Are these woods good for anything?

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AntlerandStone	Are these woods good for anything?	Lead	[-]
Posts: 21 (05/02/09 4:16 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tags : None I have several trees that I will be removing in the next few weeks, and didn't know if they had any sort of "Paleo" use. The first is a Horse Apple tree. I can't stand those darn "monkey brains" falling all over the yard anymore. Next, I have 3 locust trees that are around 40 to 50 feet tall each. Lastly, is a River Birch that is right next to my house. Any paleo uses for any of these woods?
sonny		#1	[-]
Posts: 382 (05/02/09 4:25 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	The "horse apple" tree is an osage tree, which will make a good bow IF there's a straight enough section in it for staves and/or billets that can be joined in the handle. You don't state which type of locust but they're likely good bow wood trees as well. As for the river birch, I'm not really sure....might be a bow or two in that too.
mizfi7		#2	[-]
Posts: 99 (05/02/09 10:01 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I think you can make a tar if hafting blades from a birch tree bark. http://www.bushcraftuk.com/index.php/DIY/Birch-Tar-How-to-collect-it.html Last Edited By: mizfi7 05/04/09 1:32 PM. Edited 1 times.
perri smith		#3	[-]
Posts: 127 (05/03/09 3:07 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	the locust can also be used for bow staves if it is straight. the osage could be used to make risers or handle sections for take down bows. the locust could be split into fence posts or rails.
Quillsnkiko		#4	[-]
Posts: 2057 (05/03/09 9:16 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	osage orange makes a great hide scraper handle . ( Dry scraper handle ) heavy , hard attractive wood. Makes a great wringing stick as well for hides. it makes good knife handles and can be used for any wood handled tools.as well as bow staves. the older dead limbs are especailly pretty and hard & heavy . But recently cut limbs and wood work well to. Osage fire wood is great ... burning hot and long ..making great coals . locust makes good fence posts that last a long time and as mentioned above probably good bow staves. if its the kind that has thorns ..old thorns can be used for awls or any where a sharp hard point is needed. those old thorns can punch a hole in a tracter tire if you run over some . river birch... rotten ...without the bark is one of the best woods for smoking braintan. the birch bark is one of the best fire starters there is .it burns like its soaked in kerosene.the wood is good for many things where one needs to bend the wood....many Indians in the north use white birch for snowshoe frames. river birch is very similar. the wood is good for campfires & cooking as it burns fast & hot. " You can't stop the waves .... but, you can learn to surf." Last Edited By: Quillsnkiko 05/03/09 9:20 AM. Edited 1 times.
inuumarue		#5	[-]
Posts: 227 (05/03/09 4:13 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Keep them. Osage and locust are good bow woods and birch can be very very beautiful wood, specially if it is burled or figured(even lightly). Worst case scenario, you can make a lot of spoons? Adam not sure, but I think birch can be used for arrow shafting as well.
johnyringo		#6	[-]
Posts: 86 (05/13/09 1:57 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	ive never tried locust for fence posts, but i know hedge aka osage orange makes the best fence posts ive ever seen. i live here on part of my grandfathers land and there are hedge posts still standing that were here when he bought this place 30+ years ago. i say use the hedge for posts and make bows out of the locust. as far as the birch goes stip the bark and use it as fire starter like quills said.
toxophileken		#7	[-]
Posts: 7697 (05/13/09 8:42 PM) Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Read up on how to cut and dry bow wood. Osage and locust can yield prime bow wood. You may be able to sell good portions if you don't need them yourself. Osage and locust are also beautiful, hard, dense woods. Great for any number of uses (atlatls, etc). Re fenceposts - I've read of guys taking osage fence posts that were rotten on the outside and turn them into bows. The wood resists rot very well... Ken
Riverman		#8	[-]
Posts: 195 (05/15/09 12:32 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Not as familiar with the river birch species, but if the bark is the same as white birch, could you not make a birch bark canoe? A mature birch tree's bark is not the easiest thing (or cheapest) to get your hands on. In order to peel it start right after you cut it down so as the sap is still near the bark (especially in the spring, so now), this will make life a lot easier. Then make yourself a hardwood "peeler" by taking a dried dead stick about 3"-4" diameter and about 2 feet long. Cut one end at a 30-40 degree angle (round/dull the point a little) and flatten the bottom of the stick on the longer part of the cut. Then take your log and cut all the way around it just through the bark layer seperated by about 3 foot sections. Then cut a straight line through the bark between the ends of each section. Then start lifting the bark off the log, using the peeler to wedge and lever the bark where needed. Just do a little bit at a time working back and forth along the section to avoid breaking or ripping any of the bark. Now mind you a birch bark canoe is a huge project, but the bark has a lot of other uses as well. You can make waterproof containers out of it, baskets and pouches. It also makes excellent coverings for any shelter, you can even punch holes in it with an awl and stitch it together (spruce root works well in this case). The bark also makes a really nice quiver. There are lots of other birch bark uses that are escaping me for the moment as well. Another thing to look for on the birch is any fungus that may be growing on it (especially the dead parts). Birch commonly has horse hoof fungus (looks like, well a horse hoof) and true tinder polypore (looks like bear s*&t on a tree). If you have ever seen either of these catch a spark, lookout! Both of those will even burn damp. Excellent as a coal extender for friction fires and catches a spark off of flint and steel very easily. Once these are going, they don't go out and form into one very hot long burning ember. Also, if I only had 1 match, I'd find a piece of it and it would gauruntee my fire from there... Once again, not as familiar with the river birch, but you can collect sap from the white birch and make birch syrup from it. However, you have to collect ALOT of sap. Maple sap is 40:1 for syrup. Birch sap is 80:1 for syrup. As for the Locust trees they make very good wood for bow's as has been mentioned, I bet atlatl's as well (similar principle), but not having made one myself not positive, I am sure others here can ellaborate. I have a Osage Atlatl that I traded some knapped points for that works very well. Hope this helps! -Mike
Riverman		#9	[-]
Posts: 196 (05/15/09 12:49 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Should have added one of my all time favourite uses of bark of any tree you can get a good long piece out of anyway! Great for dead fallen trees, but not too rotten as the bark comes off very easily. Just do the same as above on the birch tree except do 2 cuts so instead of stripping the bark all of the way around you get two halves. You will also want to go more than 3 feet, more like 6 or more feet long depending on length you need. Makes a great roof for a shelter. Just build your shelter frame and lay a row of half bark cylinders so the inside of the "tube" is pointing up. Then put a row of them where they point down interlocking the first ones (a picture would explain things so much easier!). Then when it rains no matter where the water hits your roof it gets funneled down and off of the ends. You can even lash all of the bark together to help improve stability in high winds etc. I have used a variety of bark roofed shelters and it is my preffered roofing method. Mind you I live in Carolinian forest area, so there is always an abundance of dead trees to gather from which may not be the same in other areas. Having said that however, the Carolinian forest is very sensitive and actually its entire foundation is created from fallen trees so one must be carefull to not over harvest the dead wood in it. -Mike
mrkinsey		#10	[-]
Posts: 25 (05/15/09 1:20 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	You can send some of it to me and I won't charge a penny :-D

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