# Is Chestnut worth milling



## JoshNZ (Jun 22, 2015)

My neighbour has an old chestnut tree he's taken down. Told me this evening he has a guy coming at noon tomorrow to chainsaw it into bits, so he can throw it over his bank.

Looking around, it looks to be quite a useful timber. I have no means of milling it just yet, though I've been looking into a chainsaw mill. I wondered if it is worth the effort. Not exactly sure of the species but whatever chestnut type it was, if it had no rot, would you?
The piece in question is about 16ft long and 4ft wide. Probably weighs in at 2-3 ton. I haven't got anything that would dead lift it but I have a 1.5ton forklift. Tandem axle trailer, a few tractors… Maybe enough to get it out of there with some creative thinking :S


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

Chestnut isn't very common these days, so it tends to be pretty expensive. It can be beautiful depending on the particulars. I'd look into salvaging it.


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## WoodNSawdust (Mar 7, 2015)

Yes I would mill it. Look on the Woodmizer site to find some local to your area and contact them to see what they would charge.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

back home and back in the time chestnut was commonly used as a "base" wood to build cabinets that will later be veneered. I bought several of these cabinets for very little money because the veneer was damaged. I completely removed the veneer and I refinished the cabinets, they are beautiful.The wood can be very figured a little bit like ash-wood or even oak.( I believe)
So to answer your question: it is well worth milling. If I remember well, this wood tends to splinter quite a bit but it is very usable and beautiful. This is semi hard wood, like poplar or similar.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

It is almost surely chinese chestnut which us resistant to the blight. Not the same wood that the old stuff was made from. It will not command a premium price. Lumber value will be about what red oak lumber sells for.

Look at the leaves. If they are fuzzy or hairy on the underside, it is chinese chestnut. American chestnut will be as smooth as a baby's bottom on the underside of the leaf.


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## TheTurtleCarpenter (Jun 25, 2015)

Chestnut trees are as rare as Sunday dinners. You might take some time and read up on the great Chestnut Blight. Old wormy Chesnut from old barns brings pretty good money if you can find it .


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

Yup, figure out what kind of chestnut it is. If it is somehow the old stuff, you have a really valuable tree. If it is not, then you got some workable wood.


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## TheTurtleCarpenter (Jun 25, 2015)

If the leaves are slick on the bottom it's old growth and if it's fuzzy underneath it's a hybrid


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## Racer2007 (Jan 13, 2011)

If you can find a way to get it milled to usable lumber and not cost you a ton of money I would do it , Free Wood is Free Wood. Of course it is going to take a while for it to dry enough to use it so you will need a place to store it until then.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

" you will need a place to store it until then." 
just leave it out side and cover it. It will dry just fine


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

b2rtch, every time I see your screen name, I think it's another word . . . and then I realize it is your screen name.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

" I think it's another word" 
which would be?


> ?


?


> ??
> Should I ask


?


> ?


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

maybe not.


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## JoshNZ (Jun 22, 2015)

I went over this morning and checked it out. Not really what I had hoped for. Pretty much impossible to do anything with. Can't lift it, can't roll it haha. I ended up taking some of the limbs and crotches for wood turning projects later but beyond that. Not sure what else you'd do. Can't find any leaves on it so I'm not sure what it even is. I found a couple of the spikey burrs if anyone might be able to identify it from that.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

Looks like a very knotty nightmare


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## JoshNZ (Jun 22, 2015)

Yeah I agree even if I could get it out I don't know that I would. Still. I'll get a dozen big wood blanks out of what I got. Will shape them with the bandsaw and put them on the rack this evening. Heavy as hell and nice clean looking wood. Not a complete lost cause!


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

> " I think it's another word"
> which would be?
> 
> 
> ...


I think the same thing.


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## BobAnderton (Oct 5, 2010)

Josh, I'd completely mill that with a chainsaw mill if I were you. All those forks will result in nice figure. Tree's already on the ground, you don't have to deal with the brush. Ideal situation for a chainsaw mill where you can just take the mill to the tree.


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## JoshNZ (Jun 22, 2015)

Bob I wouldn't even know where to start. I don't have a chainsaw with a boom that long either. Would planks from a tree like that not end up troublesome to work with? Think I will stick with the turning blanks I've got. Little too much of a project for having never done it before haha.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Its a shame to waste the lumber in that tree.


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