Customer wanted me to fell a dead birch in her front yard. Upon showing it to me we discovered a basswood with the top broken off which was a bit to dangerous for me so had the tree guy I know take it down I took down the birch this morning. Meat was still good despite some loose bark and fungi. The little bit of limb wood was too punky and got tossed into the woods. and him the basswood the afternoon. Very close to storage so I split and stacked the birch in the new rack I just built. Yielded about a face cord. Ill go back soon for the basswood. May try to sell some of it as carving blocks
Basswood makes the best kindling if split small enough. It dries fast and is easy to split. Hope you can find some carvers. Do you think you'll have to leave it in log length and cut to the length each carver prefers?
low btu close to cottonwood/aspen. Dries fast. Hand splits very easily. When I first joined FHC I didn't know of it. Cut up a small blow down in my woods, split and stacked it. The following year my oldest stepdaughter burned it in her fireplace and loved it. As its been stated its a great wood for carvers. IINM its the wood commonly sold at craft stores for such.
Finally got back there today to buck and remove. Lots of hollow with rot and pileated woodpecker damage. Some huge grubs in the "compost" centers. Size of my pinky. Scary face end just in time for Halloween. Maybe a quarter cord load. Birch had yielded a face cord. I may try to sell some rounds for carving.