Cutting down young trees

[skh]

I've found two sites of recorder makers who claim to use yew on request, but don't specify if only for decoration or for whole instruments.

The sites are:

http://www.rohmer-recorders.de/
http://www.floetenbau.ch/hoelzer.html

I stopped googling after that.

You don't usually drink from recorders, by the way. (Too many holes, to start with.)

Sonja

[Nanohedron]

Yes, it goes against the grain, but...

Aw, fer cryin' out loud. I just noticed this...*groans*

[Steven]

Cut the limbs into suitable lengths, plus some ( 18"?). Coat the ends with something to prevent rapid drying which would cause cracking-- dip in melted paraffin or beeswax. Then store them in a cool, dry location. Talk to us again in a year or two... Plum is a pretty good instrument wood

Hey Paul, what about Dogwood? We recently cut down a dead limb from an old dogwood tree in our yard, and it's currently in about 18" lengths, perfect for the fireplace. It'll get salvaged if it would be good for woodworking or instrument making. Whaddya think?

Thanks!
Steven

[Sunnywindo]

So with all this tree talk, I have a question. I always hear of whistles being made of fancy woods like olive wood, tulip wood, kingwood, cocobolo, etc.... these won't exactly grow in my backyard. What other, common hardwoods out there would work for a whistle? Has anyone yet had a whistle special made from a tree that once grew in their yard and if so, what wood was it?

Sara

[Walden]

This topic makes me think of the apocryphal story of George Washington and the cherry tree. How many children's misbehavior involves cutting down a tree?

[Tony]

....What other, common hardwoods out there would work for a whistle?....
Sara

Rosewood, Maple, Cherry and Black Walnut are suitable for whistles.

http://www.sweetheartflute.com/whistles.html

[Lorenzo]

Still pining for the past, eh, Zoubivque? Olive those sons-o'-beeches larching around and poking their lancewood at each other, boxing each other's ears and making privet deals sub rosa...plum crazy, if yew ask me. Bah. History. I'll get sycamore of any of this. Walnut it just be better if we all sit down and teak the advice of our laurel'd elders? Yew know, 'twould holly be a bad thing to spruce up the world a bit and pear away the deadwood of briar mistakes, fir pete's sake.

Holly smokes, Nano. That was plum good...pretty cherry. You're a genus. You should branch out as a budding writer. I'd birches a copy...it might get real poplar (no lemons please). I probably butternut get involved in this tree stuff too much. But hey, a bird in the bush is worth two in the palm. And Dale..I'd hate to see hemlock this thread because of any word twisting...hope he doesn't pithed off. I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff, oak hey?

[Nanohedron]

Lorenzo, WOOD yew just stop?

[Jerry Freeman]

Dogwood is suitable for whistles, to be sure.

It is a pinkish blond, very pretty, hard, tight grained wood that's denser than oak or maple, but not as dense as ironwood, boxwood or blackwood.

Dogwood gets its name for the fact that it was suitable for making wooden daggers; it was called "dagwood."

Best wishes,
Jerry

[Walden]

Dogwood is suitable for whistles, to be sure.

It is a pinkish blond, very pretty, hard, tight grained wood that's denser than oak or maple, but not as dense as ironwood, boxwood or blackwood.

Dogwood gets its name for the fact that it was suitable for making wooden daggers; it was called "dagwood."

Best wishes,
Jerry

Some pepole fell dagwoods, while some Dagwoods fell people.

[antstastegood]

What about ash wood? I have ash-loads of it! (sorry)

Also, next windstorm, I might have some eucalyptus and jacaranda wood.

[AnnaDMartinez]

Did you guys forget we humans live on tree poop?

[Jerry Freeman]

What about ash wood?

I believe good whistles can be made of most any hardwood. Ash is open grained, which is considered less desirable for whistles, but there are good whistles made of walnut, which is also open grained. So the open graining may not be an issue then.

Softwoods (pine, etc.; coniferous woods) aren't used for whistles generally, as far as I know. However, cedar, which is a softwood, is a traditional wood for Native American flutes, so even softwoods might be suitable. Aside from potential durability issues, a whistle made of something like spruce (used for guitar, violin, etc. tops) might make a wonderful sounding instrument.

Mack Hoover reported recently that he made a whistle of redwood, which is a softwood.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[Easily_Deluded_Fool]

So with all this tree talk, I have a question. I always hear of whistles being made of fancy woods like olive wood, tulip wood, kingwood, cocobolo, etc.... these won't exactly grow in my backyard. What other, common hardwoods out there would work for a whistle? Has anyone yet had a whistle special made from a tree that once grew in their yard and if so, what wood was it?

Sara

I have made whistles from ash - Fraxinus excelsior,
and oak - Quercus petraea, both grown in my garden.

I cleaved the wood - to follow the natural grain,
gouged out the middle with a round chisel,
smoothed with glass/sand paper,
glued the two pieces back together.
Then drilled holes using the % method.
Windway cut with a chisel,
blade etc cut with a drill,
then with a craft knife,
then filed with a cheap set of die-makers files.

The interior was 'sealed' using Danish Oil,
then left for a day - 'cos it pongs!
The outside was finished with beeswax
to prevent any chemical induced problems
with playing them, but 'seal' the outer surface.

HTH

[Jack]

Apple and peach are hardwoods, no?

P.S. has anybody here ever eaten birch tree? I know people who eat the sticks but I never tried it.