Tree spikes material

Has anyone cut any of the decorative tree spikes? Bird on a branch etc. looks like they hammer into the tree? What material thickness did you use?

I know what you’re talking about. I looked into that for some gifts but figured I’d need at least 11ga material AND, to me the killer, a design that provided a solid link between the spike and where you could hammer the end.

In my case I went for something they could hang on a post or a tree. These were 16Ga steel:


The ‘spikes’ were hand pressed into slanted holes in the wood segment and epoxied in place.

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I have been cutting items like the ones from Metal bird dot CA…I use 11ga for those…
and I have made lots.
I save metal by cutting the spike separate from the bird then weld them back together…




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Those look sweet. Great idea.

Good idea. Easy to cut many spikes from something thicker.

I use 14ga. Hammer it in using a block of wood in the middle so it won’t mar the steel.


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American trees…much softer than Canadian trees…ahahahaha

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Don’t say that to a Texan where they have Mesquite! Or to someone from the South where they have Live Oak! Or someone in the East where they grow Hickory! Or someone from Florida where they have Black Ironwood!

Get the picture? :beers:

You can say it to Joe (AKA @nicaDd ), though… He’s a nice guy and won’t give you any grief.

yup, our treehuggers in So Cal soften up the bark. :rofl:

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Canadian Ironwood…frozen at -40F…that sends sparks off chainsaws…
drop mic!!!

Sorry Charlie…
‘Canadian’ Ironwood is

"Ironwood - Ostrya virginiana

Also commonly known as Hop-Hornbeam, Ironwood trees have the hardest and densest wood of any species in Canada." Source: https://arboretum.uoguelph.ca/thingstosee/trees/ironwood

Janka Hardness: 1,860 lbf (8,270 N)

Where Found:
220px-Ostrya_virginiana_range_map

So much for being ‘Canadian’…

Black Ironwood, which I mentioned earlier and doesn’t occur in Canada, janka hardness is: 3,660 lbf (16,280 N)

However, if I pick a simple one like, Live Oak, Quercus virginiana, a very common tree where I live,
Janka Hardness: 2,680 lbf (12,920 N)

Q.E.D., kicks mic off of stage

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you forgot the frozen part…and it does leak into Ontario where I am…

Perhaps, then, that we should include Petrified wood? :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

BTW, I think OP has legitimate grounds to have us thrown off the forum for OT postings!

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I use 14 ga and pre-drill hole and use rubber mallet

I’ve cut quite a few. My son was going to sell them for a fund raiser but Covid killed that. I use 10 guage mostly. I’ve used 14 guage for some and it works okay if you predrill.





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love the sloth and panda…where did you get those?

I did a google image search for Panda (or Sloth) hanging and then filtered the results to clipart and black and white. I’ve found that if i add sillouette to whatever I’m searching for it gives good results.
I Vectorized in inkscape.