Hi, I'm enjoying your videos on Blash Ash for basketry, but as I live in the UK, it's very hard to find Fraxinus Nigra here, but we DO have tons and tons of Fraxinus Excelsior (European Ash, White) - before I go and source a log and start pounding, I'm intereseted to hear your opinion on whether or not this would be a suitable tree to make strips for basketry?
@GonzoImax Hi Bernie, As you can see by watching the video, no skill saw was used. I pound the length of the log in a wide area and simply grab a strip approximately 1.5 inches wide and pull up, repeat as necessary until you have 2,3,4,5,6 strips coming up simultaneously.
few questions does this have be freshly cut green log or can pond old dried out long get these basket make material. two have extreme strong to hite force make come apart as seen vedas people cracking walnuts with bare hands either old nut easy crack or super strong crack new nut that full water?
(1) Green, fresh cut = is OK . Soaked in a Pond = is OK, Dried = is OK ( Dealers Choice.) (2) How hard to strike every inch, overlapping each strike: NO NEED to beat it to death ... start out gently hitting it , move down the log. don't sit there and keep hitting the same spot hoping the splint will just magically come off. See This Video: ua-cam.com/video/F71mCc7xAr0/v-deo.html
European Ash, White is not going work as well as black ash or brown ash or green ash. It will be brittle and shatter when you try to separate the growth rings. Sorry about that mate.
LOVE the video and the explanation and the baskets on your website = lovely work, so perfect.
Great video of all that hard work you do! Keep them coming....... Love ya bro!
Great video, great baskets. well done.
Hi, I'm enjoying your videos on Blash Ash for basketry, but as I live in the UK, it's very hard to find Fraxinus Nigra here, but we DO have tons and tons of Fraxinus Excelsior (European Ash, White) - before I go and source a log and start pounding, I'm intereseted to hear your opinion on whether or not this would be a suitable tree to make strips for basketry?
@GonzoImax
Hi Bernie,
As you can see by watching the video, no skill saw was used.
I pound the length of the log in a wide area and simply grab a strip approximately 1.5 inches wide and pull up, repeat as necessary until you have 2,3,4,5,6 strips coming up simultaneously.
few questions does this have be freshly cut green log or can pond old dried out long get these basket make material. two have extreme strong to hite force make come apart as seen vedas people cracking walnuts with bare hands either old nut easy crack or super strong crack new nut that full water?
(1) Green, fresh cut = is OK . Soaked in a Pond = is OK, Dried = is OK ( Dealers Choice.)
(2) How hard to strike every inch, overlapping each strike: NO NEED to beat it to death ... start out gently hitting it , move down the log. don't sit there and keep hitting the same spot hoping the splint will just magically come off.
See This Video: ua-cam.com/video/F71mCc7xAr0/v-deo.html
European Ash, White is not going work as well as black ash or brown ash or green ash. It will be brittle and shatter when you try to separate the growth rings. Sorry about that mate.
So sad that we're losing all our ash trees in Michigan!