Go to your local "moulding" or hardwood supplier, ask for 'oak full round moulding' in the diameter you want. I recommend 1 3/8 -1 1/2". Anything bigger is too big.

Thirdly- a reliable source of waxed linen or silk thread that sells in bulk

Now that's the trick. I've never seen waxed silk, ever. Waxed linen has been difficult to find. I usually have to settle for 20-2 unwaxed linen from a weaver's supply.

For the hemp canvas, you might try Ohio Hempery.

------------------
Cheers,

I've never really liked Oak for pollarms. It's too heavy & brittle. Especially in the massive dimensions you're asking about. Ash Rocks! Tent poles, spear shafts, halberd shafts, Pollaxe - all ash.

Also, round isn't a good shape for choppers, since you can't track or control which way the edge of the weapon is oriented. Positive control is essential. Look in your local phone book for cabinetmakers, wood shops, mills etc. Don't be shy about asking them for references. When you find a wood place and are very nice to the guys, at a non-busy time of day, see if they'll run a 1" plank (they call it 5/4) through the saw to make 1" x 1-1/4" pieces. Then have them knock about 1/4" off the corners to make an octagonal shape. (Don't forget to check to see if they have ash)

No need to wax silk, it's slippery already. If you NEED to, buy beeswax & draw it hard across the wax a few times. Kind of hard if you do want bulk.

Waxed linen is available from the Leather Factory www.leatherfactory.com

Where do you live? I just ordered some pollarms without shafts. (massive overseas shipping costs for shipping big stuff) I have an excellent local wood supplier that did some fantastic ash shafts for me a few years ago & I'll be going back to them when the pollarms come in in a couple of months. Wouldn't be a big problem to make a few extras. I don't know the price yet.

Chef Bob, you guys going to need poles or shafts?

[This message has been edited by JeffJ (edited 01-05-2001).]

Chris Last

Where are you located? What lengths can you get at what diameters?

They carry rough-sawn kiln dried stock. When I did poles and shafts, I picked an Ash 3x6x10' off their rack, gave them a couple of sketches of the shafts & poles I wanted, & they had them done the next day. Everything was perfect.

Did you have them do rectangular hafts or round?

What did they cost?

I use the oak full round because it's cheap at my wholesale discount, and ash is not available except as raw lumber which you must mill yourself. I do that fine with the table saw, but round ash has never been a possibility unless I shape it by hand. This does not yield satisfactory results to me.

------------------
Cheers,

They have 8/4" rough (millable to 1-1/2) at $4.60 a board foot and will mill it for an additional $.55 per board foot.

I asked if they do round, they do. They also mentioned that they just had a call, from a reenactor in California, asking about tapered round. I guess that's one thing they don't do. Have you asked Bob C. where he had his done?

Hemp Trades is the best source for hemp fabric I've found so far. In fact from what I hear most of the other Hemp fabric dealer buy from them. The last time I talked to Ohio Hemp they said that they are getting out of the Fabric business. They still have some 12oz. canvas left which I bought some of and used to make a padded jack. However Hemp Trades has a great selection of fabrics and good prices. I'm currently making a brigandine using their 16oz. Hungarian canvas as the backing.
http://www.hemptraders.com/