# Tamarisk Wood Sample



## BangleGuy

Here is a piece of Tamarisk that I made today for the wood identification folks. What a pain in the neck! This stuff is as hard as African Blackwood, tough on the blades :dash2:

The pink and yellow tones are really cool. I have cut these trees down for years, but never thought much about it until now. Next weekend I am going to hunt down a live tree and try to get a larger sample that is wet. Should be much easier to blank out when it isn't dried and in my firewood pile! :fool3:

Enjoy! 

BG

[attachment=2531][attachment=2533][attachment=2532]


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## DKMD

*RE: Tamarisk wood sample for Hobbit*

Interesting! I'd never heard of tamarisk, so off to wikipedia I went… Seems like the term may be used for a number of shrub like plants that are also referred to as salt cedar… I can definitely see the cedar resemblance. Neat stuff!


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## Kevin

*RE: Tamarisk wood sample for Hobbit*



DKMD said:


> ... so off to wikipedia I went…



Be careful using wikipedia. It's handy and interesting but you cannot depend on the accuracy of the info. It can be spot-on, or misinformation, to downright propaganda. JMHO


.


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## BangleGuy

*RE: Tamarisk wood sample for Hobbit*



DKMD said:


> Interesting! I'd never heard of tamarisk, so off to wikipedia I went… Seems like the term may be used for a number of shrub like plants that are also referred to as salt cedar… I can definitely see the cedar resemblance. Neat stuff!



Yeah, salt cedar is another name for Tamarisk. It is a noxious shrub that is invading the creeks and streams of the west. I usually cut them down at the base and burn the wood on top of the stump to kill the roots. They are one tough tree to kill!

That all said, I think the wood is pretty cool and I will try to find a bigger piece next weekend  I am hoping to make some bangles from some local pest trees (Tamarisk and Russian Olive) to sell at the craft shows. Should be a great conversational piece for the lady-folk 

Thanks for your comments!

BG


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## phinds

BG, I haven't been on the forum much lately so just now got around to viewing this thread or I would have said sooner --- Thanks for posting this.


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## Dane Fuller

Salt cedar propagates like wildfire along creeks and rivers in this area too. About the only use I've found for them are fence staves. I busted enough of them chasing wild cattle up and down the river that I don't care to have any of it in my shop....


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## BangleGuy

I found a large Tamarisk on my property that has a 10" trunk. When I get to feeling squirly, I am going to head out with my chain saw. I will post some wood turning blanks for trade once I get this big shrub sliced up :dash2:


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