Manzanita branches

[loaches r cool]

I am thinking about including several Manzanita branches in my current project, from manzanita.com. It looks as if most here get theres sandblasted but I have seen a couple that werent. Is it advisable to get them sandblasted? Will more tanins leach out of the natural ones? I'd really rather have the darker color rather than the bleached-out look, or do the blasted ones darken up once soaked and aged in water?

 

[rwilliams254]

I have no idea...but that would be a fantasic idea!!! What a great decoration.

 

[IceH2O]

From my understanding the red bark leaches tannins for ever. I don't think any wood that is sandblasted to a bleach white coloring like that is going to darken very much.

If you can deal with the tannins I'd go with the non sand blasted. But I've heard you'll be dealing with tannins for a long time,upwards of a year.