Shopsmith Forums

I have an alder tree in my backyard that is dying. A windstorm that came through last year took the top off and at some point I need to take the rest down with a chainsaw. It's still has around 15 feet or so from the ground that has possible good use. Any suggestions on how to chop it up for use on the SS?

ryanbp01 wrote:Since I have just completed pruning one apple tree, does anyone have a suggestion for limbs about the diameter of your wrist?
BPR

The chipper pile or fireplace. I hear limbs are not good for much of anything. Something to do with tension. The picture I posted is a piece of a fruitless plum tree. Very pretty wood. Nice trees in the spring also.

I have managed to find two different apple tree trunks. Both offered some delightful pen turning. Apple has a bad habit of cracking when one least expects it. One out of every five pens I have truned with Apple have blown out as I neared the finishing stages. No matter those I have finished are beautiful. I carry one in my pocket every day. They do not seem to take finish very well. Which for me is fine I like the feel of natural wood. Jim

timster68 wrote:I have an alder tree in my backyard that is dying. A windstorm that came through last year took the top off and at some point I need to take the rest down with a chainsaw. It's still has around 15 feet or so from the ground that has possible good use. Any suggestions on how to chop it up for use on the SS?

Timster...

You don't say what diameter your alder is, but I am guessing from your location that it likely is of fair size. Over here, on the dry side of the mountains, our Red Alders rarely get to a foot in diameter ...not really big enough to make saw logs. I have turned some of it for small bowls and a little platter and I like the way it works. It is really a wet wood and what I did was rough turn the shapes on a chuck, then remove them from the chuck and put them in a closed paper bag full of shavings for a few months. Then re-mounted them and finished turning them after they had dried.

If your tree is big enough, I would recommend finding someone with a small mill and making boards out of it. Sticker them somewhere out of the sun and the rain but where the air can get to them and wait a year or two. I made a couple of frame and panel closet doors using coast alder as the panels and like the way they turned out. Its not a fancy wood, but it is easy to work, finishes nice and has interesting grain around the knots.

Good luck and let us know what you do with the tree.

Ed
Idaho Panhandle
MkV 500 +/-, bs, dc3300, jointer

Hi Timster! Ed has given you excellent advice!:)

"If your tree is big enough, I would recommend finding someone with a small mill and making boards out of it. Sticker them somewhere out of the sun and the rain but where the air can get to them and wait a year or two."

greitz wrote:I've used well-dried limb wood for pens, bud vases, and icicle-type Christmas tree ornaments. With that thickness you may also be able to make round lidded boxes, although I haven't tried those yet. As Ed mentioned, there may be a lot of stress in the wood which is released upon turning, so the lid may not wind up fitting the box.... Anybody have more info on problems of this type?

Gary

Most problems I've had with poor fitting lids has been more from the wood drying out than from stress. I don't have the patience to wait long enough for complete drying. I happened upon a downed crab apple tree. The wood is beautiful and is a pleasure to turn.

An elderly friend of a friend had a large tree come down in her backyard and her husband cut it up, waxed and dried it before dieing. He was a turner and his wife gave out pieces to friends and family who were woodworkers. I got a large piece that I planned to make into a bowl as a gift. When I went to look for the piece to do a natural edge bowl, it was gone. I found out while I was away, one of our regular babysitters wanted to make a fire in our fireplace and used it.

paulmcohen wrote:An elderly friend of a friend had a large tree come down in her backyard and her husband cut it up, waxed and dried it before dieing. He was a turner and his wife gave out pieces to friends and family who were woodworkers. I got a large piece that I planned to make into a bowl as a gift. When I went to look for the piece to do a natural edge bowl, it was gone. I found out while I was away, one of our regular babysitters wanted to make a fire in our fireplace and used it.

I remember hiding things from the sitter, like for example my favorite chocolate bar, but I never would have thought to hide a piece of wood!

Beej,

I'll be interested in your experience with the Bradford pear. I've had two very different experiences.

1. I noticed that one being taken down in the yard across the street from my dauther. I went over and asked for a 6' section from the base. It was about 10" in diameter. I turned the owners a weed pot in return and I've turned 2 bowls. Anyway, the wood was easy to turn, but lacked much interest. It was pale and the grain was wide and uninteresting. I still have about 4' left.

2. A friend brought over some pieces he rescued from a tree his son had cut. He wanted to watch me turn something. I'm guessing they were limbs as that were only about 4" in diameter. I chucked it up and started turning. I was beautiful! Dark in color like aged cherry with lots of grain. I challenged him on whether or not it was really bradford pear, but he is certain that it is.

Anyway, Bradford pear is easy to get here. They were the hot landscaping craze a few years ago and now people have realized that the flowers stink and the tree tends to split anytime we have ice storms. If I could figure out how to get more of type two above, I'd be a happy camper.