Possible score...now what?

[Robert Opalko]

Got bits of one of the largest dogwoods around here Friday. Talked to guy with portable mill – $65 to cut up, but $25 per blade if he hits any metal; but can’t do it before next weekend. This tree was in a yard in town, so I would not be the least bit surprised there’d be nails in it. In fact, the tree previously had a “specimen” marker on it, town had classified it a historic specimen for it’s age & size.

So what to do with it? I just started turning small bowls, but don’t know a thing about turning green wood. One person said turn it into pens, which I’ve never done either. Does it look to be worth bandsawing to get slabs for possible veneer? I don’t want to spend a lot of money on it if it is not worth it.. Regardless I need to get it out of my truck and don’t want to load it back up again. If I take it out how do I store it?

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[daryl moses]

I'm sure you could get some lumber out of it but from the looks of it not much. Lots of knots and the center is certainly bad.
I wouldn't pay to have it sawn but would possibly try to get something out of it using my bandsaw.
I "might" try using some of it for lathe projects. Otherwise it would be firewood.

[Robert Opalko]

Thanks, I was wondering about the knots & bad center.

[John TenEyck]

Bowls and pens sounds about right. I certainly wouldn't pay to have it sawn. If you decide to keep it paint the ends with sealer immediately to help keep it from splitting.

John

[Bill Adamsen]

I have never worked Dogwood ... either Cornus florida or Cornus kousa (the woody varieties found around here). I have no idea what the wood looks like. The only thing I know about Dogwood is that it is identified by its bark.

[paul cottingham]

Spoon and bowls, baby. Get a knife and axe and started carving.

[Steve Peterson]

Probably not worth paying $65 to cut up 3 logs when the largest is only 11" across and looks like it has a rotten center. It must have been a limb high enough off the ground where nails would be rare.

You might be able to rip it down the center with a chainsaw and then cut a few smaller boards on just about any bandsaw. There may be a few small bowl blanks if you have a lathe.

Steve

[Al Launier]

Given the background of where this came from, and if you intend to pursue using this wood I would suggest you first check it thoroughly for with a metal detector. If you don't have a metal detector, perhaps someone at the saw mill would be willing to do this for you at minimal charge.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Given the background of where this came from, and if you intend to pursue using this wood I would suggest you first check it thoroughly for with a metal detector. If you don't have a metal detector, perhaps someone at the saw mill would be willing to do this for you at minimal charge.

Running a sawmill myself, the charges quoted are pretty minimal. Most sawmill mills have rails that are 24 to 36" apart, and would take a special jig to saw anything shorter. Being 24-36" long and 11-12" in diameter, it could be easily resawn on a vertical bandsaw.

[Robert Opalko]

Firewood it is!

[John McClanahan]

Probably not worth paying $65 to cut up 3 logs when the largest is only 11" across and looks like it has a rotten center. It must have been a limb high enough off the ground where nails would be rare.

You might be able to rip it down the center with a chainsaw and then cut a few smaller boards on just about any bandsaw. There may be a few small bowl blanks if you have a lathe.

Steve

I was thinking the same thing.

John

[Myk Rian]

[QUOTE=Steve Peterson;2491799It must have been a limb high enough off the ground where nails would be rare.[/QUOTE]
And if limb wood, (which it appears to be) there are going to be all kinds of stresses in it.

[Joe Kieve]

Don't burn it all. Save a few pieces to make some lathe tool handles. When dry it's extremely hard. It turns beautifully, sort of pinkish in color, very close grained, takes a nice finish.

Compare the hardness to other woods on this chart: https://sizes.com/units/janka.htm

[Robert Opalko]

I have to split it first!


Don't burn it all. Save a few pieces to make some lathe tool handles. When dry it's extremely hard. It turns beautifully, sort of pinkish in color, very close grained, takes a nice finish.

Compare the hardness to other woods on this chart: https://sizes.com/units/janka.htm

[Stan Calow]

I have a couple of logs that I tried to turn into usable lumber. Lots of work and I didn't see much attractive figure or grain. I made some small things that need a hard, durable wood, like scoops and tool handles. It takes on a good hand-feel with use.

[John K Jordan]

Flowering Dogwood is one of my favorite turning woods. It cuts so cleanly, hard and smooth as glass. (It will hold it's own alongside cocobolo and other exotic woods.) The wood was traditionally used for tools and loom shuttles. I save nearly all that comes down or has to be removed on my farm. Most are 8-10" in diameter but I did have one that I got 1x12s out of the center with my sawmill. I also got some large turning blocks (6x12) from that tree and some 3x3" and smaller pieces, some over 4' long. The bigger blocks have been air drying for about 9 years now. They seem pretty stable after about 4-5 years.

Since dogwood is not a commercial wood it can be quite valuable.

I've turned many things such as magic wands, goblets, Christmas ornaments, finger tops, turned boxes, pepper grinders, pens, mallets, tool handles, weedpots, conductor's batons, french style rolling pins, parts for spinning wheels and other repairs, jigs and fixtures, and much more. It takes an incredibly beautiful finish and when cut smoothly I sometimes don't use any finish, just buff. I've given out small turning blanks when I do demos and people who haven't tried it before often ask for more! Wonderful wood.

It is notoriously difficult to dry without gaping cracks since the shrinkage is so high. You are best off staying away from the darker heart wood. The white wood is the good stuff anyway. Pieces with both light and dark can be beautiful if you can get them to dry without cracking. The sapwood shrinks more than the heartwood so pieces with both will probably distort badly while drying

Dogwood shrinks so much that if left in the round you might get a 1" wide split in an 8" diameter piece! If you cannot process it quickly, it is probably best to cut in half down the middle or at least make a relief cut with the chainsaw to the pith down one side - this may let the stresses relieve at the cut rather than at random splits.

What I do with green dogwood:
When cut from the tree, I coat IMMEDIATELY with anchorseal and put the sections in a cool, shady place until I can section them.
I usually cut the logs into 16-24" sections which are easier to handle.
Depending on the size, I either slice down the middle with a chainsaw or my 18" bandsaw.
I cut turning blocks as large as possible from the white wood, avoiding the dark heartwood; I save down to 1" or so.
If the dark heartwood is solid, I may leave it in many blanks, often 1/2 and 1/2.
Any blank with any heartwood gets that entire face coated with anchorseal
I expect any piece with the heartwood to warp like CRAZY.
I stack the blanks staggered to air dry. I allow 2-6 years to dry depending on the size.
When dry, I square up all six surfaces the blanks on the bandsaw to remove any warpage, check for cracks, and let me see what I have.

When turning something like a box that needs to be stable, do like Raffan suggests and turn it mostly and hollow, then let it set at least over night to relieve stresses before doing the final turning and fitting.

I have no idea how it behaves green, say for a bowl since I turn dry wood. I suspect it will warp like crazy.

A few pictures, if I can get them to upload:

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The bell ornament in the center back is dogwood. I find bloodwood nicely complements the slightly pink color often found in dogwood.

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The ornament at the left is dogwood.

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I made a matching set of crush-grind salt/pepper mills from cocobolo and dogwood. We have been using them daily for many years now.

JKJ

[Anthony Whitesell]

Do you know anyone with a 14" bandsaw and riser, 17", or 19" bandsaw? Offer then a couple of blades and a beverage of their choice. If the center is rotten through the length, a bandsaw may not be necessary. It would be possible to cut in half with a bow saw and then cut into long turning squares on the tablesaw using a vertical bandsaw mill type of jig (such as http://www.rockler.com/carter-accuright-log-mill). You would get a bunch of blank for tool handles, peppermills, and the like. Since you are cutting turning blanks, the faces don't have to be nice and neat.

[Robert Opalko]

I do but a couple of those blades would be more than what the portable mill would charge.. I might try splitting the one solid one but, a bowsaw, really?