Spent a few hours yesterday cutting saplings at a local nature preserve. They are clearing our invasive species trees in a segment of their woods so I was able to get into the area before they start their work so that I can harvest walking stick blanks before they clear everything out. I am hoping a few more visits before they get to work. In return I furnish the nature center a supply of walking sticks for use on their trails by visitors and I keep the rest for my use. Win/win and the saplings don't end up in a burn pile.
very nice!
Great story! I hate to see things go to waste that could be useful. I will start my mushroom log winter harvest any day now and anything over 8" goes to firewood, anything over 15" goes to saw logs. All wood in the 4 to 8" range goes into mushroom logs which has always left the smaller top wood. I always hack up the little stuff so that it rots back in or spread seeds or whatever. But the problem stuff was the 1.5 to 4" stuff which does not mash down well. Last fall I got a request from a local environmental education center for sticks/shafts (natural) in the 1.5 to 2.5" range to use for making brooms in their broom shop. Collecting broom handle is apparently work that their staff does not have time to do. They tech kids how brooms were made in colonial times with local materials and the kids make brooms and take them home. I have at least one here. They also have two blacksmith shops, but haven't asked me for any iron. :)
Tom,
Buy yourself some goats or a mule. Then you can cut your trees in the summer and feed the leaves to them as well as salvaging mushroom logs, firewood, broom handles and saw timber. smiley_smug01
smiley_smug01
Nothing goes to waste if I can help it. All of the bark peelings dry out and become next years natural kindling for my wood stoves and fire pit. The walking sticks have been quite popular but unfortunately that means that they tend to disappear so I have to restock the racks more often than my budget would allow if i was buying wood blanks. This solves that problem for awhile hopefully. Plus I get to work on developing my carving skills.
Downstream,
Isn't there anyone near you with a patch of river cane like used for fishing poles or is it too cold your area for them? They grow here and are quick and easy (and strong) walking sticks. One of my friends/customers brings lots of them to our local flea market to sell and they sell good. He brought me a couple of longer ones I use in my boat for pish poles and to check my limb lines when I set them out to catch catfish. They are light and strong material.
unfortunately I have not found any local sections of wood that allow any cutting or anyone that has woods I can walk looking to thin out damaged or clump trees. I live in central illinois home of the flattest best farm ground around but most of the wooded acres are state owned which allow no cutting. We do have a nice patch of willow behind the plant I work at along and old abandoned railroad but most of that is curved so that when it dries turns into a noodle. I have peeled about half of the ones I cut this week and I am pleasantly surprised that even wet they are not as heavy as I was worried about. I hope to cut another batch next week when it is back in the 60's again.
You know you have to share a picture of some finished sticks!?
I will post some once I start carving. I did peel them last couple of days because if you wait too long after cutting them the layer between the bark/wood dries/hardens which become a much harder job. Here are the peeled blanks and the pile of bark strips I will use for kindling.