks.
Must admit though very interesting reading.

wheelinround
21st October 2012, 08:34 AM
Below are two bowls of Black Locust. The one with holes is a stump & root, the other about 2 feet up from the ground from a different tree.

When you ask the country people around here what the difference is between the trashy locusts that invade the pasture land and black locust used for fence posts, they will tell you "bout 20 years".

I have salvaged old, old, locust fence posts for turning and found them full of bug holes but still hard as stone and abrasive.

See: Black Locust (http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/black_locust.htm)

Robinia pseudoacacia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_locust)

Honey locust - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_locust)

I love the look of turned locust.


Paul thanks you have just confirmed the tree across the road we have admired since being here. Always thought it to be a variety of Wisteria it after reading your links a Robina.