Where to find morta for pipes...?

[ND Pipes]

Hi guys...

where we can find morta (bog oak) for pipe making... anybody has a clue?...
thank you...
regards
daniel

[SWM]

Sorry Daniel, I'm looking myself...

Best,

Steffen

[DMI]

Over here they sell it by the half tonne as firewood, the only problem is that it is air dried and therefore cracked. Peat is still a common fuel for open fires, one day I will stike it lucky and find someone digging peat with a 'fresh' log lying around.

Try a good woodturning supplier, my local one has small pieces for pen making but refused to tell me where it came from. I have been told that the decorative wood for tropical fish tanks is bog oak but cannot guarantee it.

It is also unlikely that any of the wood you do get will be oak.

David.

[ND Pipes]

guys thank You....

...
we have morta in Croatia but the problem is to find somebody that is willing to sell it (not cracked pieces but the real thing)... it is really hard...
they mostly sell it in planks.... and we need it in pieces that we can work with)
...


anyway - regards

p.s. the wood that is used in aquariums are mostly mangrove tree roots and mopan wood (hope this is the correct name for that last one)... i know that you can use others and assume also that we would be able to use bog oak but never found any in my country ...

[SimeonTurner]

I bet if you ask caskwith reaaaaaaaaallllllllly nicely, he'd sell you a block or two of his. He digs it up in his backyard, I think. Of course, that means his house is built in the middle of a swamp, but hey, at least he gets lotsa morta, right?

[DMI]

Just thinking it is unlikely to be called Bog Oak in German, it may come under preserved or fossil wood. I know there are deep enough peat bogs in Northern Germany so it must be about, at least locally.

Finding the stuff in it's raw state is only half the problem, getting it dry without cracking is more difficult than most woods as the sap has been replaced by water which evaporates quickly causing rapid shrinking of the wood. If I can find out how to do that I might borrow my son in laws JCB and dig up one of the bogs on his farm, if nothing else it will give the sheep something to look at.

David.

[Alan L]

David, that's an excellent idea! Not only could you open your own bog oak mine, you might come across some nifty bronze-age through late iron age goldwork and be able to retire...

[DMI]

I already have a good collection of Irish Elk/Giant Red Deer Bone, some of which is 1/2" thick, dating back 8,000+ years. Once it has been to the Small Finds Office I intend to use it as spacers, now if it could be combined with some morta and amber for a stem wouldn't that be an old new pipe.

I spoke to an old friend at the Mary Rose Trust about drying bog wood and he suggested freeze drying as the best option, other than that it's a case of painting the ends with common oil based gloss paint and wrapping it in plastic sheeting (with the ends exposed). Kiln drying is a definite no no.

[caskwith]

I bet if you ask caskwith reaaaaaaaaallllllllly nicely, he'd sell you a block or two of his. He digs it up in his backyard, I think. Of course, that means his house is built in the middle of a swamp, but hey, at least he gets lotsa morta, right?

They would have to ask reallllly reallllly realllly nice lol


Seriously though i am happy to sell small quantities of Morta to anybody. Just please be aware this stuff isnt cheap, prices are comparable to good briar but for smaller blocks which may hide flaws just like briar, and also its heavy so shipping can be expensive aswell. I recall the last batch I sold was approx $100-120 for 3 small-medium blocks shipped.

[DMI]

Caskwith, am I on the right lines for drying?

[caskwith]

All depends on your quantity really. If you have enough of the stuff then the best thing to do is pile it in a shed, leave to dry and then pick out the best bits and cut of the cracked and split bits. Thats the method that i use. If you have smaller quantities then i imagine treating as per any normal drying method would work.

[DMI]

I feel a trip to Donegal coming on.

[ND Pipes]

[quote="caskwith
They would have to ask reallllly reallllly realllly nice lol


Seriously though i am happy to sell small quantities of Morta to anybody. Just please be aware this stuff isnt cheap, prices are comparable to good briar but for smaller blocks which may hide flaws just like briar, and also its heavy so shipping can be expensive aswell. I recall the last batch I sold was approx $100-120 for 3 small-medium blocks shipped.[/quote]

i will keep that in mind when i get to the point of ordering... thank You so much Caskwith...
(p.s. i am not talking big, just a piece or two for my personal collection - i just would like to make a morta pipe for myself ... right now i am working with some briar but the moment i will be out of it i will contact You nicely to see if we can arrange something if this is o.k. with you - thank You again so much)....
best regards
daniel

[caskwith]

No problem Daniel. Just shoot me an email direct through my site when you are ready and we can sort something out for you

[ND Pipes]

no problem - will do that thank You...

[DaGamba]

I spoke to an old friend at the Mary Rose Trust about drying bog wood and he suggested freeze drying as the best option, other than that it's a case of painting the ends with common oil based gloss paint and wrapping it in plastic sheeting (with the ends exposed). Kiln drying is a definite no no.

How would that work? My first thought is, that since there's water instead of sap, it would crack the wood when it freezes. Or am I missing something? I'm not really in to drying wood, just curious about the method.

Regards,

Pär

[DMI]

I don't fully understand the freeze drying technique but from what I understand the wood is treated before the drying process begins.

My daughter had her wedding bouquet freeze dried and after three years it still looks fresh.

Answering another question (sort of) the wax on the ends of pieces of wood is designed to slow the drying and shrinking process by sealing the end grain, certain woods can take years to dry like this but the chance of cracking is greatly reduced.

David.

[caskwith]

Not to hijack this thread but I have posted some blocks for sale in the appropriate forum

[ND Pipes]

caskwith - i am very interested but right now i can't because of the money issue... i will contact you in future for sure... hope You don't mind....

(btw. blocks look very nice - i like them a lot)...

[Nate]

Not to hijack this thread but I have posted some blocks for sale in the appropriate forum

I am in the same boat as tNd. Stop tempting me with your Morta!!!