weeping willow

[Robt]

Has anyone cut weeping willow into boards and made anything out of it?

[Left Coast Chris]

No, but there was an article in WOOD Magazine a year or so ago that noted willow will stain to match Walnut and is often (?) used to be stained as walnut.   They said some use it for furnature.   The grain must be similar to walnut.    The willow trees around us break often in the wind so I would assume it is weaker in bending than most trees although they tend to hold their leaves longer than other trees (at least in our area) and sometimes get caught in winter type storms with the leaves on.

[New Inn Wood Man]

Hi,

I moved into a new place mid last year. The old gent who owned it let it go a bit understandably so I had plenty of willows and some monster poplars to sort out. I milled them up and used them to fit out the workshop with benches and racks etc. Its not particularly durable outside unless treated, or particularly strong, but if cut to the right thickness it will give good service! ;D
NIWM

[woodmills1]

I cut up a bunch of willow from my own trees.  I noticed after drying that some planed up nice and smooth like a hardwood and some just sort of fuzzed up, requiring much sanding.  I brought some to the high school shop I supply and they used it for numerous projects with the same complaint......too much sanding on some of it.  I also used it to make a platform bed and it has held up well.

Interesting story on the platform I made for a friend.  I couldn't find any plywood on hand to cover the top after making the willow frame and supports, but I had some glued up panels from poplar I had made earlier so I used those.  I didn't tell my friend but the panels were originally going to be made into my mother in laws coffin until she changed her mind and deceided on cremation.

[raycon]

After milling a few logs it tastes like you been chewing on a bayer aspirin.

I milled a few logs into blocks for a carver that makes wooden garden shoes. I've not used any of the boards I've milled yet. Noticed the same thing when milling some boards have excessive fuzz others look good. 

[pineywoods]

We have a family member whose large den (over 600 sq ft) has a willow ceiling. six inch tongue and groove. First time I saw it, I thought it was teak. It's absolutely beautiful. The lumber came from trees along a river bank. The river floods frequently, soaking the trees in water that's high in mineral content. The minerals in the river water stained the living trees.  Willow does stain nicely, is easy to work, but not very strong. Willow charcoal is supposed to be the best source for carbon for making black gunpowder.

[zopi]

After milling a few logs it tastes like you been chewing on a bayer aspirin.

but you won't have a headache....

tea made with green willow bark will work wonders for aches and pains....but bring some sugar! :D

[zopi]

Willow charcoal is supposed to be the best source for carbon for making black gunpowder.

and for forge carburizing steel...

[johnjbc]

I made willow blocking to carry in my travel trailer to level it.  A 3 x 8 x 12 only weighs a couple pounds.
I also made scale model planks and rafters and used a hot glue gun to make a model of the cabin I am building.
Routed cavities in a block of willow the size of a bar of soup and laid a piece of Saran Wrap in it to mold soap

[RSteiner]

I've cut a bit of Poplar and made shelves out of it for my wife's pantry.  The boards had a tendency to twist if not stick well with a good amount of weight on top.  However once dry it glued up quite nicely and remained stable after being planed to thickness.

As for weeping willow, I cut a tree down for a friend one and my folks decided to try to burn it in their woodstove.  It was late spring when the tree was taken down.  The wood was piled in the folks driveway for a couple of months before they got to cutting and splitting it.  Many of the pieces developed green shoots and leaves in that time.  I would be afraid to let a piece of weeping willow get too moist, it might just take root again.

Randy

[deeker]

I have cut black willow (weeping) some wood workers use it in place of walnut.  I have a good supply locally and it does taste like asprin!  Wood carvers love it!  Looks good finished too.  The carvers I cut for want it cut from very dead very dry logs.  That sawdust is worse than asprin, it had lots of dirt in it.  The green logs are fun to cut.  Like most wood.  My favorite is either ponderosa pine or cottonwood. 


Kevin Davis
Ruff Cutts