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| The swamp cabbage is coming up. |
I was back at the lease cutting trees today.
I dropped a decent sized black walnut and after that the chainsaw didn't cut worth a hoot. I suspect I kissed one of the steel wedges while making the back-cut. Not a nice way to treat a new chain.
The tree had a diameter of 18"-to-20" at the base and the trunk forked at 6' into two stems of equal diameter. The crotch was narrow.
Being a black walnut, it probably has two FABULOUS gunstocks in it. "Crotch" wood is justly famous for interesting grain. Not every tree produces stocks like this, but enough do to make it worth trying to save this chunk of wood.
Question to those in the know, if I have a local mill buzz it into planks, how thick should they be? 2" rough sawn? Or should I let it dry in-the-round?
I didn't get much done after dropping the walnut. And no, the files were still in the truck a quarter mile away.
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| Gratuitous swamp picture. Much standing, dead ash. |
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| Same swamp, slightly different angle. This is where the bald cypress will be planted. |
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| I think that deer got away. |
Plastic or wood wedges for felling trees.
ReplyDeleteI prefer the plastic.
YMMV
Contact a mobile home dealer. They sell or should sell hardwood wedges (called shims for that application) really cheap. I started using them for saw work years ago and they are way cheaper than the fancy plastic ones and lots more gentle on chain than steel wedges.
ReplyDeleteSaw them thick. You can always remove more wood, but it's a real trick to make a board bigger. Also, if it throws a warp when it cures, you'll have enough to true it up with a plane.
DO NOT DRY IN THE ROUND!!! Takes a lot longer to dry, and it may not be completely cured or evenly cured. I've seen it happen and ruin custom cabinetry and woodwork... A pastor I knew built his wife's dream kitchen. It was gorgeous woodwork. A year later there were some big gaps and amusing bends in the woodwork. She was not pleased...
And if momma ain't happy, nobody's happy.
Dry planks. Round will split in ways that are usually not what you would choose. And cut thick. You can't add on to it later.---ken
ReplyDeleteDry planks at least 3 inches thick.
ReplyDeleteCut thick, sticker and stack.
ReplyDeleteI've heard that wood for stocks needs to air dry 5 years.
ReplyDelete