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Spiral bark pattern

Started by Troy, March 23, 2006, 09:53:09 AM

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Troy

I recently bucked a large chestnut oak that I will be cutting fence boards out of for the neighbors down the road.   Approximately 26" dbh, long and straight, but the bark spirals up the tree like a candy cane.  On a sixteen foot log the bark makes about a full quarter twist from one end to the other.  Is this going to be a problem log with lots of tension and corkscrew boards?  What's your experience with this type of tree?
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Captain


Troy

That's what I was affraid of Captain!  I already told my neighbors that they should plan on nailing them up as soon as they come off the mill.  Anyone know what causes a tree to grow like that? 
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Captain

You also may want to consider shorter lengths than 16 feet.

Captain

Troy

I have a ten foot section, butt log, that I will be cutting boars for myself from, but they want sixteen specifically for fence boards.  Should start cutting them tomorrow afternoon.  Will let you know what happens!
Peterson ATS 8" 27hp

Norm

I'm interested to hear how it works out Troy. I had a 16' cherry brought in with a load that has a spiral twist like you describe. I'm going to buck it to 8' lengths and cut it all 6/4 when I slice it up. Hope it helps to minimize the twist effects.

Rockn H

Does the bark twist to the left or the right? ???  For us, a log with a left hand twist tends to be the one with alot of tension in it.

isawlogs

 In general , when a log has a twist .. it will give you pain through out the operation ... from sawing to drying to machining , now if I cut logs for myself , those twistys get put in the fire wood pile . Or I leave them standing .
I know of one place where they put a spiral grain log in for a main beam in the center of the house, once it started to dry it lifted the floor .
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

SwampDonkey

Quote from: Troy on March 23, 2006, 09:53:09 AM
I recently bucked a large chestnut oak that I will be cutting fence boards out of for the neighbors down the road.   Approximately 26" dbh, long and straight, but the bark spirals up the tree like a candy cane.  On a sixteen foot log the bark makes about a full quarter twist from one end to the other.  Is this going to be a problem log with lots of tension and corkscrew boards?  What's your experience with this type of tree?

Firewood. When I see it in rock (sugar) maple up this way, get ready for a living culvert, usually hollow on the but log.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

SwampDonkey

Quote from: Norm_F. on March 23, 2006, 01:55:11 PM
I'm interested to hear how it works out Troy. I had a 16' cherry brought in with a load that has a spiral twist like you describe. I'm going to buck it to 8' lengths and cut it all 6/4 when I slice it up. Hope it helps to minimize the twist effects.

It'll probably be even worst of a pain in cherry. Any kind of excessive tension in cherry and it goes to pieces.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

ely

not good for boards but you could market them as  wood propellars. :D

Ron Wenrich

My understanding of a cause is that it is genetic.  So, letting them stand isn't really a good idea...you get an undesirable seed source.  Cutting and letting them lay may be a better option.

Lodgepole pine is pretty well known to have spiral grain.  They use them for telephone poles.  I had a prof that worked for a railroad back when the telephone lines followed the tracks and had crossarms.  For some reason, they were snapping lines in some real remote sections of Wyoming.

The culprit turned out to be spiral grain and humidity.  When the humidity would rise, the arms on the poles would turn.  When you got one turning one way and another turning the other...then the lines snapped.   :D
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

SwampDonkey

Sounds good to me Ron  ;D  ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

woodmills1

James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

beenthere

God made em that way so the poles would screw themselves into the ground. It's just that we plant them first, and then they can't  do it themselves   ;D
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Troy

Interesting story Ron.  I did a search in the archives and found previous posts about the same subject.  Will see what it looks like tomorrow when I open one up.  They are right hand spiral, good and solid on both ends, so maybe it will be OK for fence boards.
Peterson ATS 8" 27hp

logwalker

Cutting at 16', IMHO, you will have more leverage to nail them flat and keep them that way. This should prove interesting. LW
Let's all be careful out there tomorrow. Lt40hd, 22' Kenworth Flatbed rollback dump, MM45B Mitsubishi trackhoe, Clark5000lb Forklift, Kubota L2850 tractor

wiam

I have cut spiral cheery to 5' and still had considerable twist from one end of aboard to the other.

Worked ok for small projects.

Will

dail_h

   Righthand threads don't seem to be as bad as lefthand ones. Anybody else 'sperience this?
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Shamus

I milled up a spiral western hemlock. It must have had ring shake as well, because all I ended up with were a whack of boards that broke into shards before I could even stack them. Useless...
D&L Doublecut Synchro sawmill, Procut chainsaw mill, John Deere crawler loader,  F350 4x4 flatdeck, 20 ton logsplitter, running Stihls

Furby

Where is the post Arky made...... Righty tighty, Lefty losey or something like that.

Here we go!
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=8882.0

Troy

Well I milled one of the sixteen foot right hand spiral logs last night.  Did not see any tension to speak of, milled OK.  We'll see what they do as they dry some.  From all that I've read now on the direction of the grain spiral I think the rule of thumb shoulb be:  Righty tighty, lefty - firewood!
Peterson ATS 8" 27hp

Norm

The cherry log with a left hand spiral was 14' instead of 16'. I cut it in half and sawed it up today. It sawed no differently than any other cherry I've done and had no serious tension to speak of. I sawed most of it 6/4 just in case but was pleasantly pleased with how well it turned out.

wiam

Norm let us know when it is dry. ;)

Will

grade sawyer

Quote from: Norm_F. on March 23, 2006, 01:55:11 PM
I'm interested to hear how it works out Troy. I had a 16' cherry brought in with a load that has a spiral twist like you describe. I'm going to buck it to 8' lengths and cut it all 6/4 when I slice it up. Hope it helps to minimize the twist effects.
TAKE IT 8/4 AND LOTS OF STICKERS AN LOTS OF WEIGHT.

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