Ironwood uses?

Thanks for all the replies guys. I`m cutting it on Wednesday afternoon and I`ll report back on just what I end up with.


Dave in Wisconsin
 
Tough wood. It is very dense and heavy. Dogwoods are also a bit on the heavy side as well as I recall.
 
Oh, it's bene used for war clubs, among other things. I'd like to give it a try for a couple hawk handles and knife handles.
 
Well, I cut some up and have it drying at the moment.
What is a good way to strip off the bark? Should I wait for it to dry first?
The other night at work, I had some time to kill so I whipped out the ol` Leatherman Surge and whittled off the bark of one future walking stick with the serrated blade. ( I used the Surge saw to cut down that piece of Ironwood).
There must be a better way. Maybe a Red Devil scraper?
 
A spokeshave or a drawknife is what you're looking for. A machete works pretty well too if used as a drawknife.

If you get the bark off and paint the ends, it'll help keep the wood from checking.
 
Id suggest pentacryl to make sure it doesnt crack and check. At least brush some on or even soak ur pieces for awhile. I think "ironwood" is relative and most geographic areas have a wood they call "ironwood". Just my .02

LS...
 
Leave the bark on and let it dry out slooooowly. Coat the ends to minimize checking.

I'd think it would make a good axe handle...not sure what the grain is like. I've never seen it used for anything more than tools or wheel spokes since the trees don't get that big.
 
I guess I`ve got a little bit of everything to experiment with.
I have a wet one that I debarked, a slew of wet ones with the bark still on and a dead one with the bark still on.
The dead one was still standing but dry as a bone and checking had occured. After I cut that one I put it between two trees and tried to snap it to test the strength. It didn`t even flex and it was less than 2 inches in diameter.
This is some strong stuff.
 
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