Making Sweet Chestnut laths

[Acerforestry]

I fancy a bit of a dabble at the above, having cut chestnut for years and just looking at some side hustle options. Looking at the search engines, info on producing them seems a bit scant, can anyone advise - is there a book or two out there that covers the subject?

[5thelement]

1 hour ago, Acerforestry said:

I fancy a bit of a dabble at the above, having cut chestnut for years and just looking at some side hustle options. Looking at the search engines, info on producing them seems a bit scant, can anyone advise - is there a book or two out there that covers the subject?

Hi Phil, Ben law does a few books but only covers the basic tools and techniques. 
Olly Moses was one of his apprentices and does workshops, he is based in Cambridge and is running a roundwood framing course shortly ( If I was in the UK I would be the first on it), I am doing one myself here in France over the next two weekends. Closer to home, Richard Ely ( Instagram- greenwoodcraftsman) is based in Robertsbridge, he has fantastic knowledge and skills with cleft chestnut products, he also does charcoal. 
You might be able to exchange some labour for knowledge. 👍

 

[openspaceman]

I've not done laths but I wonder if a course is necessary, the business of splitting/riving is straightforward. We were just presented with a stack of chestnut rounds and told to split and point them for stakes. After that thinner stuff, especially hazel, is a doddle.

 

Choosing your wood is the key. The skill is in selecting the bit of the tree length to cross cut for the product you want.

 

Look on a tree as being a bunch of short straws, all overlapping and glued along their lengths with a glue that is weaker in bending than the straws are. When you start a split look at where it is running from the wedge, billhook or froe. If it is running downward turn it over and press down to direct the force to stress the lower glue line. Always push downward to make the split run that way.

 

Always half each cross section till you have the required size.

 

a quick search and this shows the basics

 

https://youtu.be/WB4aZS8xmNE

 

[Acerforestry]

Dave, oddly enough I messaged Olly recenetly on Facebook and he hasn't long replied. I'm pretty sure I have most of the required knowledge of using a cleaving brake etc but was particularly interested in preferred timber diameter for the blanks, and some other relevant info. The framing course sounds great, either UK or over there. Other comments above openspaceman, thanks