Fir tree came down... anything worth keeping?

[Alan Zenreich]

A couple of 110 ft tall fir trees were casualties of the recent NorEaster her in NJ.

A crane and arborist crew has just lowered one to the ground (it was at at 45 degree angle across my 60 foot wide property, leaning on other trees), and is being removed. It also caught on another fir, that's now partially uprooted. Fortunately neither of the trees crashed into the neighbor's buildings.

Is there anything worth salvaging from these trees? If so, what should I have the crew look for?

There's also a large mulberry that fell... it might have some interesting crotch/burls mid way up the trunk... the bottom was insect damaged.

If you have any thoughts, let me know.

In any event, I'll have some wood saved as souvineers of the adventure and expense of having three large trees removed.

[Charlie Reals]

Fire wood, unless you know some one with a portable mill. Doug fir is prime building material . For turning there might be some nice grain around the knots.

[Alan Zenreich]

I think this might be a different fir variety (not Douglas), I don't recall what the arborist called it.

I don't have a fireplace, and when bucked, the logs are about 28 to 36" in diameter. I'm having them keep an eye out for anything that might look interesting, or at least worth attempting on a lathe.

[Charlie Reals]

I would cut some large bowl blanks and try it. In my neck of the woods that wood wood be rounded and piled for splitting. By August it would be worth $250 a cord.

[Steve Kubien]

Unless New Jersey moved to the west coast, it certainly is not Douglas Fir. Now then, I would certainly grab some of the straight parts of this tree, without the interesting grain that crotches and knotty areas have. If you mount it correctly, that symetrical grain patterns will be amazing, especially in a tree with such different early and late wood. Some of the most beautiful turnings I have ever seen are those by Bill Luce and a lot of his work seems to be with rather bland wood. It's great time for a hardcore lesson in form and blanace. Fir dyes really well, again going back the early/late wood variances.

Oh yeah, I would be picking up a bunch of this wood.

My 2 cents,
Steve

[steven carter]

Alan,

I don't have any experience turning fir, but I would suggest that the mulberry would be worth latching onto. It will look fairly orange/yellow when first turned, but with exposure to uv will turn a beautiful rich brown. It turns great and finishes wonderfully, but moves a fair amount when drying, so be sure it is good and dry if you are going to rought it out and finish turn.

Steve

[Charlie Reals]

Steve, I've never turned doug fir but I will get some straight grain blanks and try it. I am having good luck with sugar pine so far, Fir is just as plentiful here. You can bet the arborist has a market for it. Your 2cents is probably worth a buck or two.
A/S and sit on a bunch of it Alan. My thoughts are toward salad bowls if it works.
Charlie

[Wally Dickerman]

Mulberry? Great wood for turning. Fir? not so great. In fact difficult to turn without tearout. However, as has been said, Look at what Bill Luce has done with Douglas fir by using the growth rings as a pattern. Bill lives near Seattle and the doug fir blew down in his yard.

Wally

[Alan Zenreich]

He's putting some chunks of wood in my driveway. Some of it is Balsam Fir, but most will be mulberry. I'll take a look to see what he selected for me.

[John Tomasello jr]

Grab all the mulberry, pre-turning days cut down my brothers mulberry only saved a small amount :( what a mistake

[William Bachtel]

Mulberry is great for Natural Edge bowls, or any bowl for that matter. Get all you can.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I would get all the mulberry you can get and skip the fir. The fir I have turned has been a pain.

[Charlie Reals]

according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abies_balsamea balsam fir is pulp wood. Smells good and is used for a lot of items but not lumber. Put your rain coat on butt do please give it a go, ya might start a trend.:cool: