There are eighty (80) species, not eight (8). On Sat, Oct 31, 2009 at 3:36 PM, Timothy Zelazo <[email protected]> wrote:
> Guaiacum officinale, Lignum vitae is the hardest, heaviest and > closest-grained wood known and has a density almost equal to iron. The > weight is about 83 lbs. per cubic foot with a specific gravity of 1.3. It > also has the ability to withstand the great working pressue of 2,000 lbs. > per square inch and has resistance to the action of many mild chemicals and > acids. One application is for propeller-shaft bearings in the largest > liners. > > There are about eight distinct botanical species which are listed and > referred to as ironwoods. A few are Billian, Hophornbeam Eastern, Ipil, > Mesua, Pau d'Arco, Pau Ferro, Pyinkado, Quebracho, and Hornbeam European. > The common name "ironwood" is generally applied to whatever wood in any > particular section of the country is considered the densest and the hardest. > > > On Sat, Oct 31, 2009 at 2:56 PM, Timothy Zelazo <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Cornus florida has a cubic weight per foot of 50 lbs. also used for >> golf-club heads. >> >> Xylia xylocarpa, Pyinkado known as the iron wood of Burma weighs 70 to 81 >> lbs. per cubic foot. >> >> Andira inermis, Partridge wood is about 75 lbs. per cubic foot which >> emanates from Venezuela and Colombia. >> >> Prosopis glandulosa, Mesquite averages 55 lbs. per cu. ft. and found in >> Arizona, Texas, and Oklahoma. >> >> Carpinus betulus, European Hornbeam is considered one of the hardest woods >> growing in England. >> >> Ostyra virginiana, Eastern Hophornbeam is about 51 lbs per cu ft. >> >> Russ, thanks for the walking stick info. I've experienced the same >> results when working the species you mentioned. >> >> Tim >> >> >> >> On Sat, Oct 31, 2009 at 2:21 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> ENTS: >>> >>> Of all the smaller eastern trees I would give dogwood, Cornus florida a >>> vote for one of the hardest woods. Over the years I have used all sorts of >>> woods for walking sticks and I have found that dogwood does not split or >>> splinter like hickory and it doesn't shred or warp like hophornbeam. >>> Hornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana, seems to be fairly soft, it is easy to cut >>> with a knife it splits extremely easily and it will rot while you are >>> looking at it. >>> >>> Ostrya viginiana, hophornbeam splits extremely easily and warps very >>> badly. >>> >>> Walking sticks made out of dogwood never split on the point end and with >>> daily use will wear at a rate of less than half an inch a year. Nothing >>> else compares in terms of wear and no tree I have tried for a walking stick >>> has been more stable than dogwood is once it has seasoned. >>> >>> Oak and ash walking sticks break much easier than dogwood and are much >>> heavier >>> >>> If you make a walking stick out of dogwood it is best to dig out the >>> entire tree and trim the roots with loppers. The best size tree is, usually >>> about 1" in diameter and has a straight stem for at least four feet above >>> the root collar. Carve the handle out of the root ball. You can almost >>> always get a very comfortable hook to it. In my walks around the steep >>> hills of WV a dogwood walking stick has become my third leg....the one that >>> never slips. >>> >>> When freshly, cut a dogwood tree can be carved into a walking stick with >>> just a jack knife but once it dries it is like trying to carve bone. >>> >>> When completely dried the wood is very light, which would mean it is weak >>> if one of the measures of strength is density. >>> >>> The walking stick in the photo is over five years old. The patina that >>> develops from long term use makes it very comfortable to hold and after >>> several years of use it becomes a fairly reliable tool.....that hook on the >>> end is extremely helpful to pull the tip of a 10' high limb down close >>> enough to tie plastic ribbon when you are marking a trail in dense brush. >>> >>> Other woods may be slightly harder in certain uses but nothing I've >>> encountered compares to the utility of a dogwood tree. >>> >>> >>> Russ >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Timothy Zelazo <[email protected]> >>> To: [email protected] >>> Sent: Sat, Oct 31, 2009 1:52 pm >>> Subject: [ENTS] Re: What's the hardest hardwood? >>> >>> Carpinus caroliniana is American hornbeam (bluebeech, water beech) and >>> Ostrya virginiana is Eastern hophornbeam and had the common name "ironwood" >>> often applied to this species. The Textbook of Dendrology by Harlow and >>> Harrar Fifth Edition published by McGraw-Hill. This was the info they were >>> pushing over thirty years ago when I studied forestry. The two trees look >>> very different in the forest. >>> >>> On Sat, Oct 31, 2009 at 1:36 PM, Josh Kelly <[email protected] >>> > wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> Don, >>>> >>>> On the contrary, I think I noted hop hornbeam (Ostrya virgiana) in my >>>> earlier post. >>>> >>>> Josh >>>> >>>> On Oct 31, 1:11 pm, DON BERTOLETTE <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> > Josh- >>>> > >>>> > I guess that 'ironwood' (aka eastern hophornmeam, American hornbeam, >>>> Ostrya virginiana; member of the Betulaceae), member of the doesn't rate >>>> in >>>> this exotic group? >>>> > >>>> > -Don >>>> > >>>> . Learn more.http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pc-scout/default.aspx? >>>> CBID=wl&ocid=P.<http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pc-scout/default.aspx?%0ACBID=wl&ocid=P.> >>>> .. >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
