Ieon wood (Hornbean tree)

[Don McClure]

Does any one have any experience turning Iron wood grown in the south east part of the country. I have a neighbor that had one removed from his yard and has offered me some. How does it turn, dry. and finish?

[Dennis Ford]

There are two types of Hornbeam that grow in east Texas but the wood is very similar. I have only gotten small pieces so far. It is quite hard and dense, turns great. It may crack if the pith is included, seems more stable than Dogwood, its color is bland almost white.

[Ronald Campbell]

I have turned some from AZ. It is a beautiful wood when finished. It will stink, much like dead fish. I push my shavings outside the shop, when these shavigs get wet the smell is much worse

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

it spalts nicely.

not sure how it turns though.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

There is Horn-beam and Hop-Horn-beam, Hornbeam also called bleu beech with a smooth bark, also muscle-wood tree for the muscle like ridges on the tree, it is a small thin tree.

Hop-Hornbeam is not a large tree but much larger than the Hornbeam, the bark looks like loose broken up strips, I have turned some of that, the wood does look a lot like Maple, quite a bland wood unless it is spalted or otherwise colored.

Here are a couple of pictures of the the trees and of a couple of the pieces I turned.

The wood turns just fine, as it is a dense wood without the early/late-wood grain hardness differences as many other wood have.

This is a picture of the two tree species next to each other, left side is the Hornbeam and right is the Hop-Hornbeam
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These are a couple of Hop-Hornbeam trees with the typical bark showing.
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These are two of the Hop-Hornbeam pieces I turned.
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[Joe Meirhaeghe]

I've turned several end grain vessels out of horn beam from about 10" to 14" deep. It both turned & looked similar to hard maple. It was straight grained & bland looking.

[robert baccus]

Leo, you got those just right--most people get them reversed. The very hard and strong wood makes great wedges, handles and first rate glueblocks.