Sweet Chestnut

[Dorset Treeman]

I have about 125m3 of sweet chestnut in Dorchester, Dorset to fell in the next couple of months. It is a mixture of maidens and overstood coppice, is pretty straight and as far as I know, with no shake - one good size one was felled and had no sign of it.

 

The dbh's range from 14cm - 46cm. I am trying to find a spec of sizes to cut them to so that I can market them at roadside but I need some advice on this if anyone can help?

 

Also advice on marketing it would be appreciated - maybe on woodlots?

 

Thanks

[Rob Stringer]

I always work through any chestnut I cut myself so cant advise on marketing the timber but I generally cut to the following spec: reasonably straight 6-12" diameter I cut to 10 ft lengths for splitting into rails (or posts if 7-10" diameter and cut to 6-7 ft length), anything over 12" will be sawlogs and under 6" material can be posts/stakes. Anything crooked or not easily useable can be cut for charcoal/stove firewood use.

[carpenter1]

any pics of milled chestnut?

[cornish chough]

I'd b interested in sawlogs of the larger size

[AlexB]

I've felled chestnut up here which was exported to a violin manufacturer in Italy. I was just cutting at the time so no idea of any contacts but might give you an idea of what's possible and where might be worth looking.

[kernowstu]

Vastern timber company wotton basset wiltshire

[agg221]

I'd say you're pretty marginal for sawlogs with your 12-18" bracket. SC can spring and twist quite badly when milled, particularly the lowest bit. I think I would be thinking more forest products - cleft fencing for the smaller section, sawn fencing/posts for the larger. If you are on site and looking to get the most out of it then you could try a couple of oil drum kilns for charcoal and see what you get, particularly if you have some standing dead around.

 

May be worth looking at some of the fencing suppliers, who may take the lot if they do sawn and cleft. Otherwise you will probably get more by selling it to separate niche markets but it will take a lot more research and marketing.

 

Are you treating it as a return to managed coppice?

 

Alec

[Dorset Treeman]

I am hoping to return it to manage coppice.

[agg221]

In that case I would definitely put some effort into exploring the fencing market and the charcoal side of things, as you will be needing to maximise your utilisation in the future and these links are the ones which are likely to to be needed on future rotations.