From my little experience with Agave I cut some down (barely legally:) , I then trimmed excess leaves and stalks off and stored it in a hot/dry spot in this case a conservatory and it dried relatively fast, say 3-4 months. I didnt paint the ends or anything and it dried fine I guess the trick is to dry it out slowish to stop it splitting etc.
Have not found it too hard to work with, only pain is that it varies greatly in density so you have to pick and choose your bits/cuts which leaves a lot of waste. Found the quickest way to machine it was to simply run the hand planer down one face truing it up nice and flat then using this side up against a fence on a table saw, then thicknessing the cut planks down evenly after that.I have enough at the moment to do a deck for my next board , thicknessed down to 5mm ish, up until now just been using it for details etc ( pics below).
i really think its pretty cool stuff, light and looks beautiful once glassed , just wish I could find more!
Best to let them dry on the plant they are in integral part of the ecosystem bats, birds need them for nesting, plus those green ones are beyond heavy. The best time to harvest is right before the first rain of the fall. They can be more than a pain to get and then store but, kind a fun way to meet people in Southern California when you ask them: “Can I cut that stalk down, because I want to make a surfboard?” I only had one person say no, so DO NOT steal the things from peoples property. Only work on the things on days when the humidity is low, try it on a humid day and you will know why, the things are designed to suck water out of the air.
So this is an old thread, but just curious if anyone knows where one could buy some agave posts to glue up into a shortboard blank? I’m hoping to find something online, unless someone has some ferreted away they would be willing to part with…
Shushka, I grow it on my property. The one in my front yard just sent piles of seedlings all over the place. If you want some, contact me. In a few years, you’ll have plenty.
Harvesting those suckers on the side of a hill has got to be gnarly! The points can poke your eye out and the juice gives a burning rash. Beautiful plant tho! Mike
there is lot more to harvesting than cutting one down, just trying to get close can be next to impossible, under the cvanopy of leaves can be rodents, rattlers, and bees, I’ve come into close contact with them all, not for the faint of heart
Rattlesnakes. Once while in a huge patch of Agave, being very careful to move ever so carefully. Those sharp, pointy ends every where, I’m in the middle of hand-cutting a whopper, I hear the familiar sound of a pissed off rattler. Not knowing where exactly it was, I just kept cutting. Got my stalk, and got outta there!
Another time, while with my young son Pierce. We found a plant located in a field surrounded by some trees.
So I go about cutting and I hear,“Hey, that’s my tree your cutting down”! I looked up and realized it was in close proximity to a homeless camp. This guy was coming at me while I was furiously cutting. I told my kid, If he gets anywhere close to us tell me. I would have jacked that fool up!
And then there was a Poison Oak episode.
As mentioned by G-rat earlier, these plants are home to Woodpeckers as well as other animals too. I’m used to bringing them home with holes and nests.
I got home and heard birds chirping. Looked inside and found 3-4 red headed baby birds. I immediately took it back to mama bird waiting. Happy ending.
It’s a Lotta work to harvest, mill and shape this stuff. But then end product is beautiful no?
This is why I only build 1-2 solid ones a year.
That’s why I prefer to use them for stringers or Parabolic rails.
I love a good rattler story Jim. Care to elaborate? I’ve cut a few down not for the wood flower stalk, but as one of my ‘summer survival jobs.’ Encountered rats and mice, but no rattlers under them. I grow a couple of smaller varieties in pots. They can become invasive and I do live on a hillside. Too old to be f…king around with them on a hillside. I like them. Rattlers, too. My next door neighbor has the variegated variety of Barry’s picture flowering right now. Impressive plants. I dig your boards, Barry. Have I mentioned that? That goes without saying for Jim’s boards, too. mike
How much does a solid agave board weigh? Is it comparable to light balsa? My blue agave are still little pups, but hopefully I will be able to build something with them in a few years. Nice boards and website also Barry.
Man I’d love to buy the ones you’ve got growing in a couple years… was sorta hoping someone had some ready now, or maybe knew of an online wood distributor who could obtain it. I try doing internet searches and the only results I get are for tequila, ha!
Man, in Mexico they grow the stuff by the thousands. Literally, miles after miles of the stuff. The only problem is they harvest it halfway through its life. They cut them down and ferment the “Pina” and make that $100.00 bottle of prime Tequila.
Sometimes, I’m happy to get a 4" piece. It is so much work just getting enough to glue one up.
That’s why I like to do stringers instead.
It grows everywhere here in Ca. People like to landscape with it. Drought resistant yards are popular here.
Balsa is so much easier. At least it comes in 4"x4" planks.
