Anyone mill buckthorn before?

[driftlessinwi]

Hi everyone, I have battled buckthorn for about a decade now in my woods and recently have been clearing a huge buckthorn stand where there are several large buckthorns (10+ inches in diameter).  I got a wild idea to mill one of them to see what the wood looks like.  I recorded the whole endeavor to share and put a video up here:  https://youtu.be/anzKsypOS-U

Question I have is, any tips for drying it?  I was planning to anchor seal the ends and clamp it.  Air dry first, or straight into a dehumidifier kiln?  This is more an experiment than anything.  I was just hoping to get some use out of the butt logs on the larger trees.  If you have any experience with using buckthorn for milling or turning, I would love to hear about it.  Thanks!
Aaron

[hilltopper46]

Hi;

I've turned some buckthorn. It is a hard dense wood, and has great chatoyance. It can range quite a bit in color in the heartwood. It has a tendency to crack as it dries down, as I am sure you know.

As hard and dense as it it is, it surprises me how quickly it deteriorates when left lying in the elements. I wonder if it has to do with sugar content in the wood.

I am a wannabe saw miller. I have a EZ Boardwalk Jr on order, I'm suppose to get it in February.

I'm not sure what the forum's policy is in inserting links in a post - here are some links to photo's of turned buckthorn pieces:





Off site photo links removed by Admin





 

 

 

 

 

[KenMac]

Hi;

I've turned some buckthorn. It is a hard dense wood, and has great chatoyance. It can range quite a bit in color in the heartwood. It has a tendency to crack as it dries down, as I am sure you know.

As hard and dense as it it is, it surprises me how quickly it deteriorates when left lying in the elements. I wonder if it has to do with sugar content in the wood.

I am a wannabe saw miller. I have a EZ Boardwalk Jr on order, I'm suppose to get it in February.

I'm not sure what the forum's policy is in inserting links in a post - here are some links to photo's of turned buckthorn pieces:

I really like your turnings!! Not sure how long they will stay up. I think posted pictures are supposed to be uploaded to your gallery first and then added to posts. I have been wrong before, or maybe I was just mistaken that one time. ;)

[driftlessinwi]

Thanks for the info.  I have wondered how well buckthorn holds up after it is turned, or milled, and made into a final product.  I have noticed lots of splitting when I just let it sit around.  And you are right in that it is not very durable when left out on the forest floor.  Congrats on your EZ mill purchase!  Milling is very rewarding mentally...I just need to figure out what to do with all the sawn up lumber I have now

[driftlessinwi]

Oh, and I think I am just going to put the buckthorn into the dehumidifier kiln right away...heavily clamped and end sealed.  It is winter in WI now so air drying is pretty slow.  Plus I figure that if buckthorn turns out to not be worth the effort,  at least I didn't wait six to twelve months for it to air dry before moving to the kiln.  I will post an update, and will likely make another video of the drying process since I am finding very little info out there. 

Thanks!

driftlessinwi

[hilltopper46]

I really like your turnings!! Not sure how long they will stay up. I think posted pictures are supposed to be uploaded to your gallery first and then added to posts. I have been wrong before, or maybe I was just mistaken that one time. ;)

Yeah. I think I got that figured out with some help from the admin, and got some pictures added to my album and attached to my original post. Now I'm wondering if the photos I uploaded are too large.

[driftlessinwi]

Those acorns are super cool!

[driftlessinwi]

I finally completed my milling, drying, and finishing of the buckthorn I harvested! 

I threw it in the kiln green with a big batch of silver maple that had already air dried for about a year.  It spent 3.5 weeks in my dehumidifier kiln at about 70 degrees F.  I then turned on the heater in my kiln to get the temp up to sanitization levels, after only getting to 120F in about 28 hours, I just decided to end the experiment and put the buckthorn through the jointer to see how it turned out.  It was very dry and wasn't registering on my crappy moisture meter.  I am impressed with how this wood looks!  

I wish the weather would have been more cooperative, but it is Wisconsin in Jan/Feb.  It has been below zero for nearly 2 weeks now, with another week to go. 

Here are the videos I have posted on it:

[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87)]Harvesting and Milling Buckthorn[/color]

[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87)]Part 1 DIY Dehumidifier Wood Kiln Tour and Buckthorn Drying[/color]

Part 2 DIY Dehumidifier Wood Kiln - Finish Woodworking Buckthorn

Let me know what you think and if it is worth it!  I plan to let the finished piece sit in my workshop with no weight on it to see how it moves.  I hope to post a follow-up video on it at some point.

driftlessinwi