westhemann Posted December 19, 2012 Report Share Posted December 19, 2012 So I have been talking lately in the misc thread about trees...I am losing trees due to the drought around here and so I decided to look into the types they are and see if they are useful. What I found out among other things is that Chinaberry(what we call it around here) is a Chinese type of mahogany that was imported way back and is very invasive...they grow to maturity and then usually the wind blows them over because of a shallow root ball. So.. I cut half of it yesterday Leftover carcass Useable donor organs The big stuff I sealed those ends with laquer as soon as I cut them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2012 So this morning I took a piece of trunk and started playing After planing Only got four useful pieces from this one I sealed the ends with roof tar(suggested on some froo froo wood site) and stacked it for drying So in this section of the container it is about 140 degrees from spring into fall during the day.I expect it will dry by the end of the year.Chinaberry is known to dry without warping or cracking(same froo froo site) The wood of the chinaberry tree is considered to be of a very high quality. It is typically easy to treat, and produces planks that tend to be relatively immune to some of the common problems encountered in wood products, including fungal growth, warping, and cracking. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2012 All I have is a chainsaw and a planer.If I had a sawmill or large bandsaw I would be able to get more from each log and I could cut them up while longer and have longer pieces.I would prefer 6 ft pieces Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted December 19, 2012 Report Share Posted December 19, 2012 Those are some nice looking planks. They are coming across looking more like ash than mahogany, or maybe even a combo of the two. I'd be curious to see how good of a job your laquer and roofing tar do to seal the ends. I have tried both shellac and wax from toilet ring seals (unused of course). I wasn't especially impressed with either after a couple of years. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2012 Spalted Pecan This stuff continues to spalt and grubs continue to live in it until you kill the spalt and grubs by sealing it all up.I was out of CA so I flooded it with polyeurethane.i ordered a bunch of CA and I will wait for it before I do the rest of the pecan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2012 They are coming across looking more like ash than mahogany, or maybe even a combo of the two. I thought the same thing while cutting it up...it's more like brown ash than anything else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted December 20, 2012 Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 Nice Wes. I'm trying something similar with Mesquite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauliemc Posted December 20, 2012 Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 Nice lookin blanks. I hate you so much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 You are really going to hate me when I get those walnut trees down,but I have to get better equipment for that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 Man,I have a ton of spalted and worm eaten wood around here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2012 My pine tree is dead..I cut a piece from it to see what is inside...fungus I suspect once it's dry I should be able to bookmatch it into something interesting.Maybe... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted December 22, 2012 Report Share Posted December 22, 2012 Those chinaberry (never heard of it) blanks look awesome! I can imagine you'd be pretty excited! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2012 Thanks,I am pretty stoked. I am going to have to get pretty inventive to make the pecan blanks work(colored epoxy in the worm holes,flooding with CA to stiffen them up,etc),but the Chinaberry is perfect as is except they are just slightly small so I'll have to add scrap pieces to the sides to build up the width a bit or cut them in half and make them neck throughs. I should take a large branch off the box elder and check it out about tomorrow or Monday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauliemc Posted December 22, 2012 Report Share Posted December 22, 2012 So you can just randomly go cut down a tree where you are ? Or is this all your own land ? Just wonderin, koz I got into the **** a while back for cutting down the big eucalyptus in front of my house. My property, tree partially uprooted during a storm & I still got into grief for it with the local authorities Still. Nice lookin bit o rotted out pine there, should make some good drop tops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orgmorg Posted December 22, 2012 Report Share Posted December 22, 2012 Ever checked out one of these? You need a pretty decent size saw, at least 70cc, but they are pretty darn handy once you get it figured out. Not too hard to make either, especially for a welder. I built one a long time back using a Stihl 090 (137cc) and a 42" bar. Cut up some big stuff with it, slabs up to 30" Loud as all hell though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2012 So you can just randomly go cut down a tree where you are ? Or is this all your own land ? Yes to both...no weirdo laws here Ever checked out one of these? Yeah I have one of those in my wish list...but a sawmill would be better...chains go dull really quickly when you do that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orgmorg Posted December 23, 2012 Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 The way you are doing it now, using your regular chain, yes. For the chainsaw mill, you file your teeth specially for milling, perpendicular to the bar, no angle. Works great in the chainsaw mill, but you can't use chain filed like that for regular cutting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 It's an idea.I just hate to spend money on something like that when what I really want is this. http://lumbersmith.com/ But in reality I can't afford the lumbersmith unless I sell a bunch of walnut,and I can't sell a bunch of walnut without a milling bar.. So yeah,likeliest scenario is buy a decent bar mill,cut up a bunch of walnut,and sell enough to buy a lumbersmith and then start looking for good trees that people need removed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maull Posted December 23, 2012 Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 This might sound like a crazy idea but here goes. I think this would be a great kickstarter project. Estimate what you think you can harvest from the walnut, and let people order from what you have estimated. Typical of a kickstarter project, you use those funds to purchase the lumbersmith and when you have enough money from preorders you cut and ship said walnut to the folks who funded you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 I admire your risk taking,but I just can't sell something I don't have in hand...for all I know once we start clearing out this creek and harvesting the lumber the guy who owns the place may decide he wants to keep it...I doubt it,because when he clears an area he just burns it and he has no need for extra money(extremely deep pockets),but I have had way to many people get weird at the last minute to trust it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 Got into the Box Elder today... This one is about 4 1/2" thick...when I get a bigger bandsaw I will bookmatch it into a 2 piece body blank This one is much thinner...it would need to be a flat top,probably bookmatched onto an LP Jr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Workingman Posted December 23, 2012 Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 That box elder looks great 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2012 Getting into the smaller stuff Most likely will be cut into neck lams or something,Obviously the sides aren't straight as of yet More Chinaberry.These will be two piece bookmatched body blanks or neck through wings when I get a bigger saw.they are 4 " thick right now and a hair over 6 " wide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 24, 2012 Report Share Posted December 24, 2012 Doesn't the staining in Box Elder fade over time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2012 Not according to anything I saw.It fades to a less brilliant red because of the drying but the finishing brings it right back. Of course I will know more about it from personal experience after some time with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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