[creative4life]

Recently, I lost a Corkscrew Willow tree to Hurricane Rita. It fell during the storm and I'm going to have to cut it up and remove it tomorrow. I was just wondering if this would be a good wood to carve or build with? I'd hate to just cut these logs and branches up and toss them in the garbage.

I know this goes against every "found wood" carver's ethics, but if I need to, can I use some of the logs in my fireplace?

It's been years since I've done any wood carving, but if I can used some of this wood creatively I may just start back up.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Great Site!

[Ashbys]

Should be a great carving wood and you know , If I was cold , how long do you think my carvings would last. =)

Just wear a mask when creating dust , like chainsawing . Willow is know to cause nasal cancer.

[Clifford_Parker]

Corkscrew willow, like most willows, is a good carving wood and it is one of my favorite walking stick and cane woods. The spiraling makes it almost as attractive as diamond willow IMO.

[creative4life]

Wow. Thanks for the quick reply.

Tomorrow I will definitely use a mask. Once I cut the tree up into smaller and more manageable pieces, how should I store it? Do I need to keep it indoors to dry or is it ok to stack it up like firewood outside. This is probably a dumb question and I think I already know the answer, but I thought I would ask.

How should I prepare the wood before I do anything with it? The tree is still fairly green. How long should the wood dry?

[Colin_Partridge]

Firstly bringing the wood inside could cause you some problems. Inside an outside shed would be the best up off the ground so the air can circulate around it. Willow is a great wood to carve but it has thick bark that house all kinds of little critters that I am sure you dont want in your house. Also once willow has dried it is quite difficult to take the bark off, removing with a spud when it is green is the best. Once you have it prepared seal the ends it will prevent it from cracking too much. Also you could carve it green the way I prefer its all a matter of preference.
Colin

[Irish]

Hi Creative4Life,

It depends on the species but usually it is easier to strip the bark while the wood is still fresh if you are doing walking sticks. Cut the sticks longer than needed, several inches on each end, to allow for checking at the ends. My Dad, who did carved sticks, taught me to hang them in loose bunches of about 6 to 8 sticks a bunch from the rafter beams in a dry but unheated shed. He always hung them upside down so the root end was up. Allow about one year per one inch of thickness. And allow lots of air space around them for air movement.

You can hang them out doors as well if they are protected by the roof overhang from getting rained on excessively. A little rain doesn't hurt.

Depending on the thickness of the stick he would dip the ends into acrylic latex house paint mixed with mouth wash about half and half ... grin ... the acrylics seal the ends so the moisture has to escape the through the sides of the stick. The mouth wash was insurance against mold, mildew, and fungus! He used a different color of acrylic each year. That way he always knew what year the stick was cut by the color of paint.

Some people carve green and others do it on seasoned wood. Green wood is usually easier to carve but you don't know until after the carved stick has dried if it's going to split out or not. So you run the chance of losing a carving because of checking.

Now's the time to straighten any good sticks that have an odd bend to them. Get a scrap piece of 3/4" plywood. Draw a straight line down it. Lay the bent stick on the plywood then begin at one end of the stick driving nails along it's side into the plywood ... not into the stick. As you work up the stick you slowly bend it into straight driving more nails along it's side to brace it into place. Most times you don't need a lot of nails, may six or so to hold it. Dad had a full sheet of plywood that he used just for that purpose. It was laid on it's long side and looked so weird with all these stick tops sticking up above it. Once the sticks are braced let them season until totally dry. Removing them from the brace too soon will allow them to return to the bend.

For really out of straight sticks he would straighten them over several weeks walking the stick a little truer each week and resetting nails to brace it.

Sorry to hear that you got hit by Rita!

Susan

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I use parafin wax to seal the ends.................never heard of corkscrew willow....always learning something new!

[Irish]

Hey Hi_Ho,

There are two great woods that grow unevenly causing the branches to twist and turn. Sometimes they can actually create a knot where the tip is growing so fast that it twists itself through it's own circle. One is cork screww willow and the other is called Contorted Hazelnut AKA. Henry Launders Walking Stick Hazel. Look it up on ebay. Contorted hazel is a nice scrub during summer but spectacular during winter when you can see inside the branches. It takes many many years before the hazel becomes thick enough for sticks ... but worth the wait.

Susan

[Ashbys]

Have one in my front yard at home , Susan, Will see if I can get a couple of pics. And it is an amazing plant!


Ash

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I see the willow grows fast and I can get the seeds or plants on the web.....hummmm maybe I will plant one! thanks everyone! Dave