cricket bat willow wanted

[Badgerland]

Afternoon all.

 

As title says, I'm after a small quantity of clean cricket bat willow for basket making. 5 foot lengths are ideal but will consider others. Diameter can be between 12 to 20 inch.

As I say, not a huge amount needed so not looking for a lorry load! 

 

Anybody out there got anything suitable? 

 

I'm based mid wilts - 7 miles from Devizes.

[arbwork]

https://www.theparkstrust.com/?pageID=1056&rO=&ft=&cz=13&clat=52.042361&clng=-0.759447  the local Parks Trust will be harvesting Bat Willows over the next month and will have a large quantity of material, I hope you can reach an agreement

[Squaredy]

  On 18/09/2018 at 17:01, Badgerland said:

Afternoon all.

 

As title says, I'm after a small quantity of clean cricket bat willow for basket making. 5 foot lengths are ideal but will consider others. Diameter can be between 12 to 20 inch.

As I say, not a huge amount needed so not looking for a lorry load! 

 

Anybody out there got anything suitable? 

 

I'm based mid wilts - 7 miles from Devizes.

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Please excuse my ignorance but why is cricket bat willow essential?  Just curious and nosey!

 

[Badgerland]

Thanks Arbwork. I'll get in touch with them and see what can be arranged. Do you happen to know who the best person to contact is?

[Badgerland]

Hi there Squaredy.

 

Cricket bat willow isn't essential, but it is one of the better woods I've tried. I make a form of basket based on the old Devon splint baskets. (Have a look on my website www.greenmanwoodcrafts.co.uk) The problem with the originals were that by today's standards they're very heavy. In the past they'd have used them like buckets, ie put it on the ground then fill it. When you're good to go, pick it up and move it. Nowadays people want a basket that they can carry around more. So weight becomes an issue.

 

Believe it or not, I've found Wellingtonia is not a bad substitute, but it does suffer from being rather soft whilst at the same time very brittle. Weight wise though it's spot on. (And you get one hell of a lot of it out of one tree!)

 

Cricket bat willow is light, tough and flexible enough to make it easier to put the baskets together. Although I have found it a bit of a bugger to machine down to about 5 mm without it tearing.

[Squaredy]

  On 18/09/2018 at 17:37, Badgerland said:

Hi there Squaredy.

 

Cricket bat willow isn't essential, but it is one of the better woods I've tried. I make a form of basket based on the old Devon splint baskets. (Have a look on my website www.greenmanwoodcrafts.co.uk) The problem with the originals were that by today's standards they're very heavy. In the past they'd have used them like buckets, ie put it on the ground then fill it. When you're good to go, pick it up and move it. Nowadays people want a basket that they can carry around more. So weight becomes an issue.

 

Believe it or not, I've found Wellingtonia is not a bad substitute, but it does suffer from being rather soft whilst at the same time very brittle. Weight wise though it's spot on. (And you get one hell of a lot of it out of one tree!)

 

Cricket bat willow is light, tough and flexible enough to make it easier to put the baskets together. Although I have found it a bit of a bugger to machine down to about 5 mm without it tearing.

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Thank you that is interesting.  Thank goodness for cricket.  Looks like you will get your willow.  I guess you have tried Alder and Poplar?  Black Poplar is meant to be very resistant to abrasion.  I will browse your website with interest.

[Badgerland]

  On 18/09/2018 at 17:58, Squaredy said:

Thank you that is interesting.  Thank goodness for cricket.  Looks like you will get your willow.  I guess you have tried Alder and Poplar?  Black Poplar is meant to be very resistant to abrasion.  I will browse your website with interest.

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I couldn't possibly comment on cricket! (Well maybe suffice to say it's morris dancing without the bells!)

 

No, not tried either Alder or Poplar. I've got some alder in the drying shed but it's so hard that I don't think I'd get the flex I need when making up the baskets. Although I do like the finish. Have used Poplar before for various other projects which were eventually treated with a coloured preservative, but as a bare wood, if I'm honest, I don't like the look of it. I've tried tulip as well but that suffers from the same issue.

[Squaredy]

  On 18/09/2018 at 19:16, Badgerland said:

I couldn't possibly comment on cricket! (Well maybe suffice to say it's morris dancing without the bells!)

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You scoundrel.....say what you will about Poplar, but do not sully cricket......

 

Alder was used for clogs, so I am guessing it has some flexibility, and it is fairly soft.  I like lots of the products on your website by the way, very nice.

[se7enthdevil]

have you tried tulip tree? liriodendron tulipfera which is use alot in joinery.

[Badgerland]

  On 18/09/2018 at 19:41, se7enthdevil said:

have you tried tulip tree? liriodendron tulipfera which is use alot in joinery.

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Yeah, have tried tulip. Not keen on the colour though and compared to willow (or wellingtonia for that matter) it's still too heavy.