Crotch Wood

Jacar · December 29, 2002, 09:06:49 PM

I went and looked at a red oak a friend cut down this week. It had been struck by lightning last summer. It was still alive, but there is some dead wood around the outside rings.

It is 25' long, 21" at the butt. There is a "Y" at the top which is about 18" right below the crotch wood 8). The crotch is about 28" across.

I have never cut crotch wood before. Any suggestions? :

Thanks

Jack

SWAMPRAT · December 30, 2002, 06:31:02 AM

what is crotch wood?

Jacar · December 30, 2002, 06:50:10 AM

My understanding, and I could be wrong, it is the wood below the "Y" of the trunk. Supposed to have a lot of figured grain. So if my term is wrong, I want to know the best way to cut the "Y".

Jack

Tom · December 30, 2002, 07:11:25 AM

You have the terminology correct.

I would include the crotch in a piece that was 8 feet long for handling purposes. Most mills are built to saw a minimum of 8'.

Lop the ears of the fork off so that it will fit the mill. Do this with a chainsaw before hand if you can but make your cuts parallel to the log. This cut may end up being the side of a board.

Put the log on the mill (bandmill) such that the fork is laying flat on the bed and looks like a pair of pants. Level the heart of the log such that the pith in the log and the pith in both forks is level.

Begin sawing your boards. They will look like a "Y". The more you progress through the log, the more of the crotch grain you will pick up. It will be toward the center of the log and you should not expect to produce but a few boards.

If the crotch didn't grow together, there will be a bark line in the board. This bark line will split and you will only be able to salvage small sections of crotch grain. If the Crotch grew together solid then you will have some boards with remarkably entertwined and swirled grain.

Handle the boards gently. Much of the wood will be endgrain and rough handling can split a beautiful board.

Keep in mind that the crotch of a tree is a handy place for a kid to store valuables like marbles, old bottles, rope, forgotten pocket knives and the like. :D

Jacar · December 30, 2002, 11:45:58 AM

Thanks Tom,

I am able to saw much shorter than 8'. Would 4-5 ' be ok? What would most people want 4/4 or 8/4 or somewhere in between? You may not be able to answer that. I may just keep it myself and make a coffe table.

Happy New Year! 8) 8)

Jack

J Beyer · December 30, 2002, 12:09:59 PM

The coffee table idea sounds great to me if the boards will hold up to the manufacturing process. Would make quite a conversation piece as to how you got a table with crotch wood grain pattern.

JB

DanG · December 30, 2002, 02:08:40 PM

I'm finding myself on the horns of the same delimna. I have a really nice oak crotch that I'm supposed to mill Wednesday on my Mobile Dimension Saw. Anybody have any suggestions about a technique? I expect the choices to be very limited as to the orientation of the piece. It is odd shaped and 3-pronged, so I'll just have to clamp it any which way I can, and hope for the best, unless someone has another idea.

Frank_Pender · December 30, 2002, 06:35:00 PM

DanG, I have a couple suggestions. One, bring that puppy out here to Oregon and I will slab it with my "Slabber". ;D In fact I have just cut 4 slabs fromthe large (60") English Walnut that wa brought in several days ago. Or, you can order a dedicated slabber from Baily's and I will have John and Mobile Mfg. make up a kit for you to use on your own mill. 8) 8) 8)
The other way Dan to to simply saw the top half of the log into lumber and use the bottom half as the table. I use to do that a great deal before the "Slabber" idea appeared in a nightmare, several months ago. :'(

Jacar · December 30, 2002, 09:58:39 PM

Hey Frank,

Let me express my ignorance. What is a slabber? ???

Jack

Jeff · December 31, 2002, 02:10:13 AM

These links should help.

Birth of the dedicated Pender slabber

Slabber Photos

L. Wakefield · December 31, 2002, 06:50:07 AM

Jeff, looking at that old thread- whatever happened to Kevin aka Rant's Buddy? Haven't heard from him in a looong time unless I missed something. Wasn't he the one in the nearly-full Monty shot with the snowblower? That was a while ago- last year when we got severly off-topic in the tropicalsdepartment.. (the tropicals, by the way, are loving it in the hot-tub room. The chemicals don't seem to bother them a bit.) 8) lw