cricket bat willow wanted

[sandspider]

Would it not be easier and cheaper to make baskets from narrow / young willow rods, rather than buying expensive mature cricket bat willow that you've then got to cut down into strips?

Edited September 19, 2018 by sandspider

[se7enthdevil]

11 hours ago, Badgerland said:

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

you must have had a heavy bit then as they are only a few pounds between them.

[Badgerland]

8 hours ago, sandspider said:

Would it not be easier and cheaper to make baskets from narrow / young willow rods, rather than buying expensive mature cricket bat willow that you've then got to cut down into strips?

The trouble with smaller stuff is the processing time and effort involved. To make just one size of basket I need a range of slat widths, 1", 15/8", 1 7/16, 2" and 21/2". It's more efficient to cut larger pieces into billets the correct wide then resaw them all to the same thickness on the bandsaw.

With smaller stuff it's more work to get it down to the various width billets and in addition there's increased potential for the slats curling before they can be used. I also have the same issue with getting hold of smaller material as larger stuff. In the past it's not proved that expensive as I'm only after 3 or 4 lengths at a time. These can often be sourced from trees that have been ring-barked by tree rats and so fall short of the required quality for Wrights. I've stated 5 foot as ideal but in the past I have happily taken shorter (around 4 foot) lengths. 5 foot sits better on my logosol farmers saw that's all.

[Badgerland]

8 hours ago, se7enthdevil said:

you must have had a heavy bit then as they are only a few pounds between them.

You could possibly be right. But when every ounce counts it all adds up.

[sandspider]

2 hours ago, Badgerland said:

The trouble with smaller stuff is the processing time and effort involved. To make just one size of basket I need a range of slat widths, 1", 15/8", 1 7/16, 2" and 21/2". It's more efficient to cut larger pieces into billets the correct wide then resaw them all to the same thickness on the bandsaw.

With smaller stuff it's more work to get it down to the various width billets and in addition there's increased potential for the slats curling before they can be used. I also have the same issue with getting hold of smaller material as larger stuff. In the past it's not proved that expensive as I'm only after 3 or 4 lengths at a time. These can often be sourced from trees that have been ring-barked by tree rats and so fall short of the required quality for Wrights. I've stated 5 foot as ideal but in the past I have happily taken shorter (around 4 foot) lengths. 5 foot sits better on my logosol farmers saw that's all.

Got ya. Just thinking aloud, I've never made a willow basket!

[Badgerland]

Earlier lead turned into a dead end so i'm still looking for some cricket bat willow logs if anybody can help. Preferably within sensible distance of mid-wiltshire but if further afield not necessarily a problem.

[timbernut]

Have you tried thuja (western red cedar)? Light and strong, steams well. Like your website!

[Badgerland]

53 minutes ago, timbernut said:

Have you tried thuja (western red cedar)? Light and strong, steams well. Like your website!

Tbh as I'm having such trouble sourcing CB Willow I was going to try WRC next. From the figures I was looking at yesterday it seems to be very close weight wise. Don't have any experience of using it, but I have supplied it to be used for cladding where it's been left with a sawn finish. Do you know how good a machine finish it will take, ie put trough a thicknesser?

[Paul in the woods]

1 hour ago, Badgerland said:

Do you know how good a machine finish it will take, ie put trough a thicknesser?

WRC is used to make bee hives so I would expect it would go through a thicknesser ok. Occasionally, on cheap hives, I've found the fibers have pulled out the wood during manufacture but at the premium end of the market you get a nice smooth finish.

[Badgerland]

3 hours ago, Paul in the woods said:

WRC is used to make bee hives so I would expect it would go through a thicknesser ok. Occasionally, on cheap hives, I've found the fibers have pulled out the wood during manufacture but at the premium end of the market you get a nice smooth finish.

Thanks Paul. That's good to hear. Might be a viable alternative after all. Have to give it a go.

Yeah, I've found with CB Willow the same thing can happen with fibers lifting. Usually (but not always) it can be sorted by simply turning it around and refeeding it. Sometimes, no matter which way it goes the thicknesser will just eat if up and spit out chunks, so in that instance I have to resort to the (very!) slow process of using the drum sander instead.