Red Alder [Spalted] **PICS ADDED 1/19/2007**

[333_okh]

I went to an area being treated to remove the hardwood.  Most of it was tanoak, but there was some redalder and one maple that were marked to come down.  The maple was nice with scattered burls in the trunck and the two primary branchings.

The red alder looked rotten on the butt when felled, but I noted it held together when it hit the ground.  After trimming a piece and ripping it I realized it was solid and spalted. Below are a couple of pictures that show the trimmed round from the smallest tree ripped and a couple from the top end of the other logs. I have three logs; one is 6 feet long and 20 inch, the other two are 8 feet (12 and 14 inches). 

Have you guy encountered red alder spalted before?

[Onthesauk]

I've probably got a couple thousand on 40 acres, but don't think they're much good for anything, not even firewood.  As part of the natural thinning process they shade each other out and the weakest ones die and then after a year or two, drop.  They turn punky too quick and are too soft to use for anything.  Not worth cutting for firewood unless you get them real early.  I don't bother cutting them unless they're somplace that I think they might cause a problem dropping on their own schedule.  They tend to pop at about twenty feet and then the snag stands there for birds for another year or two before it falls.

[333_okh]

Locally they sell for between 450 to 700 dollars a thousand at a local mill that sells to the furniture markets, but they want all clears.

I have the fortune of bein a Forest Ecologist and Sr. Wildlife Biologist for a local timber company so there is a lot of land to cruise.

In a nearby forest they are all about 40-60 feet tall and in the 14-24 inch diamter class with one at 32, but for now they are not o nthe cutting list.  These are solid and sound, just with spalting.

[blaze83]

I bet turningfool could do something pretty awesome with a couple of chunks of that :D... hobby wood workers might be interested also..just a thought

[333_okh]

The growth rings on one of the logs is 34 years.  The others are only in the 20s.  I looked over a bedroom set made of alder recently and found the wood much harder than I expected.  Very similar to soft maple.

[pasbuild]

We recently ( at work ) finished a kitchen in Alder, I don't know what kind or were it came from but it sure was a pleasure to work with, final sanding took hours instead of the days that our hard Maple takes.

[Ron Wenrich]

I used to think that spalted stuff was just the beginnings of rot, and therefore it went into the chipper.  Then one day I watched a piece of spalted sycamore on Ebay.  This piece was 2x14x4', if I recall correctly.

The reason I had an interest is that I had cut a piece of sycamore just a few days before that had spalt.  We threw that part into the chipper, since partly rotted stuff doesn't do too well in the pallet markets.  I was sawing the sycamore into a 12x12x12.  For that piece we got $50.  For the spalted piece on Ebay, they got $75.    >:(

Now I pull the spalted stuff and take it home.   ;D  I have some spalted beech and sycamore.  Rarely do we get any species that are spalted from the woods.  Ours come from logs sitting too long before they're sawed.

Your alder may do well for someone doing a custom kitchen or furniture or paneling that wants something unusual.  That makes it a niche market.  Something that has to be looked at real hard before you have a viable product. 

I remember one mill that was cutting wormy red oak due to large amounts of mortality from gypsy moth.  He tried to create a wholesale market, and had very little problems finding the market.  His problem was that he couldn't supply the demand in the market he could create. 

Your problem is that you have a supply and no market.  You seem to be content in leaving your supply in the woods, with no guarantee that it will be around when you develop a market.  Of course, cutting the wood without a market is speculation.  Hard choices.

I always thought that red alder was supposed to be an alternative to tulip poplar.  Tulip poplar is used in quite a few moldings, especially architectural ones.

[333_okh]

Guys--

Thanks for your help.  I appreciate it.  These logs too sat too long before being sawed, but are very sound.  I used to not like the looks of spalt either, but have found people love this stuff.  Now it is just a matter of finding the right logs that have it.

I am going out again today and I will see what I can find.

[333_okh]

Very similarly  I cut some spalted Oregon myrtle today too.

[333_okh]

These are a couple pics of the pepperwood/myrtle

[logwalker]

I cut and use a lot of Red Alder up here in northern Washington. The wood is quite soft at best and when it spalts it becomes progressively softer. But you can stabilize the wood with a thinned epoxy formulated to serve this purpose. I have never used it on spalted alder. But I am going to try sawing some and see if I like it. You need to move quick on the standing dead. It will not last long. It turns to mush faster than any wood around here. Move on it. Joe

[333_okh]

This wood is still solid to the saw and I am hopefull after a little air dry time it will produce nice lumber.


I am amazed how fast an alder goes from a tree to a log to powder in the forest.

[DWM II]

Furby I belive has some pics in his gallery of some cabinet doors that have spalted panels that are very cool.

[Onthesauk]

KING5 in Seattle had a news story on the 5:00PM news about someone stealing trees and selling to small mills.  Their claim was that a 20 foot trunk of red alder was currently worth about $500 and thus the interest by thieves.  Think they might be a bit high although know that alder prices are up.

[333_okh]

If we have a landing site that produces a truckload of alder, we send it to Brookings, OR to a mill there, otherwise we have no milling operations here except this little project I am working on with the Company.  We have had a lot of trouble in certain areas with logs running off in the night!

[artenvielfalt]

hey hguys, all this "rotten" wood is worth a fortune if turned into a good sized wooden bowl, so try to get contact with those woodturning guys and sell it.  they like to have boards that are 8" ore more thick and about a little more wide.  but check it out, a friend of mine here in germany makes bowls out of spalted ash that is not even worth cutting down for firewood and he makes 250$ for a bowl that is 60cm wide and 20cm thick and for me it was waste, but at least i got a nice bowl from him cutting him one ash into wide boards.

try it,.....
ulf

[333_okh]

Here is some of the wood truned into turning squares for a duck call maker.

[blaze83]

that is some really beautiful wood in my opinion..... I'm surprised turningfool hasn't got wind of it yet...not sure how well alder will turn..but the spalting sure is nice 8)

[333_okh]

I compared it to a few woods I have in the shop and it is very similar to poplar in qualities.

[333_okh]

What uses are there for poplar?

[Ron Wenrich]

What type of poplar?  There is aspen and tulip poplar.  My understanding is that alder is pretty much like tulip poplar.

Tulip poplar is used in anything from interior furniture parts to architectural moldings.  We sell quite a bit to the casket companies.  Tulip poplar will take a stain very well, and will look quite a bit like walnut or cherry.  They also make paint grade cabinets from tulip poplar.

You should be able to find a market for that alder.

[333_okh]

Good information.  Thank you!

[logwalker]

There is a huge market right now in alder. It is the most popular hardwood for cabinet making right now. A large portion of it is going to China to be made into cabinet parts and shipped back. Go figure.  It has surpassed fir on the stump by a fair amount. That happened in 2000. This outfit not far from me is cutting all they can get. http://www.washingtonalder.org/ I just cut about 6 mbf from storm damage a month ago.