HORSE TAIL???? What??

[big bore 75]

Ah someone mentioned using horsetails as a abrasive , I'm not sure on what your meaning , is it the tassle from corn your using as a horse tail , I'm lost help me please. bb75

 

[Runner]

Some of the river canes have a lot of silica in their cell walls. The type they are talking about is evidently called Horsetail. This type of material has been used as sandpaper for hundreds of years.

 

[rich pierce]

It's a plant found in moist places also known as scouring rush. try this for a picture if my insert does not work

 

[big bore 75]

Your talking about river cane is that the same as cane found in swampy regions here in Georgia the insert I just looked at was real small but looks like bamboo that grows wild near me . bb75

 

[rich pierce]

Horsetail is not river cane. Look up "equisetum". This is a ribbed stalk, grows a max of 4 feet tall, the diameter is less than 3/8", it looks prehistoric, and it is also known as "scouring rush". If anybody wants to try some and would pay for shipping I'd send you some.

 

[Runner]

Horsetail may not be a river cane type plant. Get some of the river or swamp cane and try it. It does the same thing. Horsetail may be superior to it. I don't know. It does work. Actually, a hand full of reeds is the just about the best sanding material for irregular objects on the wood lathe.

 

[Old40Rod]

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/plants/sphenophyta/sphenophyta.html

You can find them just about anywhere marshy here in the northwest.

 

[big bore 75]

Well thank you for the interesting photo from Berckly, I have never see any, acctually never looked for it either, but will start allways interested in natural tools. bb75