Ok, I've searched and only found posts 10 yrs old or so on here, so
figured I'd post my own and see if responses would change. I have an
older maple tree in my back yard (a silver maple, I believe) that we
need to get rid of. We had a bad drought last year and this year only
part of the tree came back. So, I'm assuming most of the wood would
still be decent but I really have no idea. Anyway, would this tree be
of any value to anybody out there? Should I try to contact local
mills? Should I post to craigslist or something? I'd love for someone
to get something out of this tree...its pretty large, has a wide
trunk, but understand if I'm probably stuck just hiring someone to
chop it and dispose of it. Thoughts?
"Phisherman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> I'm too frugal for that. I have an 80-foot fallen pine from last
> spring. So far I have cut off all the limbs. Our city allowed a
> truckload of limbs per lot on a special pickup day, no greater than 3"
> was allowed. I got two (really nice) adjacent neighbors to allow me
> to use "their truckload" on their lot. I put the logs on craigslist
> and got one response.
Try advertising it as good for a totem pole or something like that. Hell,
carve a totem pole out of it for yourself.
"stratford1" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> Ok, I've searched and only found posts 10 yrs old or so on here, so
> figured I'd post my own and see if responses would change. I have an
> older maple tree in my back yard (a silver maple, I believe) that we
> need to get rid of. We had a bad drought last year and this year only
> part of the tree came back. So, I'm assuming most of the wood would
> still be decent but I really have no idea. Anyway, would this tree be
A few people want to know where you're located?
On Jul 9, 12:19=A0pm, stratford1 <[email protected]> wrote:
> Ok, I've searched and only found posts 10 yrs old or so on here, so
> figured I'd post my own and see if responses would change. I have an
> older maple tree in my back yard (a silver maple, I believe) that we
> need to get rid of. We had a bad drought last year and this year only
> part of the tree came back. So, I'm assuming most of the wood would
> still be decent but I really have no idea. Anyway, would this tree be
> of any value to anybody out there? Should I try to contact local
> mills? Should I post to craigslist or something? I'd love for someone
> to get something out of this tree...its pretty large, has a wide
> trunk, but understand if I'm probably stuck just hiring someone to
> chop it and dispose of it. Thoughts?
I had a black walnut come down about a month and a half ago in a bad
storm. I put an ad on craigslist for free wood and had half a dozen
responses within 2 days. I was very specific with measurements of the
trunk diameter and length of useable trunk for lumber. I got the
impression from talking to some of the respondents that they are very
eager to take advantage of these kinds of situations. This was in
suburban Philadelphia and the tree was already on the ground, so your
situation my vary.
Upscale wrote:
> "Phisherman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> I'm too frugal for that. I have an 80-foot fallen pine from last
>> spring. So far I have cut off all the limbs. Our city allowed a
>> truckload of limbs per lot on a special pickup day, no greater than 3"
>> was allowed. I got two (really nice) adjacent neighbors to allow me
>> to use "their truckload" on their lot. I put the logs on craigslist
>> and got one response.
>
> Try advertising it as good for a totem pole or something like that. Hell,
> carve a totem pole out of it for yourself.
>
>
I know you are not the original poster, but I missed the post. Did the
OP state where he is located?
I cut down a dead silver maple for a nephew and kept some of the wood.
It was spalted and made beautiful bowls. I went back for some more but
it had gone to the happy dumping grounds.
--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA
A child of five could understand this!
Fetch me a child of five.
Sometimes we get it right here in Nova Scotia.
http://www.atlanticwoodworkers.ca/past4.shtml
>
> Then too, when Hurricane Floyd came visiting in North Carolina, oak
> andmapletrees were felled by the thousands. Cleanup crews spent
> weeks carting them to a big empty field and burning them. There was
> never any mention of anyone wanting the lumber.
> to get something out of this tree...its pretty large, has a wide
> trunk, but understand if I'm probably stuck just hiring someone to
> chop it and dispose of it. Thoughts?
Is there some local logger? We have one guy in our county
who has a portable bandsaw that will do this kind of work,
you might want to check around. He might be able to
tell you the value in the tree itself.
Check with a local sawmill, if you have one.
Finally, check with the logging bandsaw folks. They have
a list of people who buy their machines.
Here' s one:
http://www.mightymitesawmills.com/bandsaw.html
And another:
http://www.timberking.com/index.cfm
Google "portable sawmill"
If you keep the wood, you will need to dry it. Do you have enough
room?
MJM
On Jul 9, 12:19=A0pm, stratford1 <[email protected]> wrote:
> Ok, I've searched and only found posts 10 yrs old or so on here, so
> figured I'd post my own and see if responses would change. I have an
> older maple tree in my back yard (a silver maple, I believe) that we
> need to get rid of. We had a bad drought last year and this year only
> part of the tree came back. So, I'm assuming most of the wood would
> still be decent but I really have no idea. Anyway, would this tree be
> of any value to anybody out there? Should I try to contact local
> mills? Should I post to craigslist or something? I'd love for someone
> to get something out of this tree...its pretty large, has a wide
> trunk, but understand if I'm probably stuck just hiring someone to
> chop it and dispose of it. Thoughts?
I had a black walnut come down about a month and a half ago in a bad
storm. I put an ad on craigslist for free wood and had half a dozen
responses within 2 days. I was very specific with measurements of the
trunk diameter and length of useable trunk for lumber. I got the
impression from talking to some of the respondents that they are very
eager to take advantage of these kinds of situations. This was in
suburban Philadelphia and the tree was already on the ground, so your
situation my vary.
On Jul 9, 12:19 pm, stratford1 <[email protected]> wrote:
> Ok, I've searched and only found posts 10 yrs old or so on here, so
> figured I'd post my own and see if responses would change. I have an
> older maple tree in my back yard (a silver maple, I believe) that we
> need to get rid of. We had a bad drought last year and this year only
> part of the tree came back. So, I'm assuming most of the wood would
> still be decent but I really have no idea. Anyway, would this tree be
> of any value to anybody out there? Should I try to contact local
> mills? Should I post to craigslist or something? I'd love for someone
> to get something out of this tree...its pretty large, has a wide
> trunk, but understand if I'm probably stuck just hiring someone to
> chop it and dispose of it. Thoughts?
Advertise to carvers and turners. Figure shows through the
bark. Any curly or otherwise interesting areas?
stratford1 <[email protected]> wrote:
>Ok, I've searched and only found posts 10 yrs old or so on here, so
>figured I'd post my own and see if responses would change. I have an
>older maple tree in my back yard (a silver maple, I believe) that we
>need to get rid of. We had a bad drought last year and this year only
>part of the tree came back. So, I'm assuming most of the wood would
>still be decent but I really have no idea. Anyway, would this tree be
>of any value to anybody out there? Should I try to contact local
>mills? Should I post to craigslist or something? I'd love for someone
>to get something out of this tree...its pretty large, has a wide
>trunk, but understand if I'm probably stuck just hiring someone to
>chop it and dispose of it. Thoughts?
A number of years ago I knew a fellow who lost a HUGE black walnut in
a windstorm. I thought surely he would have no problem finding
someone who wanted the wood, but no dice. Something about not knowing
the history of an individual tree on private property and not knowing
what nails or other metal objects might be embedded in it. Mills
were'nt willing to risk expensive saw blades on it and no individual
came forth. Cost him a fortune to have it removed.
Then too, when Hurricane Floyd came visiting in North Carolina, oak
and maple trees were felled by the thousands. Cleanup crews spent
weeks carting them to a big empty field and burning them. There was
never any mention of anyone wanting the lumber.
[email protected] wrote:
>> to get something out of this tree...its pretty large, has a wide
>> trunk, but understand if I'm probably stuck just hiring someone to
>> chop it and dispose of it. Thoughts?
>
> Is there some local logger? We have one guy in our county
> who has a portable bandsaw that will do this kind of work,
> you might want to check around. He might be able to
> tell you the value in the tree itself.
>
> Check with a local sawmill, if you have one.
>
> Finally, check with the logging bandsaw folks. ...
...
The unfortunate thing is that if it is, indeed, silver maple, it's less
interesting to the commercial folks for sure and almost certainly
they're not going to be interested unless it is an extremely large and
high-yield log.
Silver maple is one of the "soft" maples...it's wood is useful but not
highly prized.
--
[email protected] wrote:
....
> I had a black walnut come down about a month and a half ago in a bad
> storm. I put an ad on craigslist for free wood and had half a dozen
> responses within 2 days. ...
A walnut and a silver maple are going to generate entirely different
responses...I'm not at all surprised on the walnut and I'd guess if you
tried an experiment w/ a silver maple you get much less response as well.
In a suburban area somebody might take it off your hands with enough
people as an audience but it wouldn't have anything like the demand for
walnut--it simply isn't as attractive or useful.
--
On Wed, 9 Jul 2008 09:19:30 -0700 (PDT), stratford1
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Ok, I've searched and only found posts 10 yrs old or so on here, so
>figured I'd post my own and see if responses would change. I have an
>older maple tree in my back yard (a silver maple, I believe) that we
>need to get rid of. We had a bad drought last year and this year only
>part of the tree came back. So, I'm assuming most of the wood would
>still be decent but I really have no idea. Anyway, would this tree be
>of any value to anybody out there? Should I try to contact local
>mills? Should I post to craigslist or something? I'd love for someone
>to get something out of this tree...its pretty large, has a wide
>trunk, but understand if I'm probably stuck just hiring someone to
>chop it and dispose of it. Thoughts?
At one time I had a difficult time finding free wood. Now it seems
you can't give logs away and the local dumps want $30 a truckload and
I'm too frugal for that. I have an 80-foot fallen pine from last
spring. So far I have cut off all the limbs. Our city allowed a
truckload of limbs per lot on a special pickup day, no greater than 3"
was allowed. I got two (really nice) adjacent neighbors to allow me
to use "their truckload" on their lot. I put the logs on craigslist
and got one response. If it were not pine, I would give it to a
neighbor who has a wood-burning fireplace. Some the brush went
through a chipper shredder and used to mulch shrubbery. Now I'm still
left with a 60', 2.5' thick trunk with uplifted roots and its
beginning to look like an alien sculpture in the backyard. I'd like
some slabs to make wooden seats and have been evaluating for the
cheapest methods (I may end up using a chainsaw and handsaw). Also I
have been thinking about firepits and portable fireplaces. This
fallen tree has been a fun on-going project plus workout. Not sure
how many non-woodworkers would call "processing a tree" fun.
If you have the cash use the Yellow Pages and be done with it. Get at
least three quotes and check bonded papers/insurance proof. Most
sawmills will not take trees from residential lots--one nail and
goodbye blade. Another thought, call your local operative extension
and get an arborist. I have a half dead tree and I'm just allowing it
to go natural; this year a woodpecker has taken up residence.