Sequoiadendron giganteum

[Stubby]

Hi all . Not sure were to post this so general chat it is . Just put in a price to take down a red wood . Its dead . No room to fell it from the ground but plenty of room to section down so that's all good . Not much brash to chip . The thing is at least of 8 feet diameter at the fat end . Seems there will be a mountain of wood . Its all got to go . Not had much to do with them before other than viewing in the arboretum in the back of West Dean collage near were I live . All I know is the bark is kinda spongy and soft . Will there be any use for the timber ? Planking, turning, burning ??? Opinions any one ?

[Tom10]

Will come off very nicely on a decent mill.

 

Produces a lovely hearty red timber (as you would expect)

 

Bark is very spongy and will peel off readily while milling.

 

Lovely looking stuff for the right purpose (I have know if for cladding the outside of a building before in 6x1 planks)

 

Would be a better experience milling it for a purpose rather than cutting the poor old beast into quick burning smoky firewood

 

Good luck

[Stubby]

Thanks for that Tom . The thing is they want it gone. Extraction in plankable lenghts will be tricky to say the least . Shame I know .

[Tom10]

I see your issue.

 

I guess you have 2 choices -

 

1 - arrange a portable mill (Lucas or similar)on site and remove in your desired milled planks - as you will not be able to move the timber to the mill, you have to move the mill to the timber! IMO with the right man on the mill and the right men carting the timber this wont take a massive amount more time than crosscutting and moving as usual. Obviously you have the problem of paying someone to mill it (usually 350 ish per day)

 

2 - go nuts with a chainsaw and remove as usual, shame not to be able to arrange something more dignified than firewood for this immense species but thats life.

 

Good luck in whatever you manage to arrange.

 

Tom

[delabodge]

cant you mill it on site?

[delabodge]

TOM 10 beat me too it,,,dito him,,,,,

[Marula]

A lucas mill for a wellingtonia is gonna be a big ask. No pun intended. Can you get a crane to near it?

[Rob D]

Can you give a few more details.

 

For instance some pics? What's the access like? Can you get a hiab close? You said you can't fell but what sort of size sections will you be rigging down (in length) and how long can you fell out the last main trunk? Where is it - rough location?

 

 

From that you can then start to see if milling could be an alternative or getting it lifted out in sections....

 

 

[monkeybusiness]

Chainsaw carvers love big lumps of Sequoia - can you get a tractor with front loader to it? It will save you a massive amount of cutting/clearing up if you can get it away in big lumps!!! Post something on the carving forum and see if anyone is interested.

[WoodED]

can u arange a log crain and trailer for a few hours and shift it to ur yard?