American Chestnut Log

[Sawdust Lover]

I got a call from someone that they had a 27" chestnut log that blew over a few months ago. I questioned him if it was chestnut and he said he was sure it was because he remembered it when he was a kid. It died over 50 years ago and stood all this time. It was hard to saw it because I will never get another one like it but it looked like it was starting to rot at the trunk but it turned out to be better then I thought. 

  

  

 

[mesquite buckeye]

Cool.

[mrector]

That is some nice stuff Bill! Was this the only log out of the standing dead tree or do you have more to mill up?
Mikey

[SwampDonkey]

Nice find, apparently chestnut heartwood is fairly rot resistant. 

[dboyt]

Chestnut is very rot resistant.  There has been a lot of work to develop a blight resistant strain, and seedlings are finally becoming available.  Maybe our grandchildren will have the opportunity to mill it and enjoy the nuts.  Meanwhile, that was a great find.

[diesel pap]

they are long gone here in this part wv

[Sawdust Lover]

That is some nice stuff Bill! Was this the only log out of the standing dead tree or do you have more to mill up?
Mikey

Hey Mikey, Welcome to the forum. I gave the limbs to some local wood turners. I have so much chestnut here at the mill I didn't need the branches.

[Dave Shepard]

I have only sawn two chestnut logs. Both were buried in the ground since the late 1800's. They each had a hole in the middle that was five auger bits wide for a cable to be attached. They were deadmen for a steam powered derrick at a quarry in my town. The sapwood was toast, but the heartwood was perfect. It's sad that we have lost it as an abundant forest tree, although there is someone in the area working with the Chestnut project, and they may be close to a disease resistant variety now.