Let’s play – What’s that tree that fell?
All right, this is in the general box because I’m hoping I can use this wood bonanza for something other than the fireplace.
Maybe some type of cherry?
The Curse of SeeYou struck this afternoon as this tree lost a limb and took a good chunk out of two Silver Maples next door. Fortunately, the new roof survived without a scratch.
Want to find out what this tree is.
If it’s worth cutting up for something other than firewood.
If it’s a keeper, what do I have to do to make some lumber out of it? And, no, sending it to Frenchy’s sawmill isn’t the answer I’m looking for.
Bark transitions from rough to smooth
Leaves
Rough bark found on trunk and lower parts of limbs
More leaves and bark
Sawzall cut
What’s left of the tree. This limb used to be on the left side next to the dead spot.
Replies
That's black cherry. The one that's used for furniture.
Thanks. Now what's the best way for me to turn it from tree into boards?Guessing the tree's (maybe 60 to 70' tall) been here since before the house (1930s). So I'd really like to bring it all back home and find a good couple of projects to keep the history going.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Yup.... definately cherry.
Does it smell like Smith Brothers cough drops?http://www.tvwsolar.com
Now I wish I could give Brother Bill his great thrill
I would set him in chains at the top of the hill
Then send out for some pillars and Cecil B. DeMille
He could die happily ever after"
Smells like Festool to me :)'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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then it probably isn't a black cherry ;-)http://www.tvwsolar.com
Now I wish I could give Brother Bill his great thrill
I would set him in chains at the top of the hill
Then send out for some pillars and Cecil B. DeMille
He could die happily ever after"
It is green wood, though :)'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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What's the diameter? You should have a Mike Smith finger for reference shot...does Festool make a band saw?go here:http://www.woodmizer.com/us/configurator/seriously though, they will email a list of sawyers in your area... guy next door could have one in his basement?http://www.tvwsolar.com
Now I wish I could give Brother Bill his great thrill
I would set him in chains at the top of the hill
Then send out for some pillars and Cecil B. DeMille
He could die happily ever after"
its look like a china berry tree to me, rel real soft wood more like a weed tree
I was gonna say choke cherry. I'm a couple of states north of FR. When we was kids mom and her friends made jam and jelly ot of anything and evrything.
Choke cherries were small (a little bigger than a pea) and bitter. We would scoop them off the ground or have someone shake the branches into a sheet to collect them. The pit's were almost as big as the berry so it took a lot of choke cherries to make a couple of jars of jelly.
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." — Sherlock Holmes, 1896
E P - is also closely related as a black cherry but are not the exactly the same there are another one known as a pin cherry. There messy ones in all those suburban vacant lots, the tell tale small diffrence in leaves (broader) and the bark (the choke) is darker and have as you said the sap eruptions.
Steve.... i wudda said Wild Cherry
got 'em all over the island ....as in "that's Wild Cherry, look at the bark "..... good firewood.....lot's of bad spots interiorMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Steve,
Bark looks like black cherry to me.
Chuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood
Thanks Chuck,So, you think I can get some cabinets and trim out of this tree?Best,
Steve'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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FatRoman,
My expert opinion says it's cherry. Now the question is, can you get anything more than firewood out of it? I've had a WoodMizer for 9 years, and WM's list is a good way to find sawyers in your area...and they can come to you.
From your pictures, I see a branch that is firewood. Branches tend to have tension wood, and when you saw them they want to move a lot, and they can move even more during the drying process. It looks like the main tree is forked, I could be wrong(need to see the whole tree). You could get some useful lumber out of the main boles that extend up from the fork, as long as it is greater than 12" diameter. I have cut 8" diameter trees, and the result was a 4x4 post and a couple skinny boards. Assuming the tree is forked(my assumption), the bole of the tree that is below the fork( that you tree-hugged) may be a good source of quality lumber. You might even get some good wide boards with spectacular figure.
Now, another thing about cherry. Cherry can have mineral streak, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. I have installed cabinets that were labeled "rustic cherry" that had a lot of streak in it. It can also be called gummy cherry. Some peole like it, some don't.
The other thing that can be a problem with cherry is red heart rot. I have my own stash of cherry that was cut from a woods I grew up playing in. The tree was 24' to the first branch, 30" diameter, absolutely beautiful. Until we felled it, and found out there was red heart rot the entire way up the bole. We were able to get a lot of good lumber, despite the rot.
Hope this helps.
Mitchhttp://www.freewebs.com/glenndalepedalplane/
Mitch,Thanks for chiming in.First, did you get my email the other week? If not let me know and I'll resend it.Yes, you are correct the tree is forked maybe 15' off the bottom. The left side has that dead snag, and used to have this limb. The right side seems to be the better bet for usable lumber.I'd love to get enough usable wood out to make something that stays with the house and keeps the spirit of the tree here, and something that I can take with me if I move.You still coming out to Reston one of these days?Thanks,Steve'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Steve,
David summed it up well.
Chuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood
Mike,I thought about that, especially after seeing your wild cherries in your neighborhood.But I didn't see any cankers on this one. Is that a common feature to the wild variety?Assume if it is, the bad spots are prevalent enough to make an easy decision to turn it into firewood?Best,
Steve'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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some trees have apparently no cankers
others have big ones and lots of themMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
It's pouring out now, otherwise I'd give it the best Smith finger scale I could.Best guess is that the base is big enough that if I hugged it, I might get halfway around. And I'm 5'12"Knew about the woodmizer, didn't realize they had a finder. Maybe I can find someone that would like some cherry as payment.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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5'12" = 6' aka 72" .......................so if you want you can tell everybody your done growing and your 6' tall
YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'TMOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THEDUCT TAPE.
Edited 5/16/2009 6:56 pm by alwaysoverbudget
Thank you.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Steve here's a pic of Poplar tree that's what it looks like to me BUt what do i know I'm a city boy
Zeeya
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Thanks Zeeya,It's darker than that, and it does have berries.I'm going to hold out hope for the cherry family.Best,
Steve'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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poplar would have hints of green in the crosscut and since it was there since the 1930s I doubt that the HOs would've tolerated the breaking/falling braches this long and would've axed along ago.
The tree in the original post is definitely black cherry.
mike
It's some type of cherry is my guess - looks just like the cherry trees we have.
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Brian,
Hope you don't mind the bump. Thought your background might be a good resource.
Thanks,
Steve
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Black Cherry, the Audubon tree book says. " As many as 5 geographical varieties have been distinguished." This may account for some of the problems identifying the tree.
Cherry Sir.
http://www.depauw.edu/univ/naturepark/natural%20history/Black%20Cherry.asp
Thanks for the input.Hope things are well at the woodchoppers ballroom. Haven't seen you around here much lately.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Looks like a virtual consensus.I've been both busy and spending time at sites that focus more on finish carpentry. Business and life are going fairly well.Thanks for thinking of me, BassP.S. I hope things go well the Cherry tree utilization.
It's known around these parts as " choke cherry " . Long island , New York
I wrote my reply before I saw yours. I think we have it nailed.
I suck at tree identification, but this one.................
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." — Sherlock Holmes, 1896
That crossed my mind, but the wiki for choke cherry says it's a shrub that only matures to 5 meters tall. This tree is easily 4 or 5 times that size.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." — Sherlock Holmes, 1896
Google Image Result for http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/Forestry/commontr/Images/C
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." — Sherlock Holmes, 1896
Not that i'm gonna joust with Wiki but i've seen them larger than there description.
No worries. But I'd really say this tree is conservatively 60 feet to maybe 85 feet.The choke cherry sounded like it was much smaller, and even a hearty specimen wouldn't seem to fit into this scenario.But if I was sure, I wouldn't be asking :)'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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You know after looking at the white fruit or "berries" I believe i stand to be corrected it does look like a black cherry. Was pretty messy , birds are a big fan . I saw a deck within 5 years appearance wise was a unbelievable mess
Black Cherry
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." — Sherlock Holmes, 1896
Maybe a shout out to David Doud.
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." — Sherlock Holmes, 1896
Good idea.Finally got out on the bike this week. Was thinking of you on the ride this morning. Things going well there I hope.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Got back from a quick 24 miles a few hours ago. We're over 500 miles at this point . That's high for us considering it's still May. We're weather weanies, but we bought some warmer clothing and I pushed the temp envelope down a bit starting the end of last year.
So we get out more.
DW did some serious weight training over the winter. I don't do a lot of anything..........she's giving me a good run for the money. I usually hear a voice behind me telling me to slow down. This year no matter how hard I push it, she doesn't say a thing and she's right on my wheel.
When I have a bad day she scares me! She's awesome. Today after dancing up a good hill towards the end of our ride in my 21 (it's a sit 23 hill, maybe stand) I look back and she's right there...........grunting, but she's there.
I told her she needs to find a race or two.
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." — Sherlock Holmes, 1896
i've seen the wild cherry 60' high, 4' diameter....lot's of themMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I don't know what kind of tree it is. But.....
I think a lot of woods are just fine for furniture and such.
It's just that commercially there wasn't enough of them or something else kept them from being a commercially viable wood for large scale cultivation.
We tend to assign value to certain woods because they have a reputation.
But that doesn't mean it isn't an excellent wood to work with.
It's a fruit wood. I think most fruit woods are great for making stuff and the grain and color is fine.
Fruit woods I've seen have close grain and nice warm color in the heart wood. What's not to like?
I'm a wood collector from way back. One of these days I'll make something. ;^)"There are three kinds of men: The one that learns by reading, the few who learn by observation and the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."Will Rogers
I'll freely admit to not knowing much.But I like your line of thought.This tree has served a noble purpose. It'd be kind of nice to give it a new lease on life in a different format. And I think there's a certain preternatural coolness about using a tree on your land to make something beautiful for the house you live in.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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It looks exactly like the wild cherries I have in my yard--don't know what kind of "wild" it is. The cherry fruits themselves are red, red when ripe (not dark or maroon or "black") and the fruit is not sour. I'd guess what you have is just a sweet cherry tree.
<It looks exactly like the wild cherries I have in my yard--don't know what kind of "wild" it is. The cherry fruits themselves are red, red when ripe (not dark or maroon or "black") and the fruit is not sour. I'd guess what you have is just a sweet cherry tree.>The red cherries here are sour cherries, and the black ones are sweet, yours must be growing in splenda<G>http://www.tvwsolar.com
Now I wish I could give Brother Bill his great thrill
I would set him in chains at the top of the hill
Then send out for some pillars and Cecil B. DeMille
He could die happily ever after"
David,
Care to add your wisdom to this?
Thanks,
Steve
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Prunus serotina - black cherry -
"what do I have to do to make some lumber out of it?"
are you going to fell it yourself?
find a sawyer - the woodmizer resource is a good one - I'd be surprised if there isn't one near you -
either the mill comes to you, or you take the logs to the mill - if the mill comes to you, expect to pay a set-up charge and then ~35 cents/board foot for sawing (set up charge for one tree - if you had a days work, i wouldn't charge you for showing up) - you need a level place for the mill to pull into and set up, and a way to get the logs to the mill -
what's the odds of someone hammering a nail into the trunk? - sometimes it makes sense to discard the bottom 7 feet - blades for the mill are about $25 each, and if the sawyer hits metal, expect to buy the blade -
otherwise, fell the tree, analyze the trunk(s), saw to length where there's a crook or crotch - I'd saw stuff down to 10" diameter or so - sawing lengths less than 4' is more difficult - looks like there ought to be several saw logs out of that tree - looks like there is a dead stub that extends down the trunk - depending on how deteriorated it is, you might lose some board feet there -
looking at the tree picture, I'd get a couple of saw logs out of the top of the 'good' side (above the obvious logs) - they have big crooks, but they can be laid flat and slabbed off, dried, and then you cut short pieces for use in case work or whatever -
have the sawyer saw 4/4 unless you have another specific need/plan - I'd probably just slab it off, especially the smaller diameter stuff - otherwise have him keep it as wide as possible - then you cut the good out as you use it - more opportunity to select complimentary grain and figure that way -
OK, you've got it sawn - you have to have a place to stack and sticker the boards, and keep them out of the weather - got to start the stack flat, and keep the stickers right on top of each other - have your sawyer saw the stickers for you out of scrap boards - they are usually 1" X 1", but for myself, I cut them 1" X 1/2" - the stacks don't get as tall as fast - air circulation is not as good obviously, and you might want to run a box fan on the stacks for a couple of weeks to get the initial moisture load pulled down -
worth it?
all depends - a bit of a PITA, and the inventory will take up space for a year or so to dry out - I like cherry - it appears there is plenty in that tree to do a couple good projects - it doesn't necessarily take big boards to do projects - "there's enough for everyone"
Thanks David,Not going to fell it myself. Have a tree guy coming out Monday to take care of it. Planning to have them take it down in 8' sections if possible and we'll see what it looks like.How soon does it need to be sawn once it's felled? Couple of days? Week? Month?Great info and just what I was hoping for. Thanks,
Steve'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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look like Black Cherry and around here it's just firewood, but it still hurts to use it
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Cherry for sure. Problematic with drying without lots of loss usually.
Thank the stars the roof didn't get creamed.
( been w/out power here for hours)
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"
Jed Clampitt
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Yeah, I've been fearful of this giant cracking the house from the day I moved in.I told Grant I wasn't planning on having Dale back out here next week!All this rain is nice for the flowers I suppose, but boy would it be nice to dry out soon.Thanks for the info. Hopefully I'll get something useful out of it. (The tree, not your info! That was great)'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
Edited 5/17/2009 6:17 am ET by FatRoman
Yard trees are frowned upon often by sawyers, Like David said, nails or stuff like that. I've come across bullets too.
The best one ever, was a woman who had an OLD apple tree she wanted gone...I needed wood, so what the heck, I volunteered.
Fire up the '66 Homelite XL and got to sawing. Seems her late hubby FILLED THE TREE with bricks and mortar...freaking 2' dia. Apple with a solid core of masonry...I could kick myself to this day.
If ya get it sawn go head and slobber some paint, glue, wax anything on the end grain to slow the endchecks. Cherry and Maple are notorious for getting squirelly when drying, esp. branch wood, it's got tension from being unplumb.
Doud got ya set on the stickers, use the same wood when possible, less chance of sticker stain ruining the wood.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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LOL, well if it was part of the house, then I'd say anything was possible given the non-artistry with which things were done around here.But I'm hoping that because this tree is at the back of the property, on a good slope, that it hasn't been nailed to, used as a basketball arena, or anything else like that.It's covered with some pretty heavy ivy vines at the bottom, though. And those suckers are on there tight.Thanks for the endgrain advice. If this happens, I'm going to have to haul it all up to my parent's garage and store it there. Not a chance that I've got room enough to store more than a handful of boards here. The windfall out of this is that the tree is taking the spot where I'd really like to build an office / shop. Going to have to get all creative like Forrest and come up with one of those plan thingys.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Not wanting to turn you off, but you said "Slope" and I went red flag.
Cherry is reaction wood ANYWAY, even on the level ground conditions. Really, it may want to walk and even give the sawyer a fit ( if you can find one willing) when it springs from cutting a slab off and release that tension.
I should let your sawyer be your guide, but seriously, it's often not worth the hassle for pretty firewood.
Local bandsaw man here ( a mile down my road, that sawed my flooring) is 20 cents a BF for softwood, and 22 for hardwood...he can saw 1500 BF a day easily at 4/4. He swaps blades after about 300', and if the weld is smooth, his product needs little thicknessing to rid of the bump every few inches.
If I were you, I'd saw the tree to 6/4 or 8/4...even 12 or 16. It stays more stable, dries slower, and can always be resawn down.
4/4 is eveywhere for sale, thicker has more intrinsic value to endusers for table legs and mantles type work. Just saying.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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Yeah, it's on a good slope. There is a patio that's maybe 14' x 40' at the bottom (maybe 80' away?), so the logs would have to be dragged down there to cut. But the tree doesn't appear to be in too much tension with the ground, if I'm reading you correctly. It's not leaning out much that I can tell, aside from the forks going out.Maybe I'll still have the tree guy cut it to 8' or longer and invite the sawyer by to see what he thinks.I'd like to put it to good use (my inner Ben Franklin and not wasting, coming to the fore), but if it turns out that I've got several years of firewood, that's ok, too. I'd prefer the former, obviously.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Do you have the Festool lathe? I've turned a lot of stuff from the firewood pile: candle sticks, mallets, spoons, spatulas, canes...My family has about 8 old slices of cherry trunk, or branch maybe. About 6-8" across. One of our antique relatives cut them from a tree in Bern, before they emmigrated to Lancaster in 1734. All the pieces are inscribed with that, and spread throughout the family...http://www.tvwsolar.com
Now I wish I could give Brother Bill his great thrill
I would set him in chains at the top of the hill
Then send out for some pillars and Cecil B. DeMille
He could die happily ever after"
OK, you're pulling my leg. They don't really make a lathe, do they?
No lathe of any stripe here. Don't know where I'd put it. Sweetie, do you mind if I turn the guest room into some more power tool storage?
Maybe I need to go see Shep
Love that story about your relatives. They didn't move to New Bern, NC, did they?
I know there's a guy who has some wood that used to be part of my great great great grandfather's barn and I need to see if I can get some of that to make a table one of these days.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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"the lathe is the only tool in the shop, that can reproduce itself"
Think about getting one.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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While I'd love to have one, I don't have the room.No garage, no shed, no shop, not even a driveway. You've seen that article on the guy in NYC that sets up a woodshop in his apartment bathtub? That's not too far off of me.I've got a patio and a storage shelf the size of a refrigerator. If I can't carry it up the basement steps, it's not going to fly, alas.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Didn't read all the way though so pardon if I repeat. Yard trees often have nails, bullets etc. Take care if you start milling it. (looks like Cherry to me)
Thanks Henley,Since you're the second one to mention it, what's up with all the bullets in yard trees? Everybody out playing cowboys and indians?We're in a pretty densely populated area, and it's been that way since the house went up in the 30s, so I'm going to guess that we won't find any bullets. But you never know, eh?'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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1734?
You too? Are we related?
Hey wait, we probably are, lets keep that shut up.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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okaay, maybe 1732? LOLhttp://www.tvwsolar.com
Now I wish I could give Brother Bill his great thrill
I would set him in chains at the top of the hill
Then send out for some pillars and Cecil B. DeMille
He could die happily ever after"
Take a meander through this, see if you know anyone<G>http://www.tvwsolar.com
Now I wish I could give Brother Bill his great thrill
I would set him in chains at the top of the hill
Then send out for some pillars and Cecil B. DeMille
He could die happily ever after"
Say you Johnny Come Latelys, some of us arrived in 1682.
What took you so long? Trying to figure out how to sail from Switzerland? :)'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Our watches kept pretty good time, even back then, the Swiss never arrived anywhere early<G>http://www.tvwsolar.com
Now I wish I could give Brother Bill his great thrill
I would set him in chains at the top of the hill
Then send out for some pillars and Cecil B. DeMille
He could die happily ever after"
Some of us were here when you got here! :)
True, true. LOLWe came in with Penn and were nice to all.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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been w/out power here for hours
What happened?
And some day when they've learned, Cherokee Nation will return, Will return, will return, will return, will return.
I got drunk and layed, what the hell ya think I did?
It rained here, really hard..really hard.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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Hey Mr. Tree Specialist,Forgot to ask if the silver maple limbs are worth saving for firewood.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Maple burns nice. I figure guy's with guns combined with anything that
stands still to long. What about a small Bandsaw? You can at least square up small pieces for creative projects. Altho it's a golden time to try riving some wood!
I gott a few I'd give ya, Fwood is marginal at best. Silver is soft Maple, the butt logs can be pretty, all else is scrap wood.
No kidding, youd heat better with newspaper and OSB scrap.
Maple is funny that way, the bole can get really neat in the PNW area, it squats on the root burl an makes tiger and fiddle and quilt..Acer Macrophylla I think, big leaf.
What we got here is Acer Saccrum ( the hard sugar Maples) and Acer Silvanicus ( your and my Silver)......Sacrum is good, Silvan, not so good.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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Gonna be sorry you got me going on this. Acer Saccrum is a hard wood, used extensively in lutherierdom for necks. see a strat or tele with an intregal finger board.
They can be the most hard to refret, w/out damage being brittle and prone to splintering, and being a white wood, they are hard to hide mistakes.
I refret them by heating with a 40 watt soldering iron to loosen the fret wire, some bidches glued them at Fender or after.
I glue my new work on Rosewood boards, and rebind them, but Maple is brittle, I never glue frets on a maple neck.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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Not sorry at all. If I didn't value your advice, I wouldn't have address the thread to you in the first place.I'm just trying to decide if I want to wave the magic wand and have the tree guy haul all the silver maple away or leave me some for the firepit. Thinking I'll have him leave me some.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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all right, lets get Gail outta this, she is my wifes GF who came here for the ice storm and has a 1o year old son. We kinda have a thing for each other her being a LOT closer to my age.
Um she can see my LT and BT, and loves the comeradity here, unlike my wife, I'm allowed snatch on the side, I had 3 Michelles, one Clara one Gail..so shoot me.
I never had a girl that laffed so hard as you all make. I thought I was funny, not even close.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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Craigslist hooker was better. Now your gonna get a kettle full of boiling water thrown on you in your sleep. The wife ALWAYS finds out about the ones you don't pay for. Remember the rule. You pay them never to bother you again.
And some day when they've learned, Cherokee Nation will return, Will return, will return, will return, will return.
Edited 5/17/2009 7:27 pm ET by Gunner
unlike my wife, I'm allowed snatch on the side,
Your wife is not allowed snatch on the side? You're a hard task master. Cut her some slack, Jack.
As Groucho used to say: "it's been so long since I had any, I didn't know they'd moved it". http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
Oh that.
No don't bother. Don't waste the time for marginal wood.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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I dunno...I wouldn't call silver maple bad firewood. Is it great firewood? No. But there's a helluva lot worse ones out there. The BTU charts I read say that silver maple is basically mid-pack as a firewood. And in most of the country, it's a helluva lot easier to get than Sugar Maple. Great smoke wood, too.
Jason
PS: Plant #### bit - Sugar Maple is Acer saccharum; Silver is A. saccharinum. Google search didn't turn up anything for A. sylvanicum. Mayhap you're thinking of A. pensylvanicum? That's striped maple, which is basically a trash tree, and not good for much other than kindling.
Yea we got some of that I think. Not bad though.
SOOOOOO tell me about the hooker.
And some day when they've learned, Cherokee Nation will return, Will return, will return, will return, will return.
She ain't a hooker (yet) just a really nice friend,answering the phone when Rose called was a bad thing, I'm working on fixing that.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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Not a hooker yet? You write her a check? Then when it clears she's officialy a hooker? LOL Just bustin your gonads. One of the great things about getting married is not having to be nice to other women again. Why do you want to screw that up?
And some day when they've learned, Cherokee Nation will return, Will return, will return, will return, will return.
This is Gail. Duane is out feeding the birds. He told me about you.
I read his stuff, he is a great guy with lots of wisdom.You better play nice with him. And if you call me a hooker again, i will make you pay.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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And if you call me a hooker again, i will make you pay.
Bwahahahaahttp://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
Damn, how come when the power goes out here it's never as entertaining?And are any of these hookers coming by to clear out my woodlot?'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Damn, how come when the power goes out here it's never as entertaining?
And are any of these hookers coming by to clear out my woodlot?
How would I know?
Was it a storm or a gail that made the electricity go off? And how much is Gail gonna make Gunner pay?
Too many questions. I didn't know there was a quiz.http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
Steve,
This is getting good.
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Chuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood
I just turned the power off. No hooker. And the wife is pretty mad.
Must be a Waco thing.
And some day when they've learned, Cherokee Nation will return, Will return, will return, will return, will return.
WTf..I come in and she's laffining..then I see this.
Sorry. shes nuts.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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And if you call me a hooker again, i will make you pay.
Now I'm confused.
And some day when they've learned, Cherokee Nation will return, Will return, will return, will return, will return.
Looks like a Ecuadorian cherry. Thecolor of the wood, trunk, bark, leaves and flower/buds say so. Lousy tasting fruit if I say so. I think the name is Capoli? spelling?
I'm just not sure that they have been in this country that many years. But, even back then, people did import exotic plants.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capulin
Edited 5/17/2009 1:53 pm by migraine
That's the ugly tree.
The world will now be better off because there will be no more girls falling out of it and hitting every branch.
No more ugly tree, no more ugly girls. Right?
"If you have enough energy you can solve a lot of other problems." - Charlie Munger, Berkshire Hathaway.
We have an abundant supply of domestic natural gas. Let's get busy solving problems.
Soooo, can I come borrow your lathe?
Lots of cherry here
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And here
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Little over 11' and 40" wide. Think you can spin this one up? Got another one about this size, maybe 34" wide.
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Couple of spots like this, but all in all it was pretty sound looking wood.
Thanks to all for your help. Got a list of some local woodmizers and we'll see what we can do.
View Image'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Any suggestions on a replacement tree/shrub that's fun for the birds and squirrels?'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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nice stack of logs! - the tree was bigger than I thought - lots of projects out of that - I rescind my former advice of 4/4 - saw a variety of thicknesses - wish I was closer so I could saw this project - oak trees are beloved by wildlife - "there's enough for everyone"
Thanks David.I'll heed that advice!'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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1 idea for replacement: http://www.americanelm.com/
Thanks. That looks interesting. I'll see if the Nat'l Arboretum has them as well. That's just a short drive away.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Any suggestions on a replacement that's fun for the birds and squirrels?a cat
I don't know much about deciduous, sorry. I have to baby my oaks and maples and water the heck out of 'em just to stay alive. Plantlust is closer to your zone and an excellent judge of cellulose. I'll ping her with this post and hopefully she'll be around to advise.
Hiya, P. Please see previous posts about a replacement recommendation, s'il vous plaît.
Thanks. I'd probably plant another tree or two and wouldn't mind some manageable and wildlife friendly shrubs.Please note that I said shrubs, not bushes.We've finally gotten them out of town. I don't want them moving back in :)'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Well, in the spirit of the old tree, you could plant those chokecherries the boys mistook for that gorgeous hunk of lumber. It was a ritual every summer when i was a kid to go collect chokecherries along the streambanks. They are quite sour, though i used to eat them off the bush...just ride along on my horse and grab a handful. As a syrup over pancakes or ice cream, the fruit is almost intolerably flavorful, and i can attest to it making a wonderful dessert wine. When i bought my first house, a horribly neglected Victorian in a working-class area, my across-the-street neighbor brought over a bottle each of his home-made rhubarb and chokecherry wines. I handled him the corkscrew and wiped a couple mason jars out with a paper towel and we proceeded to get toasted. I have fond memories of all my encounters with chokecherries, so i highly recommend them.Birds like them, too, if you let them go to waste like that, lol. The flowers are white and not huge, but not unpleasant at all, and they're extremely hardy and easy to care for.Elderberry would be another good wildlife and harvestable choice. It's not as large as a chokecherry shrub, not as woody, with prettier foliage. The berries are in a cluster, easy to harvest, and also make extraordinarily flavorful jelly, syrup, and wine, Elton John wouldn't steer anyone wrong, eh?
Elderberry? As in "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"That could be fodder for some backyard merriment.Thanks so much for the info. Either sounds like a good bet.Truthfully, I'd be delighted to let the birds snack on them. We've got a wild bird sanctuary less than a mile from the house, and I so enjoy watching them flit about through the trees.Just saw this in the Elderberry wiki...definitely not cutting this down without approval!"The Elder Tree was supposed to ward off evil influence and give protection from witches, a popular belief held in some cultures. If an elder tree was cut down, a spirit known as the Elder Mother would be released and take her revenge. The tree could only safely be cut while chanting a rhyme to the Elder Mother."'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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I bought a couple of more-domesticated ones from Jung Seed this spring, a "Adams" and a "York": http://www.jungseed.com/dp3.asp?c=&sku=30162Elderberries don't put out any smell that i can detect, but your guy was French, and they have those large sniffers....
Edited 5/19/2009 9:32 pm by splintergroupie
Thanks!Even if I usually order from Freud Gardens ;)'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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In that case, look for the 80-tooth, Teflon-coated elderberries.
Forget the tree. Give us a panoramic shot of that yard. I need to figure out where to put the Tent and Porta potty for. FATROFEST!
Not Now Dog, I'm Tweekin.
It would have to be a wintertime fest. The back yard is like a ski jump.Though it doesn't snow much here either, so we'd have to have Jet and Dino truck the white stuff down from Canuckville.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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You probably want to get a dozer and level that off a little before next summer.
Not Now Dog, I'm Tweekin.
That'd be a tough order, unless you came down from the top side and plowed through the woods above.Maybe 3 years from now I'll have this joint in shape enough to do one. Fortunately for me the front lawn is inaccessible from the street, so no worries about the Vince Carbone approach run.Perhaps you can work your minister's license with the church that backs up to me and park the FWOD there.5k just up the street every Friday in the summer, too.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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I've already ordered the tent. ( You owe me a grand) Peoples plates and drinks are gonna be falling off their laps right and left. Come on tight wad get rid of the hump.
Not Now Dog, I'm Tweekin.
There's level ground next to the house.For the ladies that can't stand on a hillside and enjoy a beverage.We'll get it terraced in time to have some fun there.Certainly lots to do nearby.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Certainly lots to do nearby.
I aint going no where. Somebody might get my flat spot.
Not Now Dog, I'm Tweekin.
I'm just catching up on this thread.
First, the lack of space is no excuse. You can buy a midi lathe for about $300, and set it up on a B&D Workmate when you want to turn. The only drawback for those lathes is they can only take fairly small pieces- up to 10" dia., and maybe 20" long.
The Jet 1640 lathe I have right now can turn 16" over the bed, and a lot more if i move the headstock so the wood hangs over the end. I can turn something 62" long.
But, I have an old Delta lathe (11" swing, 36" between centers) which is very servicable, and available for a small fee. It just needs a motor.
Now you've got no excuses <G>
And I'm not even gonna comment on Sphere's arraingements. Juggling all them wimmin is too complicated for me.
BTW,if you do decide to cut the tree up for turning stock- the rule of thumb is to cut the section of log so its twice as long as the diameter. That way, once you trim it up to go on the lathe, you can cut out the checks that will develop. Also, its a good idea to cut or split the log in 1/2, to minimize checking, and to coat the endgrain with some kind of sealer.
My inner Tom Sawyer says it's much easier to show up on your doorstep with an armload of firewood and watch you spin it into gold.I had them cut it into large chunks (photos above) and the limbs have been cut up, too. Thought there might be something worth turning in there. Pretty sure there are plenty of little logs that fit the proscribed length vs. diameter arrangement.Besides, I remember that tale at the back of the magazine recently about the guy that ordered the lathe and then spent ridiculous amounts of time and money pimping it out. You just trying to keep me from playing golf? LOL'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Well, I'll admit that the $300 for the lathe is just the start. Then you gotta buy the tools, maybe a chuck, more tools, a sharpening system, even more tools... LOL
I'd guess the minimum to get started would be in the $6-700 range.
And that guy in the back of the magazine had a metal lathe. The accessories for them make woodturning seem cheap.
When ya show up with your firewood, bring beer. I don't turn for free, ya know.
Naturally!I did find some Jet mini lathes on craigslist here. $250 or so. Those worth looking into?But I wouldn't mind bringing some beer up on a Saturday just to see how it's done, too.Have a couple of chunks that might be good for bowls? Seemed a little squat for anything else I could think of.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Steve,Nice stash. How do you plan on getting it to level ground for the Wood Mizer?
Maybe a block and tackle or a bobcat. There was a guy out near Centerville that would mill cherry and walnut for half of the yield.Chuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood
Chuck,I've got 5 locals to call that have woodmizers and apparently expressed some kind of interest to the company about milling wood for others.How soon do you think I need to get it sawn up? No harm in getting it cut next week I trust?Is there a shelf-life to it once it's drying? Which I suppose is a roundabout way of thinking whether to pay by cash or lumber for the sawing service. I'd prefer to keep as much as I can, but if it needs to be used within 3 years or something, I might just trade part of the stash.Thanks,Steve'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Steve,I have some air dried 10/4 black walnut since the late 70's. I do not think it has a shelf life.Chuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood
Edited 5/19/2009 12:37 pm ET by stevent1
Thanks Chuck,Forgot to answer your question above. Depending on where the mill can be set up, I'm hoping that we can roll or slide the logs down. Just about anything is going to be downhill from where they are currently sited.How that's going to work with those 11 foot monsters? That remains to be seen.So what's the black walnut waiting for?Best,Steve'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Wood, once dry, really doesn't have a shelf life as long as water and bugs are kept away.
As far as drying goes, the rule of thumb is 1 inch of thickness per year. So 4/4 rough will take about a year, but 16/4 could take 3-4 years. A lot depends on the climate, tho.
Or just find a local lumber kiln. They'll usually do small loads for a nominal fee. One of the WoodMizer guys might know of one.
If you do decide to air dry, I'd really recommend getting a moisture meter to check your lumber. I know FWW has had several articles about setting up a backyard kiln, and/or lumber stacks, for drying.
$250 for a used Jet mini seems a little steep to me, unless it comes with some accessories. I only paid about $270 for mine new.
And you're welcome to come up some Sat., and we'll make some shavings. If the wood's not dry, it's actually best to rough turn the bowl to 3/4 to 1" thick, so it can dry faster. Then, several months later, you re-mount the bowl, and turn it to finish size. Or you turn it to final wall thickness when its still wet, and watch it warp as it dries.
If you do come up, I want to pick your brain on setting up a wireless internet in the new house. I don't know how much that costs, but it seems like it would be easier than running wires all over the place.
Sorry, just stumbled across these replies. I'm not getting a notification here until 8 or 9 hours later. I must have forgotten my sacrifice to the internet gods this morning.Thanks for the info. The Jet I saw also had a box of carving knives, but it's gone now. I'll keep an eye out.Interesting. I vaguely recall seeing some bowls that had a puckered/rippled texture. Wonder if they were turned wet to a finish size for that effect.I'll definitely take you up on the turning lesson. Might not be anytime soon.I'll pm you my number. Feel free to give me a call and chat about your wireless ideas. I run my servers off a hard line, but all the other computers here are running wireless. I can't imagine living without it. I definitely can't imagine cutting open these rock lath walls to fish network cables, that's for sure!'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Black cherry. Prunus serotina.
Dead give away is the bark. As a local forest preserve person described it to us youngsters (it was a field trip to the local arboretum - amazing what info the brain retains, eh?), "the bark looks like black potato chips".
Still too wet to garden. ARGHHHHHH!!