I'm going to prison

Because bucking and splitting this for firewood was a crime. Finished loading up the rest of the big cherry rounds today and got about half of them in total through the splitter so far.

 

It had been down for 3 years was expecting some punk, rot, ants, something inside. Might have a buddy try and make a cutting out of a piece yet.

 

The misses said that too when I fell, bucked up and split a white walnut, that was some beautiful looking wood, was a shame but it's what it was marked out for

 

I think we've all been there at one point or another. Cherry, walnut, oak, I lost count of how many times I've firewooded something and felt bad about it afterwards. I've even gone back a couple years later to extract a chunk of woodworking stock from a piece of firewood We can't save them all.

 

For a cherry down that long, WOW.

I would have expected it to be nearly useless, but all cherry I have here don't seem to make it larger than about 4-8 in dbh.

High clay content here, and stays wet, I don't think it's conducive to cherry.

Looks like yours was pretty good sized. Perhaps that's why it still looks great.

Edit. Looks like roughly 20 in diameter.. Did you take any measurement?

 

That's beautiful stuff. Last year I had a neighbor offer me two trees for firewood. When I got there, 30 foot straight walnut trunks, 18 at the base. Didn't feel right milling or selling bc it was offered to me for a purpose. So I bit my cheek, bucked it up and split it. Was gorgeous on the inside. I feel your pain, but firewood is a worthy end for any tree!

 

Biggest rounds from this tree were about 24" diameter. It was a codominant stem tree and also had a third stem half the size of the 2 big ones. I haven't got to the smaller stem yet. The base was gigantic. Pic of the small stem and one of the codominant stems. Saw in the background has a 20" bar

 

Definitely better than it rotting in woods that's for sure.

 

Don't feel to bad most of the time co-dominant stems have a lot of stress wood in them and as soon as you would start drying them they would twist out of shape and sometimes they fool you on the mill and look good when you saw them but it does not take long for them to get crooked JB

 

In those situations, can you mill them pretty thick and then plane them flat and true after drying. I know zilch about milling….. but seems like something I could get into.

 

I had one some years back that was showing me this when I split it. I had to stop and deglove to feel it with my hands.

 

Well if its any consolation I'm going to the slammer with you. A cherry round I noodled last year that had pretty grain. Its firewood now.

Cant tell you how often I stop and admire the grain on rounds while I'm splitting. Seldom do I put any aside. Had a guy inquire about lathe stock from one of my FBM listings. Have to meet up with him yet. Have some chunks of mulberry and honey locust that may work for him.

 

buZZsaw BRAD If you get any cherry burls, wood turners usually like those as well.

 

buZZsaw BRAD The cone forms used to make these cookies are from a cherry burl.

 

I have saved burls for turners. Don't come across decent ones that often. Usually there is some decay or defects.

 

I would of had to set that aside

 

I find myself admiring the grain and smelling splits quite often my wife looks at me like wtf lol.