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Silas Smith
04-05-2016, 7:01 PM
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I had a friend who just had a cherry tree blow down. It fell up a hill and the entire root ball came out. It looks like there wasn't a lot of damage from the fall so I think the wood is ok. The tree has about 16' of straight trunk and then it branches off into 4 straight limbs, like 80 degree vertical for another 15 feet. The diameter of the trunk is 28" and has almost no taper to the first branch. The branches are about 14".

A couple of questions. First, are the branches just full of reaction wood? I know they normally are, but these look more like trunks than branches. Almost no twist and branches don't start for a while.

What would be the best way to get this cut? Can a portable sawmill get to the logs or do they need to be on flat ground? Its a gentle slope, but I suspect harder than it seems. I wonder if a chainsaw mill is the best approach. If that is the case, anyone in Indianapolis with one looking to make a little money or get some "free" cherry (just blood, sweat and tears for payment)

Finally, how would you cut the trunk? I don't think 15' slabs are quite what I need. I was thinking 2" thick and maybe 10' and 5' slabs? What say the experts?

Prashun Patel
04-05-2016, 7:24 PM
You have come to a good place for advice. Pm Scott smith for one good source.

when I had to have it done, I had the trunk cut into 10 foot sections. The mill operator was able to move these pieces with can't hooks and other rolling equipment to a point where he could pick it up with the mill.

These guys typically have some solution to the problem. Good luck and post pix of what's inside!!!!

Cody Colston
04-05-2016, 8:58 PM
I would buck the main trunk into two 7' long logs, leaving 2' below that crotch. For woodworking, 7' long stock is usually more than long enough. I would cut two feet or so past the crotch, leaving a 4' - 5' crotch log. There should be some good figure there. Since those "limbs" were almost vertical, I would buck them into log lengths, too and have them milled. You could also cut a few short logs (about 6" longer than diameter) for bowl/turning blanks.

As for sawing, that depends on your intention for the lumber but I would flat saw both logs into 8/4 planks with a 12/4 plank centered on the pith. You can get some 4/4 side lumber from squaring the cants. The crotch piece and limb logs, I would saw 4/4...everything random width. A portable band mill will need a semi-level area to set up. Locate a sawyer and see if they will come advise on the site. I wouldn't use a chainsaw mill except as a last resort...too much kerf waste. A swing mill could set up over the log as it is now.

That's my preference. I don't mind re-sawing in the shop for book-matched boards, hence the thicker planks. Be sure to get some Anchorseal to seal the log ends asap after bucking...or a similar product. Don't rely on latex paint.

That's a very nice Cherry tree. I wish it was laying on my place.

John K Jordan
04-05-2016, 9:29 PM
"Branches" that are vertical do not have reaction wood, in my experience, except where they turn up. I treat them just like the main trunk when I saw. I've had some vertical branches that were about 20" in diameter! (The trunk on that oak tree was a good 48", way too big for my woodmizer.)

One thing to watch for when you cut up this tree. If the root ball is still partially attached to the ground (most are) be aware that when the weight is removed with the chainsaw the trunk, under some circumstances, can be pulled upright again! This can be a hazard if you are not prepared for it. It doesn't happen often but I had it happen once and I've read about cases. I always think about that when cutting up a downed tree.

JKJ

Phillip Mitchell
04-05-2016, 10:48 PM
Good advice so far. I agree with Cody in terms of specifics for lengths and thicknesses of rough milling. It's important to stay away (couple of feet at least) from a crotch like that if your intention is clear lumber from below the crotch. I would definitely mill the upper trunks that fork off. The size of that butt log and being on a slope would be a bear for anyone with a chainsaw mill. Look into hiring a sawyer with a portable band mill if you have a spot for them to set up close by and sorta level.

And definitely take John's advice concerning bucking that butt log at the root ball. Plenty of mass still there and it will likely pop up once the tension is released.

I would buck each log 4-6" longer than you want for finished lumber as you will likely getting a little bit of cracking at the ends. Anchorseal the logs once bucked, and sticker your lumber on dry sticks asap.

Let us know how it goes!

Rollie Kelly
04-06-2016, 8:43 AM
Give Woodmizer a call, they should be able to give you a list of local owners. Or go by the Woodmizer offices. They used to be on the west side if I remember correctly. Have the sawyer come by, he will tell you what you need to do concerning the terrain.
Just don't lose this opportunity.
Best of luck,
Rollie

John K Jordan
04-06-2016, 9:15 AM
The woodmizer web site maintains a list of their mill customers willing to saw for others.

Some have portable mills. Some will saw if you haul to them.

BTW, a potentially inexpensive way to get wood from a tree: some people will saw for free and share the wood. My sawmill is not portable. A typical deal might be "you" haul the logs and help with the sawing and we split the wood 50/50. If I have to haul or the you don't help, the share is different. If I have to load and haul AND do all the work sawing, I'm not interested. :-)

One other thing to be aware of. If this is a tree from a residential area or even from a wooded area that was a farm at one time, there may well be steel embedded in the wood. Nails, metal screw hooks, old barbed wire, etc, especially in the lowest 4-6 ft. but I've seen nails from a treehouse 30 ft up a trunk. I found a railroad spike in one log. Some sawmills refuse to cut a yard tree. Others will cut any tree but charge you $30-$50 for a new blade each time it hits metal. I keep a wand-type metal detector but it doesn't always catch everything.

JKJ

Ole Anderson
04-06-2016, 9:21 AM
Everything I read above seems spot on, but then what do I know? My only experience sawing a log was when I first got into woodworking at age 14. A neighbor cut up an Elm tree and I grabbed a 2' long small log which was proably a limb, ripped it (somehow) on my dad's 8" Dewalt RAS and dried it up in the heating duct. Ended up with split, twisted wood barely good for the fireplace.

Wes Ramsey
04-06-2016, 10:48 AM
As for the root ball, you should pressure wash it and offer it to the local turning club. They'll greatly appreciate it and the owner may be gifted a bowl for his/your effort.

David Utterback
04-06-2016, 2:08 PM
Nothing to add but congratulations on the find. I have been there and done that many times over, most recently with 3 black walnut trees. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Silas Smith
04-06-2016, 4:28 PM
Thanks for the help guys! I think I want to use the main for a live edge table top and getting the crotch wood in that would be awesome. Doubled up and bookmatched could be beautiful. This is going to be a big job, but I'm excited!

Scott T Smith
04-06-2016, 10:05 PM
IMO Cody's advice is 100% spot on; that's exactly what I woudl recommend with the exception of making sure that the crotch section is at least 7' long for ease of dogging on the sawmill. If you bucked it two feet below the crotch, then buck it again 6' above the crotch. After milling, trim the boards above the crotch so that you are stickering 4' crotch pieces and 4' flat pieces.

Wes Ramsey
04-07-2016, 9:46 PM
IMO Cody's advice is 100% spot on; that's exactly what I woudl recommend with the exception of making sure that the crotch section is at least 7' long for ease of dogging on the sawmill. If you bucked it two feet below the crotch, then buck it again 6' above the crotch. After milling, trim the boards above the crotch so that you are stickering 4' crotch pieces and 4' flat pieces.

I wouldn't cut it into saw logs until your sawyer tells you his minimum length. My sawmill has an 8' head block so we normally cut to 8'2" so we have a little breathing room.

Silas Smith
04-08-2016, 4:16 PM
Well, we got a bunch of the youth from church together and made pretty quick work of the rest of the log. There is now a sizeable stack of cherry firewood for a couple of members of the church who greatly appreciate it and we got to teach the young men the joy of giving service, such an important lesson that can't be learned soon enough in today's world.

I'm left with on log about 12' long and 15" in diameter. I will probably cut this 12 or 16 quarter for the base. The main trunk is 15' x 28" for the tops and who knows what else. Now I just need to get a hold of a woodmiser guy to take it from here.

Danny Hamsley
04-09-2016, 7:49 AM
Remember, cherry cracks bad in the juvenile wood at the pith, so try to isolate it, maybe in a center cut 4x4.

Dan Hintz
04-11-2016, 6:11 AM
That crotch would have made some great large bowls...