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  • From: Clansgian AT wmconnect.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Craft wood, purchase or harvest and process
  • Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 19:48:45 EST



> >That surprised me. Was your decision to purchase rather than harvest
> and process based on time? Yes, I am fully aware of the effort and
> time involved to take wood from tree to workbench.

Yes, damn it all, it's time that's the culprit. I've made pieces from
standing tree to finished article and there's nothing that compares with it.
And
air dried is best (for my purposes) but even 5/4 stock needs to dry at least
two
years and really six is more like it. I'm trading labor with a couple of
sawyers with the view of being paid in lumber which I will stick and leave
for
five years. In the mean time all my own harvested wood has been used. I've
got
the cherry, walnut, sycamore, and soft maple trees I desire at my disposal
but
not the gumption to fell the trees, get them to the sawyer (or sawyer to the
logs) and then make adequate shelter for them.

Oh well, my sons are taking somewhat of an interest in the trade and the
trees are assets on the root as it were.



>
> >I wish I had more cherry. I bought a pickup load twenty years ago for
> thirty cents a board foot, rough and raw. Some is still stacked and
> stickered in the old barn. The best of it, clear, is curing in the
> form of long, temporary desk and shelf boards. I like old wood.
> Although old oak can be beyond fun.
>

Oh, man, twenty year old air dried cherry! I'm drooling. Once in a while I
come across someone, or their uncle or grandfather, who put cherry or some
equally useable wood away in the barn decades ago and they are just around to
disposing of it. They usually know what it's worth but I am glad to pay it
for
the genuine article.

Old oak is like working cast iron. In the other corner of the room are three
pieces I make of very hard maple. Mistake, that. I dulled every tool ten
times working the wood and the end product is too heavy and the glue joints
never took hold in the very dense wood. What was I thinking??

I did the rough milling on enough black walnut for three more pieces today.
The resawing (with a power saw, I'm really becoming a wimp) threw up enough
fine dust to just about choke me to death. Only hand tools for the rest of
this
project!

What are you going to make with that cherry wood?


James




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