Please help me choose wood for a staff

t_c · 7th May 2010, 11:42 PM

Quote:

This may help?

That's great actually!

Thanks Lew - going to file this one away in library!

aiontay · 11th May 2010, 02:37 AM

I was going to recommend Osage Orange. The problem is finding straight grained dowel. If you're cutting it yourself, look along river bottoms, not upland areas. Also, look at the bark since the bark generally follows the grain.

fearn · 11th May 2010, 03:06 AM

The other problem with osage orange is that the sap wood can get bug-eaten. Actually, that's true for any wood, but osage orange seems particularly prone to damage.

If you're back east, there are various ironwoods (e.g. hop hornbeam, Ostyra virginiana) that more-or-less live up to their name, and tend to grow straight.

As for Vandoo's graph, you can download it from the link I posted above.

Same link as before

Best,

F

aiontay · 11th May 2010, 03:13 AM

And the sapwood dries at a much faster rate, so if you leave it on the wood is very prone to split. I always just use the heartwood. It changes from a bright yellow to a dark reddish brown.

11th May 2010, 02:37 AM	#2
aiontay Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 88	I was going to recommend Osage Orange. The problem is finding straight grained dowel. If you're cutting it yourself, look along river bottoms, not upland areas. Also, look at the bark since the bark generally follows the grain.

11th May 2010, 03:06 AM	#3
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	The other problem with osage orange is that the sap wood can get bug-eaten. Actually, that's true for any wood, but osage orange seems particularly prone to damage. If you're back east, there are various ironwoods (e.g. hop hornbeam, Ostyra virginiana) that more-or-less live up to their name, and tend to grow straight. As for Vandoo's graph, you can download it from the link I posted above. Same link as before Best, F

11th May 2010, 03:13 AM	#4
aiontay Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 88	And the sapwood dries at a much faster rate, so if you leave it on the wood is very prone to split. I always just use the heartwood. It changes from a bright yellow to a dark reddish brown.