questions about wood

[Leo Fultz]

i'm thinking about making a staff & wand.
i had been wondering about where to get the wood -- a friend suggests contacting the parks dept. at Golden Gate Park (i live in San Francisco). A good idea for common wood, like eucalyptus, but not for exotic wood (ebony, zebrawood, etc.).
i decided to google search and found several sources, but...
i am flummoxed by the measurements. what is the difference between length & height? i thought they were the same!?
width, i believe, would be the diameter (thickness), but length & height?
i figure one measurement would be how "tall" the wood is, but the other?
to make matters worse, there's apparently a diff. between actual and realistic measurements.
He-e-e-lp, i'm confused
Thanx,
Leo

[mantrid]

If you are making a wand then you should only be considering the wood of the zumba zumba tree. It is the only plant that possesses the magical properties required of any good wand. This tree only grows in one region in peru, and can only be harvested on a particular night of the year, and only then if there is a storm blowing. Failiure to do this will result in the magical properties being lost.
It just so happens that I have a piece of this wood and can sell you it if you are interested. It is very expensive. Just send me your credit card details an I'll do all the rest.

[Andrew Werby]

Originally Posted by Leo Fultz

i'm thinking about making a staff & wand.
i had been wondering about where to get the wood -- a friend suggests contacting the parks dept. at Golden Gate Park (i live in San Francisco). A good idea for common wood, like eucalyptus, but not for exotic wood (ebony, zebrawood, etc.).

[If you get out of the City, you should be able to pick up a loose branch or two without anyone minding, but I don't think the Parks people have any protocols developed for de-accessioning their wood. I'm sure they'd have to have a few years of meetings before they could develop a policy on the issue that would be sustainable and scrupulously fair to all.

Most staffs and wands I've seen were made from branches; they tend to be more or less round in section, with a few bends and twists that add interest. Nobody sells wood like that (well, they might at the flower market), but you might contact an arborist for some, if you don't want to leave the City. The exotic woods you mention are sawn from the trunks of trees, are straight and rectangular in section. You can buy them at certain lumber dealers, like MacBeath and PALS (Plywood and Lumber Sales) - bring big bux.]


i decided to google search and found several sources, but...
i am flummoxed by the measurements. what is the difference between length & height? i thought they were the same!?

width, i believe, would be the diameter (thickness), but length & height?
i figure one measurement would be how "tall" the wood is, but the other?
to make matters worse, there's apparently a diff. between actual and realistic measurements.

[It's length if it's lying down, height if it's standing up. Unless the wood is round stock, you wouldn't refer to its diameter, but to its width (the next largest dimension after length) and thickness, which is usually the smallest dimension.

There's actual and nominal measurements, but I've never heard of "realistic" ones. For instance, a nominal " S4S (surfaced on four sides) two by four" is actually 1.5" (thick) x 3.5" (wide). This is because the surfacing operation takes off 1/4" on each side. A rough 2x4 will really be about 2" x 4". Length is usually more or less accurate. If you're in doubt, ask for an actual measurement, or better yet, go down there with a tape measure and measure it yourself (standing up or lying down).]

He-e-e-lp, i'm confused
Thanx,
Leo

[You'll get over it...]

Andrew Werby
www.unitedartworks.com

[Leo Fultz]

thanx, guys:
mantrid --
i've been studying this stuff, on & off, since i was 11 yrs old (am now 61), more recently for the past 3 yrs., and have beaucoup books on the subject. yet i have never heard of the zumba tree. google just lists a 'physical program, based on a Latin dance. Would you happen to know the genus/species of this plant?
Andrew Werby --
i don't get out of the City very much, but can if necessary (i do have transportation).
i'll try city-side first, then out-of-town.
you're right, 'tis nominal, not 'realistic' -- my mistake.

[raspero]

The usual source for walking sticks, canes, (made by hand in the country), and such other things as real bent wood furniture, (not the store bought stuff), is saplings, which is what we call young trees back in Virginia where I came from. There are a number of woods that we used back there, but which do not grow in California, such as Dogwood, Hornbeam, Hop Hornbeam, and Black Locust, that make superior walking sticks.

The reason for using saplings are several:

You can find straight trees if you look.
You have maximum strength, like a telephone pole, which is just a large walking stick.
Most of the strongest, hardest trees don't grow very large before they die.

There is plenty of information available about Western trees from state or national forestry departments. Unlike most government workers, those guys really love their work and are willing to help anyone who shows an interest in it.
They will even take you out in a State or National forest and help you find a tree.

R

[ironman]

Leo, you live in SF and don't know about Zumba. It grows in every backyard in Berkeley and the leaves are smoked, rapped in EZ wides! LOL!!!
Jeff

[racine]

i had a zumbazumba foot bath, mad in china, it even gets between the toads. fantastic!

[Leo Fultz]

Thanx for the info.
raspero --
A most excellent suggestion. Saplings is the way to go. I should be able to find something acceptable in the SF / Bay Area. The trees you mentioned are good choices, but I may find suitable alternatives. Afterall, we aren't too 'botanically deprived' here .
ironman & racine --
That still leaves the question: What is the genus of the plant?
If I went to the store to buy bay leaves, I'm pretty sure I'd be getting Laurus nobilis. Likewise, if I asked a florist for a doz. roses, chances are I'd get something in the Rosa genus.
But if I were to ask for some blazing stars or unicorn root, how many people would know what i want?, particularly since there are several genera of plants with these names.

[cougar]

Hey Leo,
Lived in S.C. County till I relocated to Ga..... very sad.
I have several trees that need trimming come get it ? just kidding.
Nothing with exotic shapes but never the less.

Been lazy lately and have several trees to trim and may be able to get you out a piece or two- sycamore,Red Oak,Poplar,hickory,dogwood and gum tree.
My be able to get dogwood if its dead, but it is heavy, not very linear and hard to carve. Hickory is more linear and is used for handles and such like dogwood is,also heavy. The poplar is harder than pine with even grain and grows like a walking stick. Its light but still has a substantial feel to it and more pleasant to work with than pine.
Id use the sycamore for its history or poplar just because its feels right. Now if you feel the need to hit some one on the way to your hike you may like the harder woods.Let me know and I can take a look nothing fancy but some choices.

[cougar]

some stuff I Googled
Cultural history, meaning, symbolism, or significance of


Oak -- Tree of strength, seat of the chair of St. Peter in the Vatican, tree of worship, and power.

# Dogwood--- The wood of spear and arrows.
This tree represents charm and finesse. It can be used to enhance one's social abilities and increase one's personality. The dogwood flower is a good cleanser of wounds, and its scent is a relaxant.
--
Tree of protection and favors.
# Sycamore "ficus sycomorus," belongs to the same family of the fig tree. Its name comes from the Greek "sicon," fig and "moros," blackberry bush. That is, the sycamore has leaves similar to the blackberry bush and fruit similar to the fig.
--Symbolizes growth, persistence, strength and endurance.To some Native American cultures, the sycamore is a holy tree equivalent to the oak in Europe. In magic, it is useful for spells involving growth, and can be used in healing potions (especially those with regenerative properties).
--The sycamore carried special mythical significance. According to the Book of Dead, twin sycamores stood at the eastern gate of heaven from which the sun god Re emerged each morning. regarded as a manifestation of the goddesses Nut, Isis, and especially of Hathor, who was given the epithet Lady of the Sycamore. Sycamores were often planted near tombs, and burial in coffins made of sycamore wood returned the dead person to the womb of the mother tree goddess. Living sycamore trees can reach ages of five hundred to six hundred years.

I snooped through an earlier question you had about candle making and found some stuff on regular silicon caulking for molds thinning agent and such if your looking for alternatives to the good stuff. I'm not there yet but looks promising. Here is some info and a site I found it on.

[KatyL]

I think it would matter "Why" and for Whom the staff or wand is made? I know for some folks the oak or apple is sacred, for others some other-- that's not my call. I kind of like the idea of "grown" furniture, or staffs in this case. With a tree and the right amount of years, you can splice together a lot of interesting things. I made some spiral wands out of oak dowels-- just carving them. It is a common wood, and I liked them pretty well. The ideal for at least Neo-witches/ pagans would be Apple, grown, twisted and curled. On the other hand if it is for hiking, something nice and sturdy like hickory might be nice. There is also quite a mythology around the Rowen tree. I think you'd need to find writing on the meaning of the trees.

[robertpulley]

Saplings or branches are right. Something slow growing will be dense and hard. And you have to harvest it live. If it is dead wood it won't be worth a darn; it will be brittle and weak. Cut it live and let it dry out with the bark on preferably.