I have some black gum on my place.Whats it good for?
Cross ties ???
I only have a few trees,not enough to cut ties.I am considering cutting down a thick patch in my regrowth to allow the poplar and maple to grow since the gum isn't good for much.I guess I could cut blocking to stack lumber on out of the few good size ones and let the rest lay. I sure don't want to split it for firewood.It's TOUGH. >:(
Ties and pallet cants is all we do with it
If you don't leave it to the elements, it makes good blocking and dunnage. It also makes some pretty fair beams for rough inside use. Things like barns and workshops is what I mean. It hasn't got a grain pattern that is attractive enough for inside home use. The wood will move as it dries but if kept dry remains stable and strong.
I've used it for concrete forms. I used to cut a lot of it for a neighbor at 1/2" or 3/4" thick. He used it for ornamental walkway forming because it was so easily bent.
My Woodmizer makes a really fine splitter for the tough to split kinds of firewood too. It will easily quarter a stick 16 feet or longer if you wish. ;D 8) 8)
We've sold blackgum to house movers. They like it because it is strong and dries out much lighter than oak. Recently, I had a customer ask me to make flooring out of some rough sawn black gum he had. Someone had told him it was ash. :) I was surprised, but it made a beautiful floor, white with a grey heart. We now cut it and sell it for flooring.
Mark
Flooring...........??? I sure would like to see that! Where is Bushnell? We're in the panhandle. I am assuming that it is 1X4X how long? How much twist, bow ect. as compared to oak?
Where are you guys finding buyers for blocking and dunnage? I also have some black gum that I need to do something with.
I don't sell it, I use it myself for small jobs. Don't even keep much around.
One mill, now defunct, was selling a lot of oak, blackgum, sweet gum and some other hardwoods to the Railroad. They used it on crews whose job was to put derailed trains back on the track. They used a lot of it. The also used big wedges and paid extra good for them.
The shipyards use blocking and dunnage.
The trucking companies use dunnage and some will apply standing orders
The city looks for timbers and blocking. They are usually low-bid and most comes from outside sources.
Land clearing companies use blocking when they haul equipment and level it on site.
SPEEEEEKING of gum, hey Dang what happened to the piece of gum you took from camp!!!!!!!! :o :o You said it would become a table but ain't never seen no pitchers. ;D ;D
Woodbowl,
We are right off of I-75 about halfway between Tampa and Ocala. The blackgum we have worked has been easier to process and more stable than the oak we cut. It's a minor species, but there are always people that want something different.
Mark
That sounds different alright! More stable than oak? smiley_headscratchHmmmmmmmmmm .....................most of the black gum around here will tie itself in a knot before it gets off the mill. I may try it again. ???What thickness, width, and length do you cut?............If you had to say it looked sorta like something else, what would that something else sorta look like? ::)