Hophornbeam?

[okie64]

I was out cuttin a couple of osage trees earlier and ran across 4 hophornbeam trees growin pipe straight. I know some of yall have made bows from hophornbeam, so I guess my question is should I cut these down or leave em standing? We have lots of hickory and osage both growing around here and I didnt know if the hophornbeam would be worth cuttin down or not?

[don s]

hophornbeam is one of many woods aka iron wood. it is a good bow wood. i had some split and drying in my shed when it burned down. i say cut it.
    don

[scrub-buster]

HHB makes an excellent bow.  I searched all over my property looking for it, but had no luck.  Then a former boss gave me an entire log that he had in his garage for 8 or 9 years.

[Pat B]

Like said above HHB is excellent bow wood. Wait a few months before you cut it though. Let the leaves come out so all you have to do is peel the bark off. If you cut it now the bark will be glued down and hard to remove.

[okie64]

Oops! Too late Pat. I got cabin fever and went ahead and cut one of them. I'll wait and cut the rest of them when the leaves come out. Thanks for the info. Jamey

[Pat B]

Wait until you see the difference when it comes to removing the bark. How bid diameter is it? If bigger than 4" or 5" I'd split it in half to season. Seal the ends too.

[okie64]

Diameter is about 8 inches. I got the ends sealed already. I'll probably split it in a day or two. I cut some hickory in the winter one time, so I think I know what you mean about the bark. I wander if I could soak it in water to help the bark peel off easier?

[Knawbone]

Also called leverwood, hard as nails

[Pat B]

Once the cambium starts growing in the spring the wood will release easily from the bark. It will seperating at these new cells.  But after the growing season that cambium from last year became part of the wood for next year. I doubt soaking would help. When you remove the bark some of the old cambium will remain. I like it as a natural camo for an otherwise bright white bow.

[D]

Hum a worker in a Woodcraft store told my buddy that another name for Ipe was ironwood.  After reading this post I'm not for sure if thats true or not. hahahaha.  I've never heard of HHB.  Where does it grow,  Anywhere near Tennessee.  We have got all the hickory anybody could want but haven't been able to find any osage where Im at.  But around here I'm told its called a hedgeapple tree.  Haven't found any of them either hahaha

[okie64]

D, I think there are quite a few different woods with the nickname ironwood. You should have some HHB growin around you somewhere. Its kind of an understory tree. The ones I found were growin with other big timber like oaks, hickories and ashes growin around them. I think around 12-14" diameter is about as big as they get. Hedgeapple, horseapple and bodark are all common names for osage.

[don s]

Originally posted by okie64:
Diameter is about 8 inches. I got the ends sealed already. I'll probably split it in a day or two. I cut some hickory in the winter one time, so I think I know what you mean about the bark. I wander if I could soak it in water to help the bark peel off easier?

i have put a hickory stave in the shower and ran hot water and let it steam a bit to help with bark removal. your going to let it dry anyway. D, there are a few different species aka iron wood. eastern hophornbeam gets it's name from it's flowers. they look like hops.
                                  don
                                            don

[D]

Thanks for the info on the HHB.  I'm definately going to start looking for it

[Pete W]

I have been patiently waiting about 9 months for 4 Hop Hornbeam staves to dry. I got them from a Friend in New Brunswick last spring. Very straight grain in them, and I am hoping to make a Holmegard a Penobscott and a good reflexed longbow from them.
 I should be able to start any time now with luck.