I'm clearing a strip for a new fence and cut a couple of bigger ironwoods most of the ones on my place are pretty small but theses will saw out a 6"or 7" cant , do they have any value for maybe tool handles and such or should I just burn them ?
Ironwood meaning Ostrya or hophornbeam?
What I have cut of it is very fine grained and I think worth cutting for projects, tool handles or just to have a hard to get wood. ;D
Not hard to get here. I have much "Blue Beech" in my low woodlands.
It's a very dense wood seems like it should be pretty tough to break as a handle
Blue-beech is Carpinus. Ironwood is a confusing, abused name.
And there are many more, think Pin Oak. ;D
What is known up here as Ironwood is also Hop Hornbeam, I think. It's related to the birches, if I remember correctly. All I know for sure is it doesn't get very large, and it is tough as nails.
My experience was that it's very heavy until dry, then it's similar to beech. Not a bad wood, just not easy to get any size out of it.
Before i was working for my boss he use to sell ironwood to a guy that made knife blocks, he passed before I started so I never did get to see one of the finished blocks.
We have lots up here of the Ostrya variety. But it's a firewood target most of the time. In a sugar bush it can take over like weeds, so it gets cut out. I have seen pretty large girthed ones on an old fence line that used to be pasture, but spruce and aspen woods took over the fields, like for 60+ years. It doesn't grow very tall, but these ones were quite fat for something considered a large shrub at times. Mom's uncle was always making tool handles from it, mostly axe handles, but hammers, maybe even a whiffletree (strong).
It makes nice bow wood
Makes unbelievable duck calls.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34007/IMG_20150128_072023_211.jpg)
What's the name on the duck call?
Ouachita Screamers. I made duck calls on the side for a few years. I live on the Ouachita River in deep South Arkansas. I had them laser engraved.
Is it actually bo'darc (osage orange) or Ostrya? Seems quite yellow.
No sir. I have made some from Bois D'arc too. The Orange tint comes from repeated immersion in warm boiled linseed oil about every 2 years. I'll try to find some pics of revolver grips made from the same stock. Amazingly different w/o the linseed oil.
Ah. Just checking. ;)
I have more Ironwood on my property than I'd like. ::) It grows like a weed around here and crowds out my maples. The root system doesn't seem to go deep because a good wind will often blow them down. In darker conditions you'll see the sparks as the chainsaw cuts through it. The saw dulls quickly, but it makes good firewood.
I knew that our "ironwood" was American Hornbeam, didn't know that it was aka Blue Beech. My Grandmother always said that you get another wrinkle in your brain whenever you learn something new. I do know that it's hard as Chinese arithmetic.
I've worked some small pieces and have seen the sparks come off the chainsaw but that's all.
Quote from: chopperdr47 on January 31, 2015, 01:22:58 PM
I knew that our "ironwood" was American Hornbeam, didn't know that it was aka Blue Beech. My Grandmother always said that you get another wrinkle in your brain whenever you learn something new. I do know that it's hard as Chinese arithmetic.
I've worked some small pieces and have seen the sparks come off the chainsaw but that's all.
I didn't know they were the same 'till I Googled it! :-\
In this area the Blue Beech has smooth, gray/blue bark and the "what we call" Iron Wood/American Hop Hornbeam has bark similar to a small Elm tree!
Ours is similar to beaked hazel bark when real young. It will often be the only sapling to survive and grow in a hazel thicket. I notice this when thinning. I can find enough ironwood for tree count when there is nothing else. Be have no blue beech here in NB.
Great firewood!
Quote from: Chuck White on January 31, 2015, 03:11:25 PMI didn't know they were the same 'till I Googled it! :-\
In this area the Blue Beech has smooth, gray/blue bark and the "what we call" Iron Wood/American Hop Hornbeam has bark similar to a small Elm tree!
I've always known ironwood (
Ostrya) as the one with bark more like elm and musclewood (
Carpinus) also called blue beech as the one with smooth bark that kind of looks like muscles.
The common names are truly horrible, especially ironwood with the many regional variations.
Clark