Gloat: American Chestnut

[John Michaels]

Got the American Chestnut back from the kiln and ran it through the planer. This wood was from a tree in someones yard and they wanted it taken down. Hard to believe someone would want a mature chestnut removed. I know a guy that has a portable sawmill at his house and he gets all kinds of wood from tree trimmers. I've got enough to build two nightstands, guess I'll be busy.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1108263/DSC07240.jpg

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1108263/DSC07241.jpg

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1108263/DSC07242.jpg

[John Thompson]

Nice find on the downed... We haven't had any major storms (hurricane remants or ice storms) here in Atlanta lately so my cupboard is bare on downed timber.

Again.. nice catch and have fun...

Sarge..

[John Keeton]

John, that is beautiful chestnut. You may have posted an earlier thread I didn't catch, but couldn't you get more?

[David Keller NC]

"Hard to believe someone would want a mature chestnut removed."

Particularly when the American Chestnut Foundation will pay quite a lot of money for the tree to remain standing and for access to the pollen. That was a seriously dumb move by the landowners if it was indeed an American Chestnut.

I'm going to suggest that you might want to re-consider making a nightstand out of this wood. True American chestnut that is not salvage lumber (i.e., "wormy") is highly valued by reproduction furniture makers that are trying to duplicate John Townsend's furniture, almost all of which uses chestnut as drawer bottoms. At a minimum, it's worth more than $10 a b.f., which is about the price of mahogany (and I'd think a nightstand out of mahogany might be more desirable).