Greetings,
I removed what I believe to be a cherry laurel from our yard this year
and would like to attempt to use the wood for woodworking rather than
chunking it into the fireplace. I live in the southeast (GA), and the
tree was about 30' tall and 18" or so at it's base. It became
infested with eastern tent caterpillars every year.
I could be wrong on the species, cherry laurel wood purportedly is
white in color, but this wood is reddish, becoming more so on exposure
to the sun. There is a 3/4" white ring around the tree (sapwood?)
under the bark, but the remainder of the wood is reddish. There are
red pitch pockets and veins scattered in the grain - along with some
black pencil-lining. Characteristics that all make me think "cherry".
I DAGS on the question, and have read many web site pertaining to
drying wood and now have more questions that when I started.
Briefly, the tree was removed a week ago. I cut it into 5' logs that
were barely manageable. I painted the ends with a shellac based
primer. They were moved to the garage. Nothing else has been done.
I cut one of the branches into 2" thick slabs, planed it flat to look
at the grain structure, and exposed it to sunlight. It's actually
quite beautiful! And the more sun exposure, the redder it gets.
Either way, I want to attempt to reclaim this tree. I have only basic
woodworking tools available. 14" bandsaw with riser, chainsaw, 13"
planer and 6" joiner, hand planes. And minimal storage space. ;-)
Any suggestions as to how to proceed? In 100 words or less?
I don't have or want a kiln, air drying is the only possible method.
Should it be slabbed while green or wait until the "free (sap)
moisture has evaporated?
Debarking?
How can I reduce/eliminate the stress cracking that this wood is
obviously prone to? The logs began to crack at the ends within a day
of cutting.
Approximate dry time?
Any other real-world experiences?
Thanks,
Greg
Greg G.
>>>Approximate dry time?
>>
>>One year per inch of thickness, plus one year.
>
>
> This is the part that pains me. I want to use it - NOW! ;-)
> Guess that leaves plenty of time to decide what to build and change my
> mind 10 times...
>
> Thanks for the information!
>
>
> Greg
When I lived in Las Vegas I had some fresh cut 4/4 cherry. It dried
in 10 days. The garage temp was 120 and the R.H was 10%.
Ray
[email protected] said:
>On Mon, 27 Sep 2004 14:30:54 -0400, Greg G. wrote:
>>black pencil-lining. Characteristics that all make me think "cherry".
>
>yep
>
>>I cut one of the branches into 2" thick slabs, planed it flat to look
>>at the grain structure, and exposed it to sunlight. It's actually
>>quite beautiful! And the more sun exposure, the redder it gets.
>
>sounds like cherry so far.
I hope so - either way, it's nice looking wood and I plan to build a
coffee table for SHMBO from it. I want to use the highly figured burl
from a crotch for a jewelry box - since I don't currently own a lathe.
>>I don't have or want a kiln, air drying is the only possible method.
>
>air drying is fine. do it in a cool dark place.
What about control of the humidity?
Is too low a humidity level going to cause additional cracking or case
hardening? I heat the garage in the winter, and the humidity level
drops considerably below it's already low levels - 5-10%.
Would it fare better placed outside under a tarp - stacked on concrete
blocks and stickered?
I also have a vaguely heated basement area that stays warmer than
outside, but not truly "heated".
>>Should it be slabbed while green or wait until the "free (sap)
>>moisture has evaporated?
>
>as soon as possible.
I'll get on it...
>>Debarking?
>
>as necessary to get it through your band saw, remove insect
>infestations and keep it drying straight. if the moisture content is
>high (at this time of year it probably is) the sapwood will be wetter
>than the heart and will shrink more as it dries.
Good to know. I processed some white pin oak last year, and beetles
ate thousands of pin holes through it within days of it being felled.
It's still interesting, but not what I was after...
So winter would be the best time to fell a prospective tree for lumber
usage?
>>How can I reduce/eliminate the stress cracking that this wood is
>>obviously prone to? The logs began to crack at the ends within a day
>>of cutting.
>
>mill it. it's cracking because it can't shrink evenly while the rings
>are whole. slice it up and the stresses won't be fighting to keep
>things round. you'll get cupping, depending on how you cut the log.
Makes sense. I'll assume cutting oversize makes it dry slower, but
leaves room for post dry processing/planing/straightening.
>>Approximate dry time?
>
>1 inch per year.
I was afraid of that... ;-)
>>Any other real-world experiences?
>
>watch for powder post beetles and other critters. they can turn your
>nice wood into junk quickly.
See above Oak comment. They LOVE that stuff... Dinner bells ring when
they hear the chainsaw.
My only remaining quandary is how to cut. I am splitting the logs in
half with a chainsaw. A lot of waste, but they won't fit through the
bandsaw otherwise. Trying to "read" the grain to maximize grain
attractiveness is a tough job! Flatsawn? Quartersawn?
If this keeps up, and wood prices keep getting higher, I'll going to
get a woodmiser... Yea, that's the ticket. They want $7.80 bd.ft.
for Cherry in Atlanta.
"Dear - I need a giant 40" bandsaw with a hydraulic log lifter to
build you that coffee table..."
Thanks for the information! I was thinking of letting it dry as logs
'till spring before cutting it up, but apparently that would have been
a mistake.
Dr. Know
Greg G.
Greg wrote:
> Greetings,
>
> I removed what I believe to be a cherry laurel from our yard this year
> and would like to attempt to use the wood for woodworking rather than
> chunking it into the fireplace. I live in the southeast (GA), and the
> tree was about 30' tall and 18" or so at it's base. It became
> infested with eastern tent caterpillars every year.
>
> I could be wrong on the species, cherry laurel wood purportedly is
> white in color, but this wood is reddish, becoming more so on exposure
> to the sun. There is a 3/4" white ring around the tree (sapwood?)
> under the bark, but the remainder of the wood is reddish. There are
> red pitch pockets and veins scattered in the grain - along with some
> black pencil-lining. Characteristics that all make me think "cherry".
>
> I DAGS on the question, and have read many web site pertaining to
> drying wood and now have more questions that when I started.
>
> Briefly, the tree was removed a week ago. I cut it into 5' logs that
> were barely manageable. I painted the ends with a shellac based
> primer. They were moved to the garage. Nothing else has been done.
>
> I cut one of the branches into 2" thick slabs, planed it flat to look
> at the grain structure, and exposed it to sunlight. It's actually
> quite beautiful! And the more sun exposure, the redder it gets.
>
> Either way, I want to attempt to reclaim this tree. I have only basic
> woodworking tools available. 14" bandsaw with riser, chainsaw, 13"
> planer and 6" joiner, hand planes. And minimal storage space. ;-)
>
> Any suggestions as to how to proceed? In 100 words or less?
> I don't have or want a kiln, air drying is the only possible method.
>
> Should it be slabbed while green or wait until the "free (sap)
> moisture has evaporated?
>
> Debarking?
>
> How can I reduce/eliminate the stress cracking that this wood is
> obviously prone to? The logs began to crack at the ends within a day
> of cutting.
>
> Approximate dry time?
>
> Any other real-world experiences?
>
> Thanks,
> Greg
>
>
> Greg G.
Cherry Laurel is an evergreen. Sounds more like wild cherry. Makes nice
bowls. If you cannot mill it immediately, it is nice to have some wax
emulsion to paint on the end grain.
--
Gerald Ross, Cochran, GA
To reply add the numerals "13" before the "at"
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Doug Miller said:
>In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] wrote:
>[...]
>>I cut one of the branches into 2" thick slabs, planed it flat to look
>>at the grain structure, and exposed it to sunlight. It's actually
>>quite beautiful! And the more sun exposure, the redder it gets.
>
>Sure sounds like cherry. Post a picture of the bark to abpw
>(alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking) for positive ID.
I may get around to it... I believe it is wild cherry, however.
>>Any suggestions as to how to proceed? In 100 words or less?
>
>Contact Wood-Mizer (www.wood-mizer.com). Their customer service dept can put
>you in touch with owners of their mills in your area.
This tree is not big enough to warrant that, but I will do so when
anything larger comes along. We had a large 120' poplar removed last
year from the middle of the driveway (!), and I cringed when I saw
them throw it into a chipper. I know it's "just" poplar, but what a
waste. I have built several nice projects from poplar. And it's
great for prototyping. They get almost $3 bd. ft. for poplar here.
I'm trying to convince SWMBO to move away from this nasty city, and
into the woods on 10-15 acres. Clearing minimally for a house and
selective cutting/clean-up would result in more wood than I could EVER
use in my lifetime! I would BUY a wood-mizer if this happens.
She doesn't want to leave the high speed internet connection.
(We work at home doing IS/Programming support work.)
>>How can I reduce/eliminate the stress cracking that this wood is
>>obviously prone to? The logs began to crack at the ends within a day
>>of cutting.
>>
>Paint the ends with a sealant. Rockler sells a good one, but the name of it
>escapes me right now, sorry.
I put a shellac based primer on it, but I may pick up some paraffin
and dissolve it in mineral sprints and retreat. It's what I had handy
at the time...
>>Approximate dry time?
>
>One year per inch of thickness, plus one year.
This is the part that pains me. I want to use it - NOW! ;-)
Guess that leaves plenty of time to decide what to build and change my
mind 10 times...
Thanks for the information!
Greg G.
Ray R said:
>
>>>>Approximate dry time?
>>>
>>>One year per inch of thickness, plus one year.
>>
>>
>> This is the part that pains me. I want to use it - NOW! ;-)
>> Guess that leaves plenty of time to decide what to build and change my
>> mind 10 times...
>>
>> Thanks for the information!
>>
>>
>> Greg
>
>When I lived in Las Vegas I had some fresh cut 4/4 cherry. It dried
>in 10 days. The garage temp was 120 and the R.H was 10%.
>
>Ray
I wish...
The relative humidity here hovers around 85% in the summer, with temps
in the 90s dF. In the winter it goes down to 15-25% - temps ~25 dF.
If you don't run air conditioning in the summer, all the wood in your
house cracks the following winter... Doors warp, Cabinet joints
separate.
Greg G.
(In the SouthEast)
Greg G.
On Mon, 27 Sep 2004 14:30:54 -0400, Greg G. wrote:
>
>Greetings,
>
>I removed what I believe to be a cherry laurel from our yard this year
>and would like to attempt to use the wood for woodworking rather than
>chunking it into the fireplace. I live in the southeast (GA), and the
>tree was about 30' tall and 18" or so at it's base. It became
>infested with eastern tent caterpillars every year.
>
>I could be wrong on the species, cherry laurel wood purportedly is
>white in color, but this wood is reddish, becoming more so on exposure
>to the sun. There is a 3/4" white ring around the tree (sapwood?)
>under the bark, but the remainder of the wood is reddish. There are
>red pitch pockets and veins scattered in the grain - along with some
>black pencil-lining. Characteristics that all make me think "cherry".
yep
>
>I DAGS on the question, and have read many web site pertaining to
>drying wood and now have more questions that when I started.
>
>Briefly, the tree was removed a week ago. I cut it into 5' logs that
>were barely manageable. I painted the ends with a shellac based
>primer. They were moved to the garage. Nothing else has been done.
>
>I cut one of the branches into 2" thick slabs, planed it flat to look
>at the grain structure, and exposed it to sunlight. It's actually
>quite beautiful! And the more sun exposure, the redder it gets.
sounds like cherry so far.
>
>Either way, I want to attempt to reclaim this tree. I have only basic
>woodworking tools available. 14" bandsaw with riser, chainsaw, 13"
>planer and 6" joiner, hand planes. And minimal storage space. ;-)
>
>Any suggestions as to how to proceed? In 100 words or less?
>I don't have or want a kiln, air drying is the only possible method.
air drying is fine. do it in a cool dark place.
>
>Should it be slabbed while green or wait until the "free (sap)
>moisture has evaporated?
as soon as possible.
>
>Debarking?
as necessary to get it through your band saw, remove insect
infestations and keep it drying straight. if the moisture content is
high (at this time of year it probably is) the sapwood will be wetter
than the heart and will shrink more as it dries.
>
>How can I reduce/eliminate the stress cracking that this wood is
>obviously prone to? The logs began to crack at the ends within a day
>of cutting.
mill it. it's cracking because it can't shrink evenly while the rings
are whole. slice it up and the stresses won't be fighting to keep
things round. you'll get cupping, depending on how you cut the log.
>
>Approximate dry time?
1 inch per year.
>
>Any other real-world experiences?
watch for powder post beetles and other critters. they can turn your
nice wood into junk quickly.
>
>Thanks,
>Greg
>
>
>Greg G.
Gerald Ross said:
>Cherry Laurel is an evergreen. Sounds more like wild cherry. Makes nice
>bowls. If you cannot mill it immediately, it is nice to have some wax
>emulsion to paint on the end grain.
I believe you are right - it IS wild cherry - not laurel.
I found a great publication printed by the
US Agriculture Department/ Forestry Service:
General Technical Report FPL-GTR-118
Joseph Denig, Eugene M. Wengert, William T. Simpson
Look for it online as a PDF.
Covers all aspects of lumber handling, from sawing trees to milling to
drying techniques.
Greg G.
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] wrote:
[...]
>
>Briefly, the tree was removed a week ago. I cut it into 5' logs that
>were barely manageable. I painted the ends with a shellac based
>primer. They were moved to the garage. Nothing else has been done.
>
>I cut one of the branches into 2" thick slabs, planed it flat to look
>at the grain structure, and exposed it to sunlight. It's actually
>quite beautiful! And the more sun exposure, the redder it gets.
Sure sounds like cherry. Post a picture of the bark to abpw
(alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking) for positive ID.
>
>Either way, I want to attempt to reclaim this tree. I have only basic
>woodworking tools available. 14" bandsaw with riser, chainsaw, 13"
>planer and 6" joiner, hand planes. And minimal storage space. ;-)
>
>Any suggestions as to how to proceed? In 100 words or less?
Contact Wood-Mizer (www.wood-mizer.com). Their customer service dept can put
you in touch with owners of their mills in your area.
>I don't have or want a kiln, air drying is the only possible method.
No problem... stack and sticker, keep it dry, keep air moving through it, and
you'll be fine.
>
>Should it be slabbed while green or wait until the "free (sap)
>moisture has evaporated?
ASAP.
>
>Debarking?
Not necessary IMO.
>
>How can I reduce/eliminate the stress cracking that this wood is
>obviously prone to? The logs began to crack at the ends within a day
>of cutting.
>
Paint the ends with a sealant. Rockler sells a good one, but the name of it
escapes me right now, sorry.
>Approximate dry time?
One year per inch of thickness, plus one year.
--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)
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