Question about cherry

[James Ayars]

Greetings all,
Yesterday my dad brought down to my house several trunk sections from a cherry tree he just cut down. I saw no signs of insects or fungus. Would this be good wood to use for some project down the road? How long should I let it dry? I don't have a Bandsaw so I would have to slice it with a chain saw then smooth it with my other tools. He brought it to me to use as firewood, but it's got a fair amount of sap plus it's pretty as well.

Any ideas? Many thanks.
James

[Don Baer]

No, it just a waste of your time to mess with that stuff. Give it to me and I'll "dispose" of it for ya..:D

[Chip Charnley]

First and foremost, get some Anchorseal or similar substance 'painted' on the cut ends of the logs. If you wait very long in this weather, it will be firewood.:eek:

Now that the important item is out of the way, how big are the logs (diameter and length)? The answer to that will heavily impact any further answers to your questions.

[Lee Schierer]

Unless you are really good with a chain saw, you will waste a lot of wood. Contact Woodmizer and see if there is someone in your area with a portable bandsaw mill. Typical air dry for cherry is a year per inch of thickness. Be sure to sticker the wood and weight down the top as soon as it is cut up.

[James Ayars]

Don...You are very kind :)

The pieces are 12 to 21 inches lond and ~15 inches in diameter and is black cherry I believe.

I'll also look up woodmizer and see where that leads.
James

[Scott Loven]

How big are the logs? I cut down a cherry tree in the yard a few years ago and the boys and I hauled five 6 foot logs to a neighbor that has a band saw mill. He cut them for me and only charged $.15 a board foot. Got around 150 BF of cherry for $22.50. I got another 200BF that he had been drying for $120.
Scott

[Michael Conner]

James, sealing the logs is a must until you can have them cut. However, if you don't have sealer on hand NOW, then I'd try to get them underwater until you can either seal or cut. Otherwise, they will split and you will have firewood as mentioned above. Regarding finding someone with a woodmizer.... You may find someone who'll help you out there, but the logs are so short that it may be difficult to find someone with a sawmill who would be interested. I would recommend finding someone with a big bandsaw and rigging up a sled. This will convert these smaller logs into short boards pretty easily. Good luck.

Mike

[Jim Becker]

Given how small the chunks are, it will likely not pay to have someone with a Woodmizer deal with them unless you can take them to him/her...and even then they may be too short to safely work with on the mill. Unfortunately, your wood was cut to firewood length. I'd likely opt to process for turning, rather than boards given you don't have a bandsaw since a chainsaw will waste a LOT of wood trying to slice it thinner. Now, if you can find another local woodworker willing to allow you to use their bandsaw or cut it for you, it would be easy to split the log section with your chainsaw (through the pith) and then plain-slice it into 4/4 boards for stickering and drying...about a year to a year and a half will likely work to get down to the 10-12% MC you want to work with the wood. Thinner will dry quicker and would be a better choice if you plan on small projects, like boxes, etc.

[James Ayars]

Many thanks to all for the replies. Our Lowes does not have Anchorseal. What else could be used Thanks.
James

[Don Baer]

James,
If you got a Rockler near you get some of this stuff. It's the same thing as Anchor Seal

http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/30169.jpg

[Michael Pfau]

I drool when I read threads like this! Here in western Montana, we don't ever get a cherry tree over 6 inches in diameter hardly! Most of the cherry trees here are on cherry orchards selling cherries in late summer. I would not know what to do,if someone gave me a big ol cherry tree! haha. The only cherry wood I see is at my supplier, and it comes from PA.!!

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I used to do that free hand with a chainsaw.
I got these huge - I mean HUGE - Oak stump ends delivered to the front of my barn in the fall. They'be about 30' long and easily 3' diameter. The pile was easily 20+' high and about as wide. It was my winter heat.
Every once in a while I'd get boored with the saw and split routine I'd try my hand at splittin up for lumber.
I tried rift sawing quarter sawing plain old sawing in half and quarters you name I sawed 'em.
I did manage to get a little useable lumber every once in a while.

Good thing it started out as firewood.

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

Give it a good sniff before it dries too much -- I just got a whiff of some fresh cherry tonight -- pretty amazing.