Milling honey locust with ring shake

[TreeGuyHR]

I took (most) of a very large honey locust down recently and the client is interested in having some of the logs milled. Problem is, there is a lot of ring shake. I cut two logs into firewood that had bad ring shake (several separations in each round going part way around) except for about three rounds that just had a bit on one side. The wood has a really nice color.

The biggest log remains, and it may have some better wood -- it was lower in the tree. I would think that for furniture, someone could cut and join boards with some shake and still use them. A part of the big log is about 30 in. in diameter, with two 6 ft. straight sections that are also knot-free or nearly so.

I figure I will leave them with some house paint on the ends, and contact some local portable mill guys.I am just cutting up the logs as a favor, and to get some samples to age the tree; it has some historic value: it was the biggest Honey Locust in Oregon, and was probably planted from seed by pioneers in the 1850's.

Any thoughts?

Photo:

View attachment 260978

 

[Burlhunter13]

wow.....neat.....

get a slab and a copy of the certification if the owner has one. Im in the process of doing that with the largest sugar maple in wisconsin....gonna post some pictures next time I go to the property its located at, just massive. A very large limb broke off 2" diameter limb. Im gonna mill it for 50/50 trade plus a copy of the certification showing its part of the largest sugar maple in wisconsin. Also going to take pictures of it being milled. Would make an interesting conversational piece/helps resale value if you wanted to sell it.

In your case I would take pictures all the way through the process if possible.

 

[TreeGuyHR]

I am taking lots of photos. In fact, I have a few sets on Picasa and a video on YouTube (I paid an amateur videographer to do it):

https://picasaweb.google.com/117894...&authkey=Gv1sRgCOPnvLOS3IWHJA&feat=directlink

Remediation of Historic Honey Locust - YouTube

 

[Dave Boyt]

Nice video. Glad you took the trouble. I'd have gladly put one of those top pieces on my sawmill! Honey locust is beautiful wood, once you get past the thorns. Hope the bottom log is in good shape for you. Even with shake, the cookies would make great desk and table tops. If you can keep the cookies to hold together until they dry, then use epoxy to hold it together and fill in the voids, you will have some valuable lumber. I am working on a similar project from a 100 year-old black oak tree that came down in in the Joplin, MO tornado. Once it is dry, I plan to mark the growth rings to different years in Joplin's history for a museum display.

 

[BlueRider]

I milled some black locust and some of it had some ring shake too. the boards that came apart while milling still yeilded some good wood and the boards that held together with some splits at the time of milling actally held together after drying. The smell of the green wood is kind of obnoxsious but the dry wood isnt so bad and well woth the suffering:msp_biggrin: The wood polishes op and looks more like an exotic tropical wood than a domestic. if I was in your area I'd be all over those logs.

Advise your client that it will take several years to get any funiture from the wood. Locust is one of the slowest drying woods and it isn't stable enough to build with till it is dry.

 

[TreeGuyHR]

I'll be finishing the work in a few days to cut up the rest; I'll post some new pics of the logs I'll save out of the biggest piece.

 

[mikeb1079]

i'd for sure try to mill it even with the shake. honey locust is very beautfiul lumber. there's a ton of the thornless variety planted around town here. i milled some up a while back and was pleasantly surprised. it does seem to dry slowly though....
good luck.
mb

 

[TreeGuyHR]

i'd for sure try to mill it even with the shake. honey locust is very beautfiul lumber. there's a ton of the thornless variety planted around town here. i milled some up a while back and was pleasantly surprised. it does seem to dry slowly though....
good luck.
mb

I have some more photos here of the "risk mitigation" on Picasa. More shots of the wood.

https://picasaweb.google.com/117894147620830215172/BigLocustRemoval?authkey=Gv1sRgCOPnvLOS3IWHJA

 

[mikeb1079]

cool pics thanks.

 

[Mac88]

I have some more photos here of the "risk mitigation" on Picasa. More shots of the wood.

https://picasaweb.google.com/117894147620830215172/BigLocustRemoval?authkey=Gv1sRgCOPnvLOS3IWHJA

That was some impressive tree, and some impressive work taking it down.