Musclewood question

[William Weathersby]

I came across an ad for Musclewood and was interested if anyone is familiar with this wood? How does it turn, does it crack a lot when drying, what does it look like when finished. Is this a good wood for bowls?
I did a search and found it is a hard wood like iron wood and grows mostly in the north. The ironwood I am familar with comes from southern Arizona or Mexico. Are the two woods related?
I could not find pictures of objects made with the wood or what it looks like finished.
Anyone out there worked with this that can help me out
Thank you for any help you can provide.

[Brian Kent]

I found a description that linked the name to hornbeam. If that is accurate, you can find a lot of hornbeam turnings on google images.

[robert baccus]

Brian nailed it--American hornbeam. Often confusing is the name American Hop Hornbeam--not relative. C. carolinia is not relative to the ironwood from the west. It is a very heavy and hard wood that likes to split. Ironwood is a very popular name.

[Mike Cruz]

It this is the same wood that I call musclewood, it is almost a scrub tree around here. About the largest I've seen it grow is about 10, maybe 12 inches in diameter. But most of it is in the 3-6" range. It is white and dense, like holly. If the tree dies naturally, it needs to be harvested quite quickly. It rots fast. You CANNOT break a branch off. The wood is very stringy, so it simply won't snap off, just won't. The bark is grey and very smooth, with vertical undulations...making it resemble muscles. I have some blanks made, but have yet to turn them...

[robert baccus]

That's about as big as it gets here in the South Mike. Try turning a petunia shaped vase spindle wise with a piece showing a lot of muscle. It exibits some nice ray wood grain like white oak. Really needs a blotchy stain job to look super. I suggest roughing out and endseal all over --it does like to split.

[Mel Fulks]

We have an old one at the local botanical garden that has two trunks a little less than 12 inches in diameter that have crossed and left a little window a foot or two above the ground. Not only is the trunk muscled, but the branches are quite twisted and spiral around . You never see the light hit it the same way twice . Is most impressive but actually in an uncultivated border area.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Hornbeam and Hophornbeam both are often called muscle wood or iron wood.

Dense hard wood, was/is used for mallets and implement handles, bland wood that turns nicely and I have had little problems with splitting.

Platter from Hophornbeam and a picture from Hornbeam and Hophornbeam growing next to each other on my son's property.

276413 276414

[Mike Cruz]

Leo, the one on the left is the one I'm familiar with... not the bowl...of the two trees.

[Roger Chandler]

Nice to hear from Leo again..........its been a good while!

[robert baccus]

Welcome back Leo.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Just to much on my platter the last year, and still not over it, little turning time, though I have done a few pieces, but other than glancing over the posts here and on the Canadian woodworkers forum a bit more, I still wont be around much yet I'm afraid.
The love of turning is still there and so given some time we'll be around some more, take care all and a Merry Christmas and happy and healthy New Year :D