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grain twist

Started by chuckp, April 22, 2010, 06:39:24 AM

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chuckp

What causes grain twist in trees? I've been cutting some hickory for bow staves and I'm having a hard time getting straight grained pieces. Once I split the 7 ft. log in half, the twist can be as much as 90 degrees. I only pick straight trees, I look for obvious bark twist and I can't see anything that is obvious. The hickorys aren't shagbark, don't know the sub-species.

WDH

In some species like sweetgum, sycamore, elm, hackberry, and blackgum, the tree puts down cells in the new growth at a slight angle to the vertical, then every year or two, the angle reverses creating interlocked grain.  This is natural to these species. 

Other species are like people, no two individuals are exactly alike.  Sometimes a single tree can exhibit characteristics that do not commonly occur in that species.  Sometimes it depends on genetics and sometimes it depends on whether the tree grew on a rock or a dead fish.

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SwampDonkey

Most trees experience some degree of spiral grain pattern. Softwoods in general, start out with a left hand twist, later in life become more vertical and in old age twist to the right. Hardwood is less predictable it seems, can't really say one way or the other or if it will be of any significance at all in the tree. Similar to what WDH said, as diverse as human-kind. ;D Most old fir that I've seen on the woodlot that died of old age, bark fell off and revealed one wicked spiral grain pattern. They don't get much bigger than 18" around here in 80 years, and wham, worm food.
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1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Magicman

Quote from: SwampDonkey on April 22, 2010, 09:17:30 PM
start out with a left hand twist, later in life become more vertical and in old age twist to the right 

Maybe, that's what's wrong with me......starting my "right twist"..... :D
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SwampDonkey

After re reading that....... :D :D :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Blue Sky

In dowsing, it is said that if there is a juncture of two or more underground streams, a vortex of energy will spin and if a tree grows over this site, it will grow in the same direction as the vortex.

Bandmill Bandit

My Grandpa told me that its cause the trees screw themselves out of the ground :D :D :D

a few years later he told me he thought it was a result of the suns path across the sky as a result of the earths rotation and the tilt of the earth. I have never researched it at all so I don't know and I am pretty sure Grandpa's theory's were based on observation but it would be interesting to know if there is any thing scientific about his theory.

I think Grandpa's basis was how plants respond to light.
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WDH

Scrap my explanation!  These last two sound a heck of a lot better  :D.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

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