And score again!!!

**Alan H** · 13th November 09, 06:13 PM

A few weeks ago I contacted the grounds manager here at the Big U about possibly getting a small tree trunk from them, as they did their rounds. I wasn't all that overwhelmed by the sincerity of their response, so imagine my surprise when
yesterday afternoon I got a call from the arborists manager here at the University..AND...

This morning the groundskeepers scored me a PERFECT stick for a caber. It's ash (I'm sick of eucalyptus cabers), they say they have to thin out the ash in a particular area on the grounds to make room for some of the native trees. The stick is not perfectly straight, but it's close. It's 15' 10"..PERFECT, and probably weighs, wet, about 80 pounds. Spot on. I will probably be able to turn this one, but not ten times in a row, so it's a good training caber for me. This past season I was stuck, all our cabers were either way too little or way too big. This one has a nice taper to a good handle at the little end. YAY...and it was *Free*.

Not only that, but I told him the rough size I needed for a womens caber and he's gonna keep an eye out for me.

Now I have to get it home, bark it (that's a project, ARF!!!) and get a mess of linseed oil on the ends and then paint it so it won't dry out and lose 1/3rd of its weight.

**BEEDEE** · 14th November 09, 08:20 AM

Photos, we need photos!

Brian

**Alan H** · 15th November 09, 06:59 PM

I jut bought an ancient tool... a drawknife off of ebay for ten bucks. Drawknives are the schiznit for barking trees.

**Alan H** · 16th November 09, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by BEEDEE

Photos, we need photos!

Brian

Maybe I should do a photo sequence on how to prep a fresh-cut tree as a caber. NOT!!!

**Detroitpete** · 16th November 09, 12:38 PM

Two thumbs up on the draw knife--do NOT under ANY circumstances have 3 Guinesses and decide---"I can bark that sucker slick and easy with my saws-all". I speak from experience.

**medic78** · 16th November 09, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitpete

Two thumbs up on the draw knife--do NOT under ANY circumstances have 3 Guinesses and decide---"I can bark that sucker slick and easy with my saws-all". I speak from experience.

no pictures of that please lol

**Alan H** · 17th November 09, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by detroitpete

two thumbs up on the draw knife--do not under any circumstances have 3 guinesses and decide---"i can bark that sucker slick and easy with my saws-all". I speak from experience.

lolol..

Not!

**Tartan Hiker** · 18th November 09, 06:08 AM

Well, then you wouldn't want to see the photos of my Ranger staff making a greasy pole for last summer's 4th of July festivities. We barked it with Kukri knives.