Newbie To All Things Craft

[leethedog 3,071]

As it says above I'm new to all this but very enthusiastic I've found a nice peice of coppice chestnut and hazel I know hazel is good for stick how.about the chestnut how long do you have to cure the wood before steaming it to straitened?

[Tiercel 6,986]

Chestnut is every piece as good as hazel. the old adage is an inch per year for winter cut wood, (before the sap rises, or drops) for sticks cut any other time of year add 6 months on to that.There is an old adage if you see a stick you like, cut it, no matter the time of year, as if you wait some one will beat you to it.

 

TC

[leethedog 3,071]

Thanks mate the bloke who works the woodland said I can Ave what I want as long as I don't take the piss I'll probably give him the first one as a thanks

Edited February 16, 2015 by leethedog

[Tiercel 6,986]

If you have the choice of a coppiced woodland, be very choosy what you cut, look for a very slow taper with about 25mm/inch to 30mm base to the stick, it will shrink as it dries. Cut a variety of bark colours, Chestnut takes well to having the bark stripped, it dries a light brown colour.

 

TC

[leethedog 3,071]

Thanks to any info welcome I've done a few stripped oak thumb sticks in the past and only have 1 raw one left cut last year so I better get cutting this is one my daughter nicked