This was damaged last summer from the wind, the wife wants some shelves for storage so that's what the boards will go for after I mill it with the Alaskan Chainsaw Mill.
Nice, straight trunk, twl. Should be a good candidate. Pics, when you get to it......oh, never mind. I forgot who started this, for a minute.
Will you be able to show pics of the milling? Looks like a big project. That log has got to be very heavy. t
That's a good sized one! I have a few dozen big tooth aspen. Common problem that you lose them in a storm and they break in half. They are not that heavy, and dry as light as cardboard. They will make great boards for trim, shelves etc.. I have a few to cut like yours for firewood. Have a few more I'm going to girdle to keep the population in control. I use them for the fire pit and for small splits for the getting the stove going. A great tree to have in the firewood pile for quick starts. Would love to see pics if you decide to saw them.
Don't know twl. If it's anything like Poplar, it should be a nice wood for quite a variety of things. No personal experience with it.
I've seen it sawn before. Nice straight grain but gives off a lot of weight during drying which can cause warping and splits if not carefully dried. Used for pallets around here and sometimes pulp wood.
I'll try to get this after I take care of a few Cherry trees that are down, we would like these up for shelves before next winter, if this one ever ends.
Up on the list for milling with this Aspen will be some White Pine, Hemlock and a Cherry, it will start after I cut about four cord of firewood first. Just some pics of some White Pine I milled up last year.
We have plenty of that on my parents farm, but none that big. I love cutting the stuff though! Nice and loamy, real consistent wood. I bet it was a treat milling it too.
I've never milled a Bigtooth Aspen yet (this one will be my first)but the White Pine is nice to mill. The milling chains will go in some Simple Green to clean them off so I can sharpen them. With all the snow we have it will be two weeks before I can get back in, cutting some firewood will come first.
Aspen and Poplar are basically the same thing (just different names). I've had some milled as 1/2" boards for cabinet back stock, and I also use it for bird carving. Around here Poplar is considered trash wood. I have a lot on my property, so end up with quite a bit during the year. It always ends up in the wood pile or as kindling. When dry, it takes stain very well, is easy to work with and is light. As far as a good firewood choice, I'd say no. But would make decent shelving. Make sure to kiln or air dry without any bark left on the pieces. Personally, I think milling the cherries would make nicer shelves. Good Luck.
The wife wants a storage shed first. We'll burn close to seven cord this year (not face) so I want that much cut before the snow starts falling next winter. We're already burning some Cherry scheduled for next winter, it's been a cold winter at our place. I did cut enough last year to replace the Cherry we burned and most of the hardwood (this wood has been stacked since last fall), some of the hardwood we'll be buring this coming winter was cut in 2010, most of it is Beech. I helped out my neighbor out last year so that put a big dent in the inventory, he did ask if I would cut for him this year but I had to tell him no, time to build the wood inventory back up. I think we have about 1.2 cord cut in rounds back in the woods from the fall and winter. One area that I'll be cutting in is very deer friendly (lots of good food and cover once it greens up) so I'll start in that area first so I'm done before they move in. I see your stacks of Birch has some very nice checking going on from the winter winds, looks great.
I've used the Aspen for shoulder season wood, it dries better with the bark off. If it comes down near or across a trail I'll cut it up to burn. This summer I plan on milling some Cherry if it's not rotten in the middle, not sur what I'll make from it but the shelves are an option. Thanks for the info.
