I haven't milled it yet, but we have some cottonwood by the river bottom at the house. I guess I'll utilize it for a chicken coop I'm working on and save it for other projects. Good to know its got some uses (as I learned on here). Here's a huge one by the river. Lol it's probably to big for us to do anything with. That's my wife hugging the tree, she's 5'11 and has long arms lol so that gives you an idea how big it is.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34131/image%7E7.jpg)
A big one for sure. How tall? How far to the first branch?
Looks like a job for a swingmill on that tree.
Huge is a good word for it! :o
WOW.......that tree is straight all the way to the ground. Good pic.
Amazing tree. Check with the Aussie's. They'll cut it and quarter it with a monster chainsaw, mill it and stack it all before their first Foster's.
If you cut that tree down, what would your wife have to hug? :D :D
Quote from: Cedarman on March 18, 2014, 03:15:26 PM
If you cut that tree down, what would your wife have to hug? :D :D
She could sit on the stump......and it would be big enough for a picnic it appears.
Quote from: chopperdr47 on March 18, 2014, 03:08:35 PM
Amazing tree. Check with the Aussie's. They'll cut it and quarter it with a monster chainsaw, mill it and stack it all before their first Foster's.
Nah,us Aussies don't drink Fosters :D :D - Jim Beam for this Aussie smiley_thumbsup
Fosters, now there's something not worth drinking!
Nice tree, cuts like butter that stuff, I should post up some pics of the ones in parks around here, they get real big!
Cheers
Justin
yup, thats a plumper for sure :) the water is going to just fly when the chainsaw hits it!
Nope, have Lucas could travel! ;)
here another large Cottonwood, used to pass by it daily
http://www.thecountysbest.com/balmvilletree/
DGDrls
That is an awesome tree! Where is Arnold Farms? So as us swing mills can fight over it!
Frank
That critter wiil make some noise when it hits the earth.
That tree deserves to stay standing if you don't have a real need for cutting it down.
Here is an old topic with a circle mill that could saw that tree.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,3496.0.html
Quote from: Jeff on March 18, 2014, 07:48:01 PM
Here is an old topic with a circle mill that could saw that tree.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,3496.0.html
:o :o :o :o :o Now that's a saw BLADE! :D :D :D
I hope that you let the big cottonwood live on. Cut some smaller ones.
I agree with Jeff, it should be left standing.
Quote from: WDH on March 18, 2014, 08:38:16 PM
I hope that you let the big cottonwood live on. Cut some smaller ones.
smiley_thumbsup
Let it Be.........
Jim
Short story then a question.
Years ago, a friend of mine was hired by the City of Missoula to take down a massive cottonwood on city property that had somehow been determined to be a hazard. Word got out and there were some protesters. He asked me to watch his stuff while he went to work. Up the tree he went and limb by limb he did what he was hired to do. There was even a cop on standby as a crowd had gathered up on the hill chanting "don't cut the tree". When he dropped the last section of the trunk--I was amazed. It was basically hollow.
My friend asked the protestors to please come down and look at why he did what he was hired to do. They too were amazed that the tree was still standing and apologized.
My question it a common trait of cottonwoods to "hollow out" like that?
I enjoy cutting big cottonwood. It doesn't take to many like that one to make a load. Maybe something to think about is to cut it so the little ones can grow doesn't make any sense to me to let a tree grow to be over mature and go bad and take away from all the other trees trying to grew.
Quote from: WDH on March 18, 2014, 08:38:16 PM
I hope that you let the big cottonwood live on. Cut some smaller ones.
+2
Quote from: missouriboy on March 18, 2014, 09:48:36 PM
doesn't make any sense to me to let a tree grow to be over mature and go bad and take away from all the other trees trying to grew.
I'd say that depends on whether the land is being managed for a wood lot or natural value.
see what tree hugging does ::)
Last sping the white fir market was up the highest in ten years we took off 50 loads of the fattest, straightest, highest grade logs along the back side of the place, the rest of the big stuff will grow till the markets are up again. If the need for it to be milled is more then the need for it to make shade then make sawdust ;)
Thanks for the replies. My wife says Amen to all thos who said keep the tree lol. I'll post some pics of the rest of the tree tomorrow. It is close to the river so I will cut it down if the river gets to close to taking it. The river line is always changing and claiming good trees. So I'll keep an eye on it. We do have other trees to cut down :). So I'll start with those. Arnold Farms is located in Collinsville,OK on the Kaney River.
Nice tree! The good thing about it being on your land is you can cut it or you can let it grow. It's yours do with it what you like! :D
Id leave the tree... if it was a walnut on the other hand... smiley_chop
I guess I was being subtle when I asked what would your wife hug if you cut the tree. The rest of you just up and said it. I have a few trees that would be better cut down to let something else grow. I get greater enjoyment year after year seeing the tree than I would have the money in my pocket. But if they got damaged or showed signs of dying, then down they would come.
I've got a bigger one to do. Lol
Sorry for waiting so long to post another picture. But here's how far it is to the first crotch. I would guess the tree is about 90' tall, give or take. I'm not good at guessing lengths :). You can see how close it is to the bank by this pic.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34131/image%7E8.jpg)
That tree does look all that big with no one trying to hug it. :o
Yeah I thought that to. But I'm standing pretty far back.
I agree with Jeff. I have a lot of respect for those old giants. I would leave it if there wasn't a very compelling reason. There are some giant cottonwoods like that in Lincoln Park in the middle of Chicago.
Too big to make it worth cutting unless you have a swing mill. Cottonwoods grow real fast. That tree is maybe 60 years old if its a day. I live in the Platte river valley and cottonwoods that size and larger (a few much larger) are not uncommon. One of our members used to cut a lot of cottonwood and had said to me and others that the big ones were hit and miss with regard to being solid or not. He tried to keep his log sizes under 30" or so as he could rely on better yields.
You're tree is a very handsome one and really adds something special to your woods. definitely has more value standing by the creek than it does laying on the ground.
I had some large Red pine that had more aesthetic value to me than they did as lumber. They were around 110 years old, and there were only about a dozen on the property. But when something happened to them.I didn't waste time grieving, I just drug them to the mill ;) (the something was a massive windstorm that took out a majority of the large pine in the area).
barbender:
What you described is what I call a "salvage operation". ie doing the best you can with the hand Mother Nature has dealt you. Gerald