Dogwood

I know some people really like it for carving.

I have used it for chisel handles. I really like it. I think it would be fantastic wood for anything. There is a story about why it will never grow large enough to make a cross. Look up Dogwood legend. I think you will be very happy with anything you make out of it.

It is very hard, one of the hardest native hardwoods. In the early days of the cotton textile mills, it was used for shuttle cocks on the looms because it could stand up to the wear and tear.

I just made a picture frame using dogwood about 2 weeks ago - it was something I kind of threw together so I didn't use hand tools to test the hardness, but it did seem a bit tough on the planer.

Also, it has a really beautiful appearance - after some oil finish a shade between maple and cherry… or so.

I have used flowering Dogwood to make selfbows/longbows. It is strong (medium density) .73-.75 SG. (specific gravity) similar to Hickory but non ring-porous. I have a beautiful flowering Dogwood on my property that would make a great bow (nice clean strait grain trunk) but I would never cut it down as it's the only one we have on our property.

I've turned a couple of pens from some spalted dogwood. Very tough stuff, but worth the effort. They were very well received

They make great mallets, turned vases, umm it's pretty wood, and as long as the wood is big enough, you can probably make it into whatever you want.

There was a blight within the past few years that really decimated the dogwood population, so iffen it's healthy, you should probably leave it be. In some areas, they are just about wiped out.

Its great living in Atlanta,

Dogwoods EVERYWHERE!!!!!

I have a dead one in my yard im cutting down this week. Ive had some heavily spalted dogwood logs in the past….probably my favorite scavanged wood ever. I can wait to see what the inside of this one looks like….Im invisioning a small humidor and several bowls!

I've made a froe maul, chisel mallet, numerous chisel handles, splitting wedges, a stile engine, etc. from dogwood. Very stable, smooth grained wood, and takes a wax finish beautifully.
Bill

I have done a number of turnings with dogwood. Ice cream scoop handles, pizza cutter handles, pens, wine stoppers. Its light color and hardness are great. Plus, people love dogwood trees and gravitate toward items make from it art art shows.