This week in urban logging #1: Storm damaged tree milling (picture heavy)

That’s some great looking wood. And the price is right!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

This is really cool. I particularly appreciate the photo where you added the writing about the curl. I never exaclty understood what caused those paterns, but this made it as simple as ever to visualize. I hope you can keep posting this stuff. I love seeing your finds.

That’s some good looking wood.

-- Bruce from Central New York

Very nice looking wood…good score!!

-- Splinters - Living and Loving life in the Rockies - http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/

I noticed in the picture of the little walnut flitches on the pallet there is a pile of “stuff” off to the left. Just for the curious here is a picture of that pile. I have collected a few burls too (not just this week obviously) from yard trees that died/had to be removed.

-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/

Never enough wood, eh? Thanks for the photos…lots of great looking stuff.

Do you coat the crotch figure in addition to the ends? In other words, in your practice, do you take any extra measures to seal up crotch wood more than any other wood?

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

The price is right, especially having them dropped off, but watch for shake, storm damaged timber is notorious for causing shake in the logs. I know a local mill that was bringing in rail car loads of bolts fron southern WI after a storm had went through and almost every one contained shake. Shake is caused from the tree rocking back and fourth in the wind cause the grain to basically seperate.

-- barlow

Does that only apply to trees that rock enough to break, or can the “shake” occur and the tree still looks fine from the outside? Just curious.

No Dorje I just sealed the end grain like it was a normal board. I have sawn alot of walnut and maple crotch without problems where the feathered part would crack, it stays together very well since it is such tight/interlocking grain. I cannot say that about all species though, just these 2 I have the most experience with.

That white oak I milled I am having problems with the 8/4. The 4/4 is drying just fine, looking great. It has been very warm here (90 degrees) and very low humidity. I am getting some ugly surface check in the 8/4, bummer. Glad I only milled a couple pieces that thick.

-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/

I’ve just spent ten minutes trying to decide which piece I’d choose, but it’d too difficult Daren! Some beautiful pieces there. My sort of wood.! Thanks for taking the time to share it.

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business.

barlow, I am familiar with shake. I know you did not mean anything just trying to be helpful thanks, but I have been milling a little while ;).

-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/

Daren,

This is some gorgeous wood that you have milled. The price is right too and you are doing an invaluable service to the community as well. You are helping to get rid of storm damaged trees and, instead of simply putting it in a landfill or (gasp) burning it, you are redirecting it into wood projects where the wood will “live” again.

Well done!!

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Lucky Dawg! Got a Mill!
Great looking wood!

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

If I had all that to pick from, it would be hard to make a decision! What a windfall!

-- North Texas

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Thanks for the post Daren.

-- Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.

I have taken to tying on a kerchief when I see your posts in the pulse. Must staunch the flow of drool…

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Daren, your right, i dont mean anything by it, im just used to dealing with sawmill owners that own a real head rig and cut 30,000 ft. plus a day, i’ve noticed alot of people on here with a small portable mill who think they are part of the Weyerhouser family or something and know it all, you obviously are very versed in your lumber knowledge and know what you are doing/talking about, on the other hand, i do not own a head rig, but i do grade lumber and know what to look for, and just trying to be helpful like you said. So thanks for not taking it the wrong way at all.

-- barlow

Wow, I’m overly green with envy. You’re lucky that I live 2 hours south of you, or you’d turn a cop into a thief… lol… That’s some great lookin’ wood you’ve got there.

I’m so glad that people can see that they can take something that would have ordinarly been burned or destroyed and find that you’ve breathed life into it again… that is terrific!

Also… What the heck is “Shake?”... and why is it a problem when you mill it??

—Steve

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

Good Question Steve!!

Please explain again the problems with shake occurring .. Barlow said it separates at the grain is that right ?
So obviously to us woodworkers …we could not use shake …at least ya probably wouldnt wanna make any Maloof rockers out of shake ?? Just a guess . Is Shake all throw away make paper with it debris or is it landfill?
Thanks to all you knowledgable woodsman …Millers and pizza makers …keep them peels movin….

-- Mike in Bonney Lake " If you are real real real good your whole life, You 'll be buried in a curly maple coffin when you die."

oh yes Darin

thanks for posting those beautiful pictures

-- Mike in Bonney Lake " If you are real real real good your whole life, You 'll be buried in a curly maple coffin when you die."

Shake is basically separation of the wood fibers between the annual growth rings. If you think of a whole tree instead of lumber it will help with the visualization. A tree is a growing circle of rings. The rings can be separated by force (or disease ). On a 1/4 sawn board the rings are running through the board and if it has shake the wood will just split. Flat sawn the layers can just flake off. I have seen this more than once. Fresh sawn it may or may not be as noticeable if it is not very bad, as it dried the layers/rings just peel apart. I milled a walnut a few weeks ago (not from this round of storms) that basically fell apart as I pulled the boards, it had bad shake and the annual growth rings where no longer tightly fused. I know everyone knows what a growth ring looks like but here is a picture of 1/4 sawn oak anyway. Imagine the pencil mark being a broken connection between the rings (shake).

-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/

And just for fun, here is the face of that board from the picture above. 1/4 sawn curly oak (The curl is hard to see from this angle, but it is there).

-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/

OK. That explains a lot. I’ve never been around anyone who’s milled any lumber before, and I’ve never heard the term. That’s fascinating. I’ve seen lumber that has been flat sawn and dried, then come apart at the growth rings, but never knew what it was called. Thanks for taking the time to get back with me…

...always learning I am.

—Steve

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)