# manzanita and pacific madrone?



## Guest (Jan 19, 2006)

we get a lot of dead wood here from both of these, once it's dead on the plant it ends up black and beautiful on the outside, anybody used it in a tank? does it matter what type of wood it is provided it's hard?


----------



## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

Manzanita, especially the roots, is nice hard wood that lasts a long time in a humid terrarium. Pacific Madrone is also a great wood--very hard and long lasting. I don't think the Madrone is mentioned much because it is so rare and endemic to a relatively small area in the costal hills, but you are fortunate to have it available. 

My grandfather and uncles used to do something interesting with the Madrones that grew on our old ranch in the foothills around Willits in California. They would tie knots in the young, limber branches two or three years later, cut the branchs to make walking canes. I should think this would make pretty interesting terrarium branches as well.


----------



## Guest (Jan 20, 2006)

*now i have to try that!*

hey thats an idea i've never even seen capitalized upon round these parts... that suprises me even up here... ; ) anyway, i'll go try that on a few trees i can watch, they are flexible when young... thanks for the info, we have a ton of dead wood around from especially the manzanita... i think i might try a water fall with a big base of it...


----------



## Guest (Jan 20, 2006)

*does anybody want some manzanita?*

as RAD3DAD pointed out, some folks might want some manzanita root/big branch pieces... pm me if you want to trade, we are mostly wanting to trade stuff equaling to,or a portion of, a pair of frogs (we're new, and don't have any), but let me know what you've got, i need to deck out a 100 gallon tank Amy got...(we've got a smaller home for frogs until it's finished) take care all.
Robert.


----------



## slaytonp (Nov 14, 2004)

I'm also a woodcarver. Madrone is one of the best of the hard-woods for carving and lathing because it is close-grained and consistent. It is also incredibly beautiful when polished and finished. Never burn it up as trash, because your are living with a wood treasure that is rare.


----------



## defaced (May 23, 2005)

13013, post your offer in the trading forum. I'm sure you will get some hits there. I'd be interested but I don't have any frogs ready yet.



*Never pay again for live sex! | Hot girls doing naughty stuff for free! | Chat for free!*


----------



## Guest (Jan 22, 2006)

*patty, i agree..*

patty, i agree... yesterday morning i went out to find some slash for someone (it's common in the fire prevention piles to find large pieces of dead wood) instead, i didn't have enough time, and didn't even leave the city limits, but went out to one of the various trail systems around, and came upon a bonfire pit, surrounded by the remnants of some huge and beautiful chunks of wood... all for the fire... anyway, as it was already cut, we grabbed it anyway... but man, what a thing to burn... 
defaced, thanks for the suggestion, i'll move the topic if i can figure out how, or i'll start a new thread... also, i've started photographing some interesting pieces i've found... 
what's the best way of dealing with a bug eaten base? the piece is too large to bake, my tub isn't to small, is there a solution i could soak it in?


----------



## Cory (Jan 18, 2005)

Make sure to check the laws on Manzanita first. I know that live trees are protected, not sure about dead ones.


----------



## RGB (Jan 15, 2006)

Manzanita is pretty much a weed in the Sierras. I used to work up there and remember weeks spent doing nothing but clearing Manzanita. I can attest to how hard it is, that stuff dulls the crap out of a chainsaw. I wish i had saved some for my tank.


----------



## Guest (Jan 27, 2006)

*yes it is...*

yeah it'll dull a sawblade like nothing else... we've got whole hillsides of it around here, it's about the first thing to come back in any areas devestated by man or nature out here.


----------



## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Just wanted to say that I got some wood from Robert (13013) as part of a trade, and it is AWESOME! Tons of character, and some pieces even look like liana vine. Hard as a rock too!


----------



## alifer (Oct 24, 2005)

Hey Cory & RGB,

The hills to the east of San Diego are loaded with Manzanita. It’s easy to find branches of it all over the ground since they had the big fire a couple of years ago. The softer type woods all burned up in the fire, but lots of the Manzanita branches made it thru the fires. The bark and the small twigs are burned away and the branches almost look like driftwood. My uncle lives in Valley Center and I went out and collected some Manzanita branches off a hillside that burned behind his house (the house survived the fire, but his barn burned). I’ve had them soaking in a tub of water for a few weeks and am going try to use them in a 24G viv I’m working on.

Rick


----------



## RGB (Jan 15, 2006)

Thanks for the heads up Rick. I'll probably be working up there this summer for the Forest Service (if they ever get off their butts and hire me). I'll be sure to save any good pieces i find.

I see that's your first post, welcome to the board! You should post some pics of the viv you're building.


----------



## alifer (Oct 24, 2005)

RGB said:


> I see that's your first post, welcome to the board! You should post some pics of the viv you're building.


Yea, I've been a lurker for a long time.
It seems like I've been collecting little bits & pieces forever to use on a viv.
I'll get some pics while the work is in progress and post a thread. 
Rick


----------

