My neighbour and I have a box elder standing on the property line between
our houses. It's already had a large branch (almost 2 ft. across at the
base) come down and he feels it's time to take the tree down. I tend to
agree as we have had some pretty high winds this year and if that brings it
down it's going to hit my house. What I would like to know is other than
firewood what can the wood be used for. Saw the article in wood magazine
this month and the branch at least is full of bright red streaks but I don't
have a lathe.
Thanks
Rick
In article <[email protected]>, Curly Woods
<[email protected]> wrote:
> Wood turners absolutely love red streaked Box Elder.
You bet we do. We turn it into stuff like this:
<http://homepage.mac.com/balderstone/PhotoAlbum2.html>
and this:
<http://homepage.mac.com/balderstone/PhotoAlbum6.html>
I've got a bunch of it stickered under cover including some 2 foot
diameter burl slabs that are going to be end table tops one day.
But Dave H is right, it's not very good firewood.
'-)
In article <[email protected]>, toller <[email protected]>
wrote:
> Geez, that is box elder?! Beautiful wood.
I snagged a couple of huge burl pieces when a chap in the neighborhood
took an old tree down. It's pretty stuff.
The plain wood, however, is less exciting than a piece of Home Depot
poplar.
On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 12:20:03 -0400, Rick Gibson <[email protected]> wrote:
> My neighbour and I have a box elder standing on the property line between
> our houses. It's already had a large branch (almost 2 ft. across at the
> base) come down and he feels it's time to take the tree down.
Yup, the tend to start falling apart right about then.
> I tend to
> agree as we have had some pretty high winds this year and if that brings it
> down it's going to hit my house. What I would like to know is other than
> firewood what can the wood be used for.
It's not even good for firewood, Rick. It's extremely light once it dries
out, is hard to split, and burns about as fast as paper.
> Saw the article in wood magazine
> this month and the branch at least is full of bright red streaks but I don't
> have a lathe.
These days, when I drop a box elder, I try to get 'em small, and I leave them
lay where they fall. For a 2' tree, that's not an option, but it's just not
worth all the handling. If you have a nice place to drag the tree chunks,
cut it up into managable pieces, and drag them to somewhere to rot. It's
very much not worth using as firewood is the idea I'm trying to get across
here, and as far as woodworking, it's got unattractive streaks and is very,
very soft.
Dave Hinz
On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 12:02:05 -0500, Curly Woods <[email protected]> wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
>>
> Oh my if it is loaded with red streaks, don't let any local woodturners
> know that you have it. The carnage could be too much for inexperienced
> people to handle.
I haven't seen red streaks, but black stain-ish looking streaks. Not
spalting like I see in maple, but just smudgy-looking blotches. Tell
me that's not desirable? If it is, let's talk.
>
> Wood turners absolutely love red streaked Box Elder.
I did not know that.
On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 12:28:00 -0500, Paul Irwin <[email protected]> wrote:
> This may be helpful, see Table 3; soft hardwoods
>
> http://ohioline.osu.edu/for-fact/0009.html
Thanks, Paul, that's a fantastic page of information.
Dave Hinz
Wood is wood. Boxelder is a soft maple, if you have access to a mill saw,
dry and use it if it's sound.
http://www.dlumberyard.com/Wood/WoodD3.htm
Stuff can run to beautiful curl, spectacular burl, and then there's that
strange read streak which ages brown.
If you have turning friends, endear yourself to them by letting them have
the gnarly chunks and crotches between timber sticks.
"Rick Gibson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My neighbour and I have a box elder standing on the property line between
> our houses. It's already had a large branch (almost 2 ft. across at the
> base) come down and he feels it's time to take the tree down. I tend to
> agree as we have had some pretty high winds this year and if that brings
it
> down it's going to hit my house. What I would like to know is other than
> firewood what can the wood be used for. Saw the article in wood magazine
> this month and the branch at least is full of bright red streaks but I
don't
> have a lathe.
>
> Thanks
> Rick
>
>
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> My neighbour and I have a box elder standing on the property line between
> our houses. It's already had a large branch (almost 2 ft. across at the
> base) come down and he feels it's time to take the tree down. I tend to
> agree as we have had some pretty high winds this year and if that brings it
> down it's going to hit my house. What I would like to know is other than
> firewood what can the wood be used for. Saw the article in wood magazine
> this month and the branch at least is full of bright red streaks but I don't
> have a lathe.
>
> Thanks
> Rick
>
>
>
Oh my if it is loaded with red streaks, don't let any local woodturners
know that you have it. The carnage could be too much for inexperienced
people to handle.
Wood turners absolutely love red streaked Box Elder.
--
All the best,
Michael Mastin
Curly Woods
1006-B North Tennessee
McKinney, Texas 75069
Toll-free:(866)679-6637 (866-Mr.Woods)
http://www.curlywoods.com
This may be helpful, see Table 3; soft hardwoods
http://ohioline.osu.edu/for-fact/0009.html
"Rick Gibson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My neighbour and I have a box elder standing on the property line between
> our houses. It's already had a large branch (almost 2 ft. across at the
> base) come down and he feels it's time to take the tree down. I tend to
> agree as we have had some pretty high winds this year and if that brings
it
> down it's going to hit my house. What I would like to know is other than
> firewood what can the wood be used for. Saw the article in wood magazine
> this month and the branch at least is full of bright red streaks but I
don't
> have a lathe.
>
> Thanks
> Rick
>
>
Thanks guys, will save as much of the burls and areas with lots of colour
as I can. After I have been here a while I will likely find a few guys in
the area that do turning that will like it. The rest I will likely burn
in the fireplace. Not trying to heat the house with it so it should be ok
for the wife and I to curl up in front of. I've mainly worked with oak and
walnut up to this point as the neighbor has lots of oak and walnut boards he
had cut about a dozen years ago and sells them to me at a reasonable price.
Most are about 16ft, by 12" and from 1 to 2" thick.
I do a lot of small boxes for keepsakes so may try some of the red stuff for
that. It may be to soft but I'm one of those that learns by trying it.
If some of you are turners and live in the London - Chatham area of southern
Ontario let me know and I'll post when the tree comes down.
Thanks again.
Rick
"Rick Gibson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My neighbour and I have a box elder standing on the property line between
> our houses. It's already had a large branch (almost 2 ft. across at the
> base) come down and he feels it's time to take the tree down. I tend to
> agree as we have had some pretty high winds this year and if that brings
it
> down it's going to hit my house. What I would like to know is other than
> firewood what can the wood be used for. Saw the article in wood magazine
> this month and the branch at least is full of bright red streaks but I
don't
> have a lathe.
>
> Thanks
> Rick
>
>