« previous next »
Pages: [1]

Author Topic: Help with identifying wood - hickory maybe?  (Read 1950 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline doggonemess

  • Member
  • Posts: 123
    • That's My Web Guy
Help with identifying wood - hickory maybe?
« on: May 15, 2012, 06:23:24 pm »
I found a nice strong tree in the woods with no leaves or branches. Probably died before winter. The trees near it looked identical, and I was wondering if anyone knew what this was. I'm guessing it's some kind of hickory, but I'd like someone to take a look if they can. Thanks!

Logged
"We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true." - Robert Wilensky

Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.

blackhawk

  • Guest
Re: Help with identifying wood - hickory maybe?
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2012, 06:34:42 pm »
american hornbeam...aka musclewood,blue beech
Logged

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,633
Re: Help with identifying wood - hickory maybe?
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2012, 12:30:03 am »
What blackhawk said!  ;)
Logged
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline doggonemess

  • Member
  • Posts: 123
    • That's My Web Guy
Re: Help with identifying wood - hickory maybe?
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2012, 02:02:21 am »
Quote from: blackhawk on May 15, 2012, 06:34:42 pm
american hornbeam...aka musclewood,blue beech

Awesome, thanks!

And looking at it more carefully I suddenly realized that it can't be hickory - the leaves are alternate, not opposite.

I don't think I would have figured out that it was hornbeam without doing a lot of digging. Thanks for the ID, I appreciate it.
Logged
"We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true." - Robert Wilensky

Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.

Offline Pappy

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 32,204
  • if you have to ask you wouldn't understand ,Tenn.
Re: Help with identifying wood - hickory maybe?
« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2012, 06:35:14 am »
Yep,muscle wood. Very cool trees,never made a bow for it but like looking at them. :) :)
   Pappy
Logged
Clarksville,Tennessee
TwinOaks Bowhunters
Life is Good

Offline doggonemess

  • Member
  • Posts: 123
    • That's My Web Guy
Re: Help with identifying wood - hickory maybe?
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2012, 05:05:06 pm »
WELL, guess who just learned something REALLY important!?

I guess even if a tree is dead, and has been for quite some time, you can't just start stripping the bark off and make a bow out of it.

I started working the wood, stripping the bark and sort of tillering a little. I left it overnight, and in the morning discovered CRACKS all up and down the sides. Seems it wasn't quite ready to be stripped. I assumed that the thing would have been plenty dried out on its own.

Next time, I'm going to let it sit for a while. Perhaps I should get a moisture meter?

It was a nice shape, too. A test bend resulted in a lot of cracking noises. SIGH. I think maybe I'll make some arrows out of what's left when it finishes drying. I intend to visit the section of woods where I found it and see if I can find another dead one. I'm willing to bet there are more.
Logged
"We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true." - Robert Wilensky

Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.

Offline PEARL DRUMS

  • Member
  • Posts: 14,079
  • }}}--CK-->
Re: Help with identifying wood - hickory maybe?
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2012, 06:07:12 pm »
Dead or cut for quite some time? Dead whitewood is never a good idea. And that stuff grows in the same areas hop hornbeam grows usually. Looks for that and leave the beech if you can.
Logged
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline Bert

  • Member
  • Posts: 49
Re: Help with identifying wood - hickory maybe?
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2012, 07:14:04 pm »
yeap thats 'haagbeuk' 'carpinus' 'charme' 'hornbeam' allright :)
Wach it though, I heard the sawdust could give ya eye-cancer !
Logged

Offline doggonemess

  • Member
  • Posts: 123
    • That's My Web Guy
Re: Help with identifying wood - hickory maybe?
« Reply #8 on: May 23, 2012, 04:42:21 pm »
As mentioned, sharing picture of my sad, sad broken almost-bow.

Logged
"We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true." - Robert Wilensky

Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people.
Pages: [1]
« previous next »