Thread: Hawthorn

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 trouble is no chainsaw, no trailer and no storage room.

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.

Originally Posted by hughie

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

Originally Posted by wheelinround

.......grubs the little blighters had done more damage than first though......

Did you find any of the grubs left?

Originally Posted by Christos

Did you find any of the grubs left?

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


I did how ever find some stayed behind

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

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.

Ray
When you start turning it and find a half a grub , thats when it gets messy.
Ted

Ted I decided yesterday all salvaged cut wood was to go through the Microwave. Fatser drying/seasoning and good grub killer (I hope).

Originally Posted by pampelmuse

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 and the trunk has thorns that we picked up.

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.

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

Robinia pseudoacacia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Honey locust - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I love the look of turned locust.

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. 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.

Originally Posted by wheelinround

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. 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

Originally Posted by wheelinround

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.