# What do you do with Cottonwood



## dave1 (Mar 18, 2005)

In this area the dominant tree is the cottonwood, We have huge trees . When they put up a subdivision or improve an area there are always hundreds of these trees that come down . Is there any use for them other than a big fire. Can they be used for pallets or for wood pulp. the City will sell it to any for next to nothing just to get rid of it . Any Ideas. Are there any mills close that these could be sold to. Just trying to use the the wood. Thanks for your time. Dave1


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## MasterBlaster (Mar 18, 2005)

Keep doing what yur doing, cottonwood sucks.

For sure.


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## scottr (Mar 19, 2005)

*Cottonwood*

Dave , I've heard that it is used in horse stalls . Saw an article probably in fed website on drying cottonwood 2X4's . Try a search in http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us


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## preach it (Mar 19, 2005)

I have cut up a couple into boards. They do have a smell when green/wet but when they dry out the smell is gone. Cottonwood cannot be used where it will get wet as it will deteriorate real fast. There is a pallet mill about two hours from you in Hatton, ND that uses only cottonwood. 
One problem with it is that you have to cut it up as soon as you down it because it will start rotting in only a couple days. That's why the pallet mill will only use what they cut down, (I asked them). 
It can be used for inside furniture, like work benches. My work bench is made from one that I cut up. It looks like pine but is a little heavier and holds up to being banged around and heavy equipment on it better than pine. 
I have a loose piece in my garage that is just air dried and planed, I give it to people and they cannot tell me what kind of wood it is. It doesn't have that bad smell when it's dry and that confuses people. 
To sell, forget it, you might be able to give it away if you find some one who is not ignorant of its qualities, like what was said above, you can use it in horse stalls because the horses won't chew on it. But like you said, here in ND it's everywhere. I haul most all of what I cut down to the dump.


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## trailerguy (Mar 19, 2005)

While it doesn't burn like Oak, Cottonwood is not bad firewood, it usually is pretty staight grained and splits well. I'd rather have cottonwood than Maple, both are common here in IA.


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## P_woozel (Mar 19, 2005)

Clear logs get used for veneer, also alot of small mills produce interior trim, it looks nice. Great for growing mushrooms, like ????ake, oyster, Morels.


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## P_woozel (Mar 19, 2005)

????ake is a type of mushroom you hayseeds, this censor thing is really quite lame.


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## Al Smith (Mar 19, 2005)

Believe it or not,cottonwood makes some pretty nice interior trim,because it is so straight grained .Although it is classed as a hardwood,it doesn't have a lot of strength,doesn't hold nails well ,and won't hold up to much moisture .I have seen out buildings framed with it,years ago.


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## spencerhenry (Mar 20, 2005)

have been told that it makes good trailer decking. gave some to the guy who hauls my machines, so far he likes it, has held up better than the doug-fir he had on it. 

not a bad firewood?  has less heat value per cord than aspen, which everybody around here badmouths. smoke can also smell bad. maybe its just the trees around here that i have cut, but i wouldnt call it good for much other than stalls, or trailer decking. i cut around 4000 bf a few years ago. mostly 3x and 4x stickered it all and weighted it. had a huge pile of very heavy propellers


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## dave1 (Mar 20, 2005)

Thanks Guys , Its just hard to see 5 city blocks of wood and not think of what you could do with it . If you could set it on fire you could see it from space, thanks again. and nice to hear from you again preach it. dave1


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## bwalker (Mar 21, 2005)

Cottonwood is useless as firewood. In most cases it starts to rot before its seasoned and if for some reason you can get it to dry it burns like paper. I cut down a huge cottonwood last fall that I used in my wood boiler. Even in warm early fall weather it didnt last long and it was seasoned fairly well as I dropped it with the leaves on and allowed it to season untill the leaves where dry before I bucked it.


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## Ax-man (Mar 21, 2005)

Local paper had an article of a carver who would make big mushrooms out of large Cottonwood chunks. He even got paid for it.

Larry


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## Al Smith (Mar 21, 2005)

Cottonwood,much like maple,cannot sit,unsplit,and dry properly.You have to have both of them out of the weather.Properly dried,it has as many btus per lb as oak.Oh,I can tell,you are going to jump on that one,huh.Remember,per lb,they are all equal.


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## bwalker (Mar 21, 2005)

Thats true, Al. They all have the same BTU per pound.


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