Mills turn the wood into windows, frame-and-panel doors, moldings, and paneling. Due to its strength and wear-resistance, hemlock also becomes reliable ladders and stair components. Ease of machining and finishing have made hemlock an increasingly popular alternative to hardwood for furniture and cabinets.
What is the bark of a hemlock tree used for?
The bark of the hemlock tree is rich in a substance called tannin, which can be made into a red dye. The dye is used for tanning leather, staining and treating wood, and also for dyeing textiles. Hemlock trees do not produce resin. As a result, they take stains and finish very well. The wood is easy to sand and glue.
Can you use Hemlock wood outside?
Don't use either hemlock species outdoors without preservative treatment. The construction industry now frames, sheathes, and floors with hemlock. Mills turn the wood into windows, frame-and-panel doors, moldings, and paneling. Due to its strength and wear-resistance, hemlock also becomes reliable ladders and stair components.
What are the characteristics of Hemlock wood?
Western hemlock also is harder, stronger, straighter-grained, and resin-free. You can work hemlock easily with hand or power tools. In crosscutting, however, expect some tearout. The wood grips screws and accepts all glues without a problem. Western hemlock, with its straight grain and finer texture, sands to a silky, reflective smoothness.
Does hemlock get harder with age?
And like fine wine, Hemlock grows harder with age. Hemlock is a softwood that thrives in cool, humid climates. In the early years, it was used for tannic acid extraction. The acid was infused with hides and skins to soften and strengthen them. But now, it is used in construction projects for sub-flooring, stairs, and framing.
What happens if you take hemlock?
Where does hemlock grow?
Is hemlock poisonous?
Is hemlock safe for pregnant women?
Is it safe to take hemlock?
Is hemlock good for asthma?
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What are the 5 best woods for turning?
Reader's Choice - Top Woods to Turn. With so much effort put into such a small piece of wood, turners are very serious about their stock. ... Figured Maple. There are several types of figured maple including curl, fiddleback, spalted, tiger, birds-eye, and more. ... Walnut. ... Cherry. ... Boxelder. ... Rosewood. ... Pacific Madrone. ... Red Elm.More items...
What is hemlock best used for?
Hemlock timbers are often treated for railway ties. Western hemlock's excellent working properties make it the first choice for mouldings and interior woodworking. It is widely used in joints, veneered interior panelling, furniture, doors, floors and windows, and is also used for pulp and newsprint.
What are the best woods for turning?
Woods such as cedar, beech, oak, and holly are great for turning as they are considered a hardwood. Softwood such as birch, elm, and poplar can also be turned however care must be taken not to tear the wood. Turning each of these woods requires sharp tools, care, different skill sets and techniques.
What color does hemlock turn?
Hemlock is not as popular as pine but, looks a lot like white pine and has a beautiful lite color when it is freshly sawn. It will soon turn silver in color and as it ages it becomes darker. Hemlock can be stained to achieve any color for siding and the knots don't bleed sap like white pine does.
Is hemlock good for wood turning?
Turning tips On the lathe, western hemlock becomes a turner's dream. It has no resin, no odor, and doesn't impart taste. Use it for anything from chair legs to egg cups!
Is hemlock better than pine?
It is much stronger and harder than pine. It is used as cribbing (jacking timbers) and in situations requiring high strength. Green hemlock is very heavy but is easily worked with tools.
How long does wood need to dry before turning?
An old rule of thumb is that green wood needs to be air-dried for one year, per inch of its thickness. While this rule will generally be a sound basis for considering the air-drying period, most would agree with the fact that this is quite a long time to wait!
What wood will warp the least?
The following species are known to be relatively resistant to warping: Redwood not only has a comparably straight grain pattern but also a natural chemical inside that protects against moisture infiltration. Cedar is among the densest wood species, which helps prevent cracking due to changes in moisture.
What is the most sought after type of wood?
African Blackwood It is considered as the most expensive wood in the world because not only it is challenging to work with hand or machine tools, its trees are already near-threatened. But as expensive as it may seem, African Blackwood is worth the price.
What happens if you pick hemlock?
The alkaloids can affect nerve impulse transmission to your muscles, eventually killing you through respiratory failure. Even touching this plant may cause a skin reaction in some people. To date, there is no antidote. The leaves are particularly poisonous in the spring, up until it produces flowers.
What happens if you touch your hemlock?
You usually won't get a rash from touching it. Most of the time, hemlock is only poisonous if ingested. However, you should still be careful when handling poison hemlock. In people with sensitive skin, dermatitis can develop.
Is hemlock better than cedar?
Differences Between Hemlock and Cedar Hemlock is more expensive than Cedar, but Cedar is more durable. Hemlock looks better due to its attractive color, but it's more prone to decay and insect issues. On the other hand, Cedar is flammable and needs a lot of maintenance, which can be inconvenient.
Is hemlock better than pressure treated?
Pressure treated will last significantly longer. Hemlock performs about the same as Southern Pine and its above ground life is significantly less than treated pine's in ground life. In ground, you can't expect untreated wood to last more than 3-5 years.
What happens if hemlock touches your skin?
If plant juices contact skin and the skin is then exposed to sunlight (specifically ultraviolet light), severe blistering can occur, as well as skin discoloration that may last several months.
What happens if you inject hemlock?
Intravenous injection of poison hemlock alkaloids can result in significant toxicity, including cardiopulmonary arrest, prolonged weakness, and encephalopathy.
Is hemlock better than cedar?
Differences Between Hemlock and Cedar Hemlock is more expensive than Cedar, but Cedar is more durable. Hemlock looks better due to its attractive color, but it's more prone to decay and insect issues. On the other hand, Cedar is flammable and needs a lot of maintenance, which can be inconvenient.
How Does Hemlock Kill You? - MedicineNet
The hemlock plant, known as poison hemlock, is poisonous. Its seeds, flowers, leaves, or fruits contain poisonous alkaloid chemicals. Any part can kill you even after ingesting small amounts. Death occurs due to respiratory failure. The alkaloids slowly poison the nerve-muscle junctions and cause the failure of the breathing muscles.
Hemlock Herb Uses, Benefits, Cures, Side Effects, Nutrients
Uses, Benefits, Cures, Side Effects, Nutrients in Hemlock. List of various diseases cured by Hemlock. How Hemlock is effective for various diseases is listed in repertory format. Names of Hemlock in various languages of the world are also given.
Hemlock: Health Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Dose & Precautions - RxList
It is UNSAFE for anyone to use hemlock, but people with the following conditions are especially likely to experience unwanted side effects.. Children: Use of hemlock is UNSAFE and can be fatal, especially in children. Children can be poisoned by even small amounts of hemlock. Some children have died after eating leaves or using hollow hemlock stems as peashooters, flutes, or whistles.
What happens if you take hemlock?
If someone takes hemlock, he or she should get immediate medical attention. Side effects and toxicities include increased saliva, burning of the digestive tract, drowsiness, muscle pain, kidney damage, rapid breakdown of muscle tissue, rapid heart rate followed by a decreased heart rate, loss of speech, paralysis, unconsciousness, kidney failure, ...
Where does hemlock grow?
Hemlock typically grows along streams or rivers, and near fences, roadsides, ditches, abandoned construction sites, pastures, crops, and fields.
Is hemlock poisonous?
In fact, all parts of the plant are toxic. Hemlock is most poisonous during the early stages of growth in the spring, but it is dangerous at all stages of growth. The poisons in hemlock are so deadly that people have died after eating animals that had eaten hemlock parts. Hemlock is native to Europe and western Asia and was introduced ...
Is hemlock safe for pregnant women?
Pregnancy and breast -feeding: Use of hemlock is UNSAFE and can be fatal.
Is it safe to take hemlock?
Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
Is hemlock good for asthma?
Despite serious safety concerns, hemlock is used for bronchitis, whooping cough, asthma, arthritis, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
What is hemlock bark?
Hemlock. The softwood that toughens up with age. During the last century the bark of hemlock was sometimes worth more than the wood. The leather-tanning and fur-processing industries demanded hemlock bark for its high tannic acid content. Hides and skins infused with a tannic-acid solution become soft and strong.
How much does hemlock weigh?
The wood of western hemlock weighs more (about 29 pounds per cubic foot, dry) than that of its eastern relative. Western hemlock also is harder, stronger, straighter-grained, and resin-free. You can work hemlock easily with hand or power tools. In crosscutting, however, expect some tearout.
What color is the bark of a hemlock tree?
The bark of both hemlock species appears cinnamon-red to brown in color and has broad, deep ridges. Seed-bearing brown cones sprout at the ends of branch shoots.
How big is a hemlock tree?
Trees 100 years old can be 150' tall with a 24" diameter.
Where does Eastern Hemlock grow?
The Japanese word means "yew-leaved," referring to its short, flat, and contrary to legend, non-poisonous needles. Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) plants its roots from Canada south to Georgia and west across the Great Lakes states to Minnesota.
Where does hemlock lumber come from?
And then the eastern hemlock's West Coast cousin provided the raw material. Today hemlock lumber from Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia (where the species represents 60 percent of the mature coastal forest) feeds home construction and millwork manufacturers.
Where is hemlock found?
Vast logging operations on the Pacific Northwest coast keep hemlock widely available in the West and Midwest. On the East Coast, even availability of local hemlock is spotty.
How many RPM to turn walnut wood?
Walnut. Walnut wood (Image: Wikimedia Commons) You can get the best out of walnut wood by turning on a lathe at between 800 RPM to 1,000 RPM. It is a tough wood so you will need sharp tools to work on it. Walnut has a pronounced end grain, which may cause tears at the bottom of a bowl.
Can you use live oak root for stock?
You can use live oak root for your stock instead of the trunk of a tree or its branches. It makes some impressive items when turned, especially wooden bowls and other wooden kitchen items. You need to harvest the wood at the junction between the tree roots and the trunk.
Can you turn wood with a lathe?
You can create beautiful objects from the most unlikely types of wood if you have a woodturning lathe. In this article, we look at some of the best wood for turning that you can get.
Is cocobolo the same as rosewood?
It comes under the same genus as Brazilian rosewood. Cocobolo exhibits similar properties to Brazilian rosewood, but you will find it more commonly in the savanna region of Central America. However, this wood can cause an allergy similar to the allergy of poison ivy, so you need to exercise caution while handling it.
What happens if you take hemlock?
If someone takes hemlock, he or she should get immediate medical attention. Side effects and toxicities include increased saliva, burning of the digestive tract, drowsiness, muscle pain, kidney damage, rapid breakdown of muscle tissue, rapid heart rate followed by a decreased heart rate, loss of speech, paralysis, unconsciousness, kidney failure, ...
Where does hemlock grow?
Hemlock typically grows along streams or rivers, and near fences, roadsides, ditches, abandoned construction sites, pastures, crops, and fields.
Is hemlock poisonous?
In fact, all parts of the plant are toxic. Hemlock is most poisonous during the early stages of growth in the spring, but it is dangerous at all stages of growth. The poisons in hemlock are so deadly that people have died after eating animals that had eaten hemlock parts. Hemlock is native to Europe and western Asia and was introduced ...
Is hemlock safe for pregnant women?
Pregnancy and breast -feeding: Use of hemlock is UNSAFE and can be fatal.
Is it safe to take hemlock?
Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
Is hemlock good for asthma?
Despite serious safety concerns, hemlock is used for bronchitis, whooping cough, asthma, arthritis, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
