Was fortunate enough to have someone come up to me at the Farmer’s Market and say: “I am having my sidewalk redone and they had to cut roots out to make room for the new walk. The workers are just going to haul them to the dump. Would you be interested in taking them and see what you can do with them? Of course I jumped at the chance not knowing what I was going to end up with. I didn’t get any before photos but this is what it looked like after we cut them:
Second root
It was exciting as the sawmill made it slices and I pulled them from the track. Suppose some folks would think it was strange that two grown men got so excited over an old root, but they were very nice and we didn’t know what we were going to get. As you can see I have the roots stickered and painted the ends to allow them to cure. Kind of funny how things happen, but I had just read the posts on LJ about how to handle green lumber and then I had some. And who says things don’t happen just because they are suppose to. As the lumber dries I will post more photos. The initial look tells me there is a lot of history in these roots and the grain pattern is awesome.
I only had room to carry the three roots I got, so I went back to get more and they were gone. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of these laying around and happily “take them off of their hands”.
-- Splinters - Living and Loving life in the Rockies - http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/ - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5220040
5 comments so far
Partridge
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296 posts in 2121 days
#1 posted 2089 days ago
Great I like to see wood used.
You will have to dry for a wile.
you might want to move sticker out to ends more(1/2 to an 1”) and wait the entire thing or strap it over the stickers.
I have found that drying wood will split or chek to the sticker. Also weights or strapping will help prevent wood movement.
good luck with this wood.
-- I get out in the shop when I can
Karson
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34367 posts in 2565 days
#2 posted 2089 days ago
I agree on the stickers. And because they look like just wooden squares I’d put 3 of the across the surface and then put a few cement blocks or bags of sand on top of the pile to weight it down. Where you don’t have a big wide pile. 4’ or so you could use Lath from big orange or big blue as your stickers. I would rip them you wouldn’t need the full 1 1/2” width of a lath.
-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
cajunpen
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11347 posts in 2231 days
#3 posted 2088 days ago
Nice save Splinters. I am happy that someone (you) will get to do something with the roots, be a pity to throw 100+ year old wood into a landfill or dump.
-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/
jude
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147 posts in 2114 days
#4 posted 2088 days ago
very cool. keep us posted on what you end up with. i suppose it’s going to take awhile.
-- life can always be weaved into a song.
TreeBones
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1797 posts in 2188 days
#5 posted 2088 days ago
Theres nothing like making lumber from a tree or root. What kind of mill was used? I’ll be looking for more on this root wood.
-- Ron, Twain Harte, Ca. Portable on site Sawmill Service http://westcoastlands.net/Sawmill.html http://westcoastlands.net/SawBucks2/phpBB3 http://www.portablesawmill.info
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