: I'm heading out too the Father In Law's this weekend to see about
: getting a piece of freshly fallen hemlock for rib material. Will
: it work?

: Assuming of course I can split an 8-9 foot log of hemlock, get it
: squared off, and convert a portion into a board, will it work
: for bending for ribs?

What the heck. Try it.

You can try to rip the log lengthwise with a chainsaw, or try to split the log along a centerline with wedges. If you can, then set half the log aside for other use, and cut the remaining half to a length of 3 to 4 feet. Try to split it into triangular sections, like you would split firewood. Then split rib stock off of these sections. When you get chunks about the size of a 2x4, you can run themthrough a tablesaw to get thin boards. Square up one side. You may want to temporarily secure your piece of split wood to a flat surface, like plywood, or hardboard for the first cut. Then turn the board 90 degrees and square the other side. Now you can rip strips for ribs.

As soon as the ribs are cut, get them wet. Let them soakso they stay flexible. Try bending a few. Try making a few thinner, and then bending those.

Let us know how it works.

PGJ