Uses and value of alder?

Myself and a local landowner have come to an arrangement - there is a load of alder needing felling and something done with it.

We have both got open fires / woodburners, but the quantity of wood is too much - fires could be kept lit for years on end with all the standing timber in the area that needs to be cleared, let alone the 12 acres of mature woodland.

Some of the standing stuff needing to be cleared is about 16"+ diameter at the base and 40-odd foot or so of straight(ish) trunk.

I'm not into the idea of making / selling charcoal (although might think about that as a way to make good use of the brash), and know that the alder will need to dry thoroughly before it can be used as firewood.

What I was wondering is - apart from firewood and charcoal, is there any market for green alder? If so, what? Any indications on the what the wood might be worth at farm gate (central Warwickshire) would be appreciated, as otherwise it's going to be getting cut into 9" lengths and stacked for logs!

Myself and a local landowner have come to an arrangement - there is a load of alder needing felling and something done with it.

 

We have both got open fires / woodburners, but the quantity of wood is too much - fires could be kept lit for years on end with all the standing timber in the area that needs to be cleared, let alone the 12 acres of mature woodland.

 

Some of the standing stuff needing to be cleared is about 16"+ diameter at the base and 40-odd foot or so of straight(ish) trunk.

 

I'm not into the idea of making / selling charcoal (although might think about that as a way to make good use of the brash), and know that the alder will need to dry thoroughly before it can be used as firewood.

 

What I was wondering is - apart from firewood and charcoal, is there any market for green alder? If so, what? Any indications on the what the wood might be worth at farm gate (central Warwickshire) would be appreciated, as otherwise it's going to be getting cut into 9" lengths and stacked for logs!

try here mate you may find something

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/general-chat/15160-tree-month-alder.html

Plank it, Posts on wet ground alder once in water becomes very hard. Good to work with good for turning too im told. Many links on here check chat and alaskan mill sections.

Great firewood when dry. Your farmer can save a fortune on tanalised fencing products and use alder instead which will outlast tanalised anyway. Turners love it for the colour. I dont know, but i imagine with that volume of timber the woodfuel people may be interested?

It's fine submerged but, in my experience, when used as posts it rots where it comes out the ground, in a couple of years. I've used it in a timber frame - pic on other thread. Very light when dry. Fantastic burn.

it was used for making toys in the good old days. if you just want rid of it quickly and get some money for it i would call a big chipping company, jenkins contacted me before, they will turn up with a huge chipper and artics and give you some money too

Clog makers love it, my dad has flat feet (broke both ankles) he only wheres clogs.

He as just had some light weight ones made for cycling, they have beech soles, as the maker had run out of Alder.