Storm silver lining...?

[kgill]

Hello peeps,
Hope everyone has managed to weather the storm without too much damage.
I now have a muddy indoor swimming pool where my workshop floor use to be, in the garage
We've also got tree surgeons outside right now chopping up a larch that was hanging precariously over the house.

The question is... is it worth keeping the timber?

As a keen armature DIY and woodworker who has also recently started turning, I'm wondering if there's anything other than drying it out and then chopping it up for fire wood that I can do with it?? Or should I just get them to take it all away?
Thanks
K

 

[Phil Pascoe]

There are numerous trees down here, mostly Quercus petraea as they are usually covered in ivy and also still in full leaf. I had to manoeuvre my wheelchair under one when walking the hound this morning.

 

[Etaf]

i have kept all the timber the guys cut down, various friut trees , elderflower and also lylandi - left on a courtyard for 1year - actually more like 2+ yrs and now all cut up in a brick out building shed, used on fire and been fine
otherwise
the tree surgeon said he keeps all the large branches trunks and sells anyway, has a large log cutter/spliter

 

[Tris]

I've seen it used for outdoor projects mostly, good resistance to rotting

 

[Richard_C]

The larch - hero of a Monty Python sketch. But yes, keep what you have space for. Softwoods have a poor reputaion among woodturners but you can make nice things from them. If you have space in the garden make a small pile in an inconspicuous corner, it will provide homes and shelter for wildlife and as it rots over the years the bugs will make nice birdfood. A few pieces with random sized holed drilled in fixed to the fence - maybe 3mm up to 9mm holes - will become home to solitary bees and other useful insects. That won't use up much of a whole tree, but do try to use what you can.

mostly Quercus petraea as they are usually covered in ivy

Normally we get the worst storms at times of year when the leaves are off, or coming off, deciduous trees so the wind load is reduced. Ivy is there all year so increses the chance of trees coming down. Is it my false memory or did people use to take much more care of trees, local authorites would remove ivy from trees in public places. Now its just left to grow, useful in that it's late season food for bees and shelter for small birds but in excess its fatal for the tree.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Genetic diversity? These two are about forty feet apart, both petraeas. One has nearly lost its leaves the other hasn't. The one with the leaves succumbs to a parasitic wasp every year (it deforms its acorns) and the other doesn't.

 

[alex robinson]

Hello peeps,
Hope everyone has managed to weather the storm without too much damage.
I now have a muddy indoor swimming pool where my workshop floor use to be, in the garage
We've also got tree surgeons outside right now chopping up a larch that was hanging precariously over the house.

The question is... is it worth keeping the timber?

As a keen armature DIY and woodworker who has also recently started turning, I'm wondering if there's anything other than drying it out and then chopping it up for fire wood that I can do with it?? Or should I just get them to take it all away?
Thanks
K

Hope the damage isn't too bad.

Have a look up about chainsaw milling. You need to keep the pieces relatively long, but if they are at home, at least you won't have to worry about moving them. Getting a big enough saw is either expensive, or means taking a risk on second hand. Cheap chinese mills are dead cheap though.

A very addictive hobby!