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Message Thread:

Urban Wood

6/8/15       
Rich Christianson

Website: http://www.richsonmedia.com

Curious to learn how many of you woodworkers out there are using wood harvested from urban forests, including wood diseased by the emerald ash borer or damaged by storms. I am working with the Illinois Wood Utilization Team, one of many state projects aimed at developing a sustainable market place for value-added urban wood - a much better outcome than chipping or mulching. Check us out at illinoisurbanwood.org.


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Give Urban Wood a Second Life

10/2/15       #2: Urban Wood ...
MarkB Member

I, and I think many people who saw, avoid urban or yard trees just because of the risk of embedded metal. As I mentioned in another reply, it would have to be something juicy ($$$) to take the chance and go to the effort of scanning every pass.

I own a large lot of timber (115 acres) and have been cutting all the Ash I can (virtually every Ash on my property is deader than 4 O'Clock). Im drowning in Ash. And every time I think Ive got a bunch I look over my shoulder and theres 20 more trees.

I am occasionally offered juicy Walnut trees or others that came from a yard or a known fence row. But if it were any bread and butter species (Oak, Maple, Ash, etc) I'd more than likely pass.

10/2/15       #3: Urban Wood ...
Rich Christianson

Website: http://www.richsonmedia.com

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the response; you made some great points. Here in Illinois we are losing hundreds of thousands of trees to the emerald ash borer. We're fortunate that there are some pioneers on the sawmill and custom woodworking side that see the potential to utilize this resource. Part of their motivation is customers who love the idea of seeing a tree in their yard or a nearby park made into furniture or other functional wood product for their home or business. We're in the formative stages of crafting an urban wood conference set for March 18, 2016 at Hamburger University in Oak Brook, IL. McDonald's has lost hundreds of ash trees on its corporate campus and is working with the Illinois Wood Utilization Team to put those trees to best possible use. I hope to have more to report on that soon!

Urban Wood Conference & Networking Event

1/8/18       #6: Urban Wood ...
Brendan Member

Album at the link. 1,000 bd ft of 5/4 white oak. 200 year old tree. One nail (hand wrought, c. 1820). Section of town (outside Wash. DC) that was never farmed. Woodland until it was first developed in 1930s.

https://imgur.com/a/m5ow1

4/8/18       #7: Urban Wood ...
Carverous Member

Even with the global warming people are still cutting down trees.

8/19/18       #8: Urban Wood ...
RituGupta  Member

Website: http://supercheapselfstorage.com.au/facilities/mel...

I have actually wondered about this a number of times. I see all this wood lying around because a tree or something else has been cut down and I’m thinking that it would be such a waste if it wasn't used for something or to be made into something. reading through this thread has given me some ideas about it but then again I don't think that I'm serious enough to go scouting around for such wood at the moment just yet..

3/29/19       #9: Urban Wood ...
Gary Gossling

I just bought a Granberg mill for my big chainsaw and have sawed a few logs into slabs. Had a lot of fun. Just today I finalized the deal on a free semi load of 32" to 43" sugar maple logs 8 to 14' long. I am taking a chance since these are city trees but they look loaded with figure and some have been down long enough to have some nice spalting, I hope. If I hit to much metal I will make them into firewood.

4/10/19       #10: Urban Wood ...
Tom the Sawyer Member

Website: https://www.TomTheSawyer.net

Most of the logs I mill qualify as "urban" (from trees taken down for reasons other than their timber value), but woodland grown trees are not immune from metal either. I've hit fencing, tree stand screws, rocks, bullets, wiring insulators, etc..

From either source, most things I hit only require resharpening the blade, which I can do. In some species, the metal contamination may cause significant staining but the un-affected lumber still has value that would outweigh the costs of blade damage. I almost exclusively mill hardwoods, about 65% of that is walnut.

If I mill a 200 bf walnut log and hit nails, I'll have a resharpening fee ($15) and my yield may drop 10% (180 bf) so, instead of paying $100 for 200 bf of 4/4 walnut (milling fee), it costs you $105 for 180 bf of walnut - still a pretty good investment.

If you were milling pine, where the margins are smaller, metal might have more 'impact'.

4/11/19       #11: Urban Wood ...
Gary Gossling

Sawed up two of the big fatties into 3" slabs. Hit two nails and some clothes line wire. Didn't hurt the chain except for an early, aggressive sharpening. I am surprised at how tough the chain is.

3/30/21       #12: Urban Wood ...
cowolter Member

Website: https://onplanners.com/planners/best

Most state parks in NY will allow you to take any dead and down wood, with a permit. Simply go to the park office and ask

 

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