What did you rehang today?

Square_peg said:
It's related to maple and from what I've heard it makes a fine syrup.

I recall having a couple trees on our property as a kid. One was a climber. ;)
The other was too close to a rental unit and came down for firewood - good firewood.
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Yup, the Latin name is Acer negundo. It's usually called Manitoba maple up here. It's one of those fast grow anywhere weed trees that tends to split out or die of disease at a young age so dropping one that is close to anything you don't want squashed was a good call.
 
Canadian Mojo said:
Yup, the Latin name is Acer negundo. It's usually called Manitoba maple up here. It's one of those fast grow anywhere weed trees that tends to split out or die of disease at a young age so dropping one that is close to anything you don't want squashed was a good call.
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What Box Elder/Manitoba Maple is particularly adept at is enveloping/embedding (ie growing into and over) fences, telephone and power lines. Everywhere you go in Ottawa there are stove-sized rounds hanging for years off cables and fences after the rest of the pest tree has been removed. The darn stuff grows about an inch in diameter per year and is valued pretty much at zero for anything wood related such as boards and firewood.
 
Camperspecial said:
It's also prone to "quilting" like maple. Often some reall nice nice looking stuff.
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Yes Acer negundo is a true maple (Acer sp.) and you're more than welcome to hy-grade the wood that comes out of them. Good luck with getting that otherwise-garbage wood to do anything useful for you. Trust me and don't waste your time in trying to prove otherwise.
 
Camperspecial said:
. . . Often some reall nice nice looking stuff.
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I find it quite attractive. Lots of pictures of items made with it on the internet. An example by Larry Katz:


thumbs_manitoba-maple-salad-bowl-13-wide-5-and-one-half-inches-deep-1116.jpg

http://www.turnturnturn.ca/salad-bowls/


Bob
 
300Six said:
Sure, looks mean nothing, just as Balsa wood and Basswood ought to make for 'purdy' handles too. The operative word was 'useful' not 'decorative' such as a custom-turned salad bowl.
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Are you suggesting that the bowl will not function?
 
jblyttle said:
Are you suggesting that the bowl will not function?
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Being facetious are we? If you're thinking the wood is similarly good for axe handles then 'go for it', my good man. Manitoba Maple burls are a dime a dozen (every arborist and landscape contractor can provide a barrel full of these, supposing they were specifically asked not to throw them out) and if you wax and oil them enough they won't split or crumble until well after some star-struck buyer takes them home and foolishly chooses to put them to use.
 
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Have tried drying small pieces for knife handles every way I can think of and they have all split.Chips start flying it looks like it's bleeding sometimes
 
300Six said:
Sure, looks mean nothing, just as Balsa wood and Basswood ought to make for 'purdy' handles too. . .
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300Six said:
Being facetious are we? If you're thinking the wood is similarly good for axe handles then 'go for it', my good man. . .
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Quite frankly, I don't understand the above comments as Boxelder for handles has not been mentioned. Perhaps a warning in case someone might think about it?

"Sometimes called “Ash-leaved Maple” because of its non-typical leaves, (see below), Box Elder is technically considered a maple tree (Acer genus). Its lumber is softer, weaker, and lighter than almost all other species of maple, and Box Elder’s overall strength, as well as it’s strength-to-weight ratio are poor."
Comments from: http://www.wood-database.com/box-elder/


Bob
 
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