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Phily
1st January 2017, 06:31 PM
Last week I popped around to a neighbour who had kindly put aside some nice logs of Maple and Black Walnut from recently felled trees. While chatting, he mentioned that he had a limb from a Medlar (Mespilus Germanica) in his firewood pile. Naturally I grabbed it even though I had never heard of it. There is a Medlar tree in Australia (Bullet wood) but this is quite different.
From subsequent research the European Medlar is a relative of pear originating in the Middle East. Apparently it is quite a rare timber being slow growing with a rather peculiar (tasty but unatractive) fruit.
In ancient times the hard timber was used for arrow and spear points. Which raises the question of when to turn it - green, partly dry or fully dried?
I only have a small amount so don't want to waste any. My guess is that it will be stable if green turned but would obviously welcome any advice.
Cheers
Phil

hughie
1st January 2017, 07:30 PM
wow, given the massive response :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mespilus_germanica

Medlar (mespilus germanica) (http://www.treeseedonline.com/store/p143/Medlar_(mespilus_germanica).html)

I would say it not very often turned.

Wood Creations | Doreau's workshop | Xylotheque | Species Collection | Latin Names (http://jjdoreau.fr/index_en.php?url=essences.php&lang=en&tri=nom_la#a49)

Phily
1st January 2017, 07:58 PM
LoL, Given the rarity of the timber I wasn't expecting an overwhelming number of responses!! My hope is that one of our European members has had some experience. The rough timber indicates a rich velvity timber - keen to try it!!!

hughie
2nd January 2017, 09:51 AM
LoL, Given the rarity of the timber I wasn't expecting an overwhelming number of responses!! My hope is that one of our European members has had some experience. The rough timber indicates a rich velvity timber - keen to try it!!!
By the look of it, it is a small ornamental and nobody pays much attention to them, should try and grab some more might be a real winner.

Phily
2nd January 2017, 09:54 AM
should try and grab some more might be a real winner.

Are you suggesting a midnight raid with a silenced chainsaw??? ������

dai sensei
2nd January 2017, 03:20 PM
Geez give us time, most are on holidays (or sleeping :D)

I don't know the tree but like all other fruit trees, cut as small as possible and seal well, or yes rough turn them and then seal.

There are some great trees around you, Blackwood/Maple/Black Walnut plus a few unknowns. I must remember to call in again :rolleyes:

Toymaker Len
2nd January 2017, 04:48 PM
This is an amazing co-incidence... I'd just read about the medlar fruit in Germaine Greers' book 'Shakespeares Wife' in about october (nobody I know has ever heard of a medlar) and when passing through Braidwood on a saturday morning went into the farmers market and got talking to the local cider expert. This guy, Gary I think, is farming over a hundred different types of apples and making a range of ciders that are dead set as good as french champagne anyway I say "Have you heard of a medlar?" and he says "I had heaps of medlars last autumn! They've got to be bletted though." Apparently they are a small pomme fruit that tastes something between a quince and a pear and 'bletted' means slightly rotted down. And they have been planted out as street trees in Braidwood. No word about the wood though.

Phily
3rd January 2017, 12:01 PM
Geez give us time, most are on holidays (or sleeping :D)

I don't know the tree but like all other fruit trees, cut as small as possible and seal well, or yes rough turn them and then seal.

There are some great trees around you, Blackwood/Maple/Black Walnut plus a few unknowns. I must remember to call in again :rolleyes:

Its a great part of the world for picking up timber that's for sure! I've managed to collect quite a variety though I have to confess that I have not mastered drying techniques. I've cut, waxed, wrapped, turned, painted and kilned but it doesn't seem to matter which way I go, the bulk of material ends up splitting! Fortunately with several tons I'm still OK for stock. Maybe next time you are down this way I can pick your brains a bit more on drying techniques ��

Phily
3rd January 2017, 12:10 PM
They've got to be bletted though." Apparently they are a small pomme fruit that tastes something between a quince and a pear and 'bletted' means slightly rotted down.

The guys who gave me the timber said that the fruit looks very unattractive when ripe. Apparently the French call it Dog's A.se fruit because of the dark puckering at its base �� I can understand why it isn't particularly popular. Thanks for the heads up on the cider, I have a few mates that regularly pass through Braidwood on the way to the coast; I'll get them to pick up a case or 2. Love a cold cider on a warm afternoon ����

Toymaker Len
3rd January 2017, 01:17 PM
Looks like a dogs but very tasty apparently. If it is in the same family as quince, pear and apple I guess the wood will not be that good. For drying as Neil says and I would add always split it/cut it down the middle into halves or even into quarters. This relieves the drying stress, and then well sealed and then stored dry and cool with good ventilation.

Phily
3rd January 2017, 06:39 PM
i couldn't resist, I just had to try it! As can be seen from the first photo it has handled being left out in the open for several weeks quite nicely - no drying cracks. It turns superbly. I mean, I have never turned any other timber that has been so silky smooth. Its like ultra fine manchurian pear - and looks similar except for the attractive white striations.

I coated the ends with melted parafin wax and have put it aside for drying. Fingers crossed 😃

Toymaker Len
4th January 2017, 11:09 AM
Looks great but if you don't cut it up the middle it will randomly split. Maybe, maybe knot. Always worth experimenting.

Phily
4th January 2017, 07:18 PM
Unfortunately the block is too small to cut and leave useable pieces. Fingers crossed and a waiting game. Cheers Phil

Phily
6th January 2017, 07:50 PM
Unbelievable. I called in at a local nursery wholesaler to drop off some old pots. Got talking to the owner about fruit trees and asked if he'd come across Medlar. He laughed, took 3 paces and picked up a meter high tree. "Here you go, its yours". Turns out they'd had it for 12 months and had no idea what to do with it. So within 2 weeks I've gone from never hearing of Medlar to having timber in the shed and a tree in the garden - all at no cost. Great start to the year (-:

quercus
7th January 2017, 11:31 PM
I have been a horticulturist for 30 years, and have a medlar growing, but have only come across a few in my career, and it is very unusual to find an old one, let alone wood from one. The fruit, as mentioned is not very appetising looking. You leave them till the leaves have fallen in the autumn, and are softening, you then Blett them on a bit of paper, until the texture of the fruit is how you would imagine a slightly off pear. Then it its ready to eat. A common description is that they taste like apple sauce. Not sweet in my experience. Definitely a niche fruit, unlikely to have a comeback anytime soon (not that i imagine they were ever popular) They graft them onto quince rootstock, which is nice and vigorous. Like quince, a bit of a throwback fruit to medieval times, when sweet fruits were hard to come by, and the likes of quince and medlar, and crabapples were often as good as you got. Me, Im happy to be able to have the luxury of mangoes, passionfruit, and other exotics to round out the fruit diet.
Great to hear you have turned some.

Phily
8th January 2017, 09:03 AM
I have been a horticulturist for 30 years, and have a medlar growing, but have only come across a few in my career, and it is very unusual to find an old one.

This story is becomming a little bizarre. I was out at a function last night talking to a horticulturist who was saying exactly the same. Another chap joined in the conversation and mentioned that he was working on a property where the owner had over planted an orchard and needed to thin out the trees - but only if they could be relocated (ie. Not cut down). He's looking for a home for a 3m Medlar!!

I'm now working on putting the same message out into the ether about my interest in anyones unwanted Thompson cryogenic chisels .......

hughie
13th January 2017, 02:56 PM
This story is becomming a little bizarre. I was out at a function last night talking to a horticulturist who was saying exactly the same. Another chap joined in the conversation and mentioned that he was working on a property where the owner had over planted an orchard and needed to thin out the trees - but only if they could be relocated (ie. Not cut down). He's looking for a home for a 3m Medlar!!

I'm now working on putting the same message out into the ether about my interest in anyones unwanted Thompson cryogenic chisels .......

I will watch this one interest :U

Phily
13th January 2017, 04:39 PM
Ummm, you have some Thompson chisels don't you ......? (-:

hughie
14th January 2017, 10:44 PM
got a couple...... :) kinda like em tho'