Worth milling?

[Jonny Burch]

Got this Ash to do Monday. Would it be worth milling or firewood?!

 

Cheers, Jonny

 

[Big J]

Unlikely.

 

I reckon it is at best going to be 50% rotten, worst completely hollow. So many historical pruning wounds.

 

Would happily be proved wrong though, and would be keen to see photos when it's down.

[slackbladder]

Lots of interesting bits on there for turners but can't see it being much good for milling

Like the mid point lump looks full of character

[Rob D]

The worst case is it could be hollow but I reckon there could be some lovely colour in there...

 

 

I still stand by it'll be well worth milling - may be proved wrong but any chance you can post a pic looking 'up the butt' straight after it has been felled!

 

 

What'll you wager Jon?

[woody paul]

The worst case is it could be hollow but I reckon there could be some lovely colour in there...

 

 

I still stand by it'll be well worth milling - may be proved wrong but any chance you can post a pic looking 'up the butt' straight after it has been felled!

 

 

What'll you wager Jon?

 

DITTO. Once you put a saw throu base then you will know.

[kentjames]

Fell it with a view to keeping it whole and assess the timber, all else fails its lots of firewood

[Jesse]

Burn it Take me into the night and i'm a easy lover .

[Big J]

Another thing that would worry me is that it's quite heavily buttressed, which again indicates rot in the heart. Compound that with the vigorous epicormic growth around the primary area of pruning and I reckon we're talking firewood here.

[Rob D]

Another thing that would worry me is that it's quite heavily buttressed, which again indicates rot in the heart. Compound that with the vigorous epicormic growth around the primary area of pruning and I reckon we're talking firewood here.

 

 

 

I reckon there may be a bit of rot but not enough to write the tree off... we shall see Monday Big J!

[Big J]

I reckon there may be a bit of rot but not enough to write the tree off... we shall see Monday Big J!

 

You're on!

 

These days, given the abundance of quite good quality trees, I generally won't touch anything that has more than a smattering of rot with a barge pole. That said, I will make an exception for a very good Elm or just about any Walnut (don't often find them here).

 

The thing is (and it's something that I was told when I started out but didn't take so much notice of), it takes just as much time and effort to mill, stack, dry, kiln dry and handle a crap log as it does a good one. A good one will fly out the door whereas a bad one will sit there for ages until you drop the price enough to make it attractive to someone.

 

Perhaps why I'm just going to focus on Oak and Elm, and secondarily extremely good quality Beech and Ash from now on. Maximum return on work!