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I have a Bradford Pear tree in my yard. For years i have loved to use it's long straight branches to make hiking staffs for my scouts. I dry the staves for about a year and they are close grained, creamy and relatively free of splits.

 

Is this type of pear good for modeling?

Drown you may, but go you must and your reward shall be a man's pay or a hero's grave

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That should be very good.

In Europe they were and they are still using this wood.

One of the best advantage it can be work in every direction.

Could you show us a picture please?

If you want I can show a picture of european pearwood but because it is dried  with steam, the wood turns  some kind of pink.

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This wood is different from Pyrus communis - Swiss pear.

 

Bradford pear - Pyrus calleryana  Bradford  -  is a rapidly growing ornamental originating in SE Asia.  Widely planted starting in the late 70's(?) in the US, when mature, it was found that this cultivar has one bad trait.  The branches grow up at an acute angle to the main trunk (which is often not more than 5-6 feet.  In high winds the branches split away from the trunk.  There are other cultivars with better habits.

 

The tree grows fairly rapidly. It grows well in spring and summer so both the spring and summer wood bands are fairly wide.  There is a color difference.   Excellent color with the spring wood being a lighter color, but neither are red or burgandy. The wood is dense, hard, nonporus, few, if any knots.   It works well and easily has a polished surface.  For small parts, it is often easy to get all spring or all summer, so there is no grain in that piece.

 

It should be useful for framing, planking, masts, yards and deck equipment.  I like working with it and how it looks.  I got a decent stock of it when a wind storm in central KY left one of my trees looking like a pealed banana.

NRG member 45 years

 

Current:  

HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - Navall Timber framing

HMS Beagle 1831 refiit  10-gun brig with a small mizzen - Navall (ish) Timber framing

The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842
Flying Fish 1838  pilot schooner -  framed - ready for stern timbers
Porpose II  1836  brigantine/brig - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers
Vincennes  1825  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers assembled, need shaping
Peacock  1828  Sloop-of -War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Sea Gull  1838  pilot schooner -  timbers ready for assembly
Relief  1835  ship - timbers ready for assembly

Other

Portsmouth  1843  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Le Commerce de Marseilles  1788   118 cannons - framed

La Renommee 1744 Frigate - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers

 

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It must have some kind of oil in it. After sanding with 600, 1000 grit & 4x0 steel wool, I buff it vigorously with terrycloth scraps and a lustrous sheen rises to the surface.

Drown you may, but go you must and your reward shall be a man's pay or a hero's grave

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