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Cottonwood?

Started by Tome, April 04, 2004, 09:10:52 AM

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Tome

I have some cottonwood, my question is, would it be good enough for 4x and 2x lumber to build a mill shed out of?

Thanks,
Tom

Buzz-sawyer

Definitely,
Use it green nail it together , keep it DRY and it will last 200 years....
use straight knot free logs as well , it will lay straighter....strong, light and cheap
Don
    HEAR THAT BLADE SING!

shopteacher

How thick is the bark on that cottonwood?  I've seen a book on carving cottonwood bark. None around hear that I know of.
Proud owner of a LT40HDSE25, Corley Circle mill, JD 450C, JD 8875, MF 1240E
Tilt Bed Truck  and well equipted wood shop.

Larry

I live in tobacco country near Weston Missouri where it is hung and cured in very large barns.  All of the old ones are made of cottonwood.  Some are 30' tall, 60' wide and 100' long.  Some of them are 100 years old.

As Don said keep cottonwood dry and don't let it touch the ground and it will last forever.

Keep your nose plugged up if you saw it because it stinks.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Buzz-sawyer

teacher
Sometimes its 3-4''.....If you want sum I'll Save a chunk To send ya
    HEAR THAT BLADE SING!

AtLast

WOW...I had no idea....guess Ill start looking at cotten wood a whole lot differant. ;D

Kevin_H.

I have been using cottonwood as decking on my 16 foot trailer...I can get about two years out of it before I have to change it.
The up side is that with the cottonwood I take a couple hundered lbs off the weight of the trailer.
Got my WM lt40g24, Setworks and debarker in oct. '97, been sawing part time ever since, Moving logs with a bobcat.

Tome

Thanks guys, I appreciate the input.

I have a cousin who traps in the winter, coon, fox, otter, beaver and coyote.  He is needing boards to streach his hides on for the comming year.  He was told that cottonwood makes good boards to use, does anyone out there know?

They have to be cut ten inches wide by one-half inch thick.

Frank_Pender

I don't know about Cottonwood for streatching  hides, but I have some Old Growth Vertical Grained Douglas Fir that some long ago trappers used for Beaver and yutes. 8)  I have just kept them for nostalgia more than anything.   :-/
Frank Pender

StPat

We have what is called Black Cottonwood up here in Alaska. Many trees are 24 to 30 in. at the butt, most are straight and very tall. I've sawed some up and it seems to make good lumber, especially siding. I've also heard that it makes good horse corrals as the cottonwood doesn't bother the horses when they chew the boards. This "cottonwood" is also known as Balsam Poplar.        

etat

Replaced a roof one time that the shingles were 12 years and nailed to a green cottonwood deck (at the time).  When I reroofed his house he wanted the shed reroofed too.  That green cottonwood had done shrunk around shanks on them roofing tacks, and we dang near couldn't get them out.  Lots of em we popped the heads off the tacks.  I've reroofed old old houses that had pine, oak or other assorted deck boards.  None of em was as bad as pulling them nails outta that cottonwood!!! ???
Old Age and Treachery will outperform Youth and Inexperence. The thing is, getting older is starting to be painful.

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