Storm took down 2 large spruce??

[Brad_bb]

Yesterday a tornado producing storm pushed down the 2 60ft tall Norway spruce trees in the front yard at our farm.  My cousin called to tell me and it sounds like they are not damaged but pulled the roots right out of the ground.  They are 14-18 inches in diameter and are at least 50 years old (way older than me). 
   I don't want these to go to waste.  I want to use them in a timber frame that I am in the middle of designing.  My question is, can I?  I mean the sap is up, right?  So what does that mean and what can I do to use them?  I certianly don't have a kiln in any proximity.  I could use them as whole logs in the frame, or I could find a sawer to cut them square.  If I use green end grain sealer on the cut ends, will they dry properly without crazy checking??  Do I need to remove all the bark?  If yes, what can I use to do that?  Help!  Thanks, Brad_bb   Joliet, IL. 50 miles south of Chicago.

[Ianab]

My question is, can I?  I mean the sap is up, right?

The sap is neither up or down, it may be flowing.. or not.. depending on the season. The wood is the same. Now how it dries, stains or gets eaten by bugs may vary with the season. So often there is a best season to cut a tree, but it has nothing to do with the sap.

So what does that mean and what can I do to use them?

Yes you can use them, but there might be problems with staining or bugs chewing on them in the warm weather before you can get them dry. Depends on your local conditions. Warm weather means you have to act faster before the logs degrade.

If I use green end grain sealer on the cut ends, will they dry properly without crazy checking

End sealing wont do much good with softwood, it may check as it dries, especially if its a whole log or a beam with the pith included. Not much you can do about that.

Do I need to remove all the bark?

If you want them to dry as whole logs then yes, get the bark off. It will slow the drying, increase the staining and give the bugs a nicer home otherwise.

I would get  the logs sawn if possible. Cut some usefull boards off the outside and leave a heart centred beam of the sizes you need, then stack them up under shelter to dry. The sooner you can get them dry the better.

Cheers

Ian

[Brad_bb]

Thanks for the advice. I feel a little better. I will cut the limbs and drag them into one of the barns. I'm not sure how I'm going to debark them.  I've never done that before.  What would you recommend I use?  I have an axe, large framing chisels and a 3 inch slick.  Not sure how easy or difficult the bark will be to remove.  Is there another tool that you'd recommend for the job?

[Dan_Shade]

if you can find a sawyer that can get there soon, I wouldn't worry about the bark.

do you know of any custom sawing operations in your area?

https://forestryforum.com/datasearch.html  take a look in the "find a forester" section that Jeff has made.

[tonich]

@Brad_bb,
Could you show us some photos of the root system, please!
Is it rotted?

[Brad_bb]

From what's exposed I don't see any signs of rot in the root system.   I cut the branches off one and started the other  and stacked them to go to the burn pile, but ground is too wet to move them yet.  I will post pics tonight or tomorrow as I currently don't have access to my camera dock to download.  I was wrong about the length, my eyeball is not a good judge of lenth.  I'll measure them today and hopefully I'll get at least 30 feet of good useable length.  I will cut the bottom today after I finish clearing the dirt away from the base.  I want to maximize my good length.   That sap is sticky!  Wherever I've cut off a branch the sap is oozing.  I'm thinking I can clean it off later with mineral spirits.

[Sprucegum]

Spruce usually peel pretty easy before they dry. You can do it with the tools you listed or get a drawknife.

Yep, yer gonna get sticky  ;D  ;D

[woody1]

I've peeled lots of logs. Get yourself a spud tool, and start peelin'. It's a easy task. If you need a picture of the tool, let me know and i'll post one.

[Brad_bb]

I hope using the spud tool is as easy as you make it sound.  I found one at Northerntool.com for $19.99.  I'm not sure what to expect for that price.  Hope it works.
Here are the two trees:
http://pic15.picturetrail.com/VOL621/2555774/14888110/274725443.jpg
http://pic15.picturetrail.com/VOL621/2555774/14888110/274725438.jpg
I got the one in the foreground cut from the roots and moved to the driveway.  I'll have to pick one end up with a machine and drag it back to the back barn.  I actually left the root feet intact in case I decide to leave them when installing this as a post - for visual appeal.  I hope these will be useable as it's been a lot of work so far and will take more to get the other one free and back to the barn and debarked.  It will take some work later too to sand down the knots smooth and remove any sap that oozes out.

[beenthere]

Can ya quick get those pics in your gallery, 'fore the admins find out... ;D ;D ;D

Looks like you will get some good knotty paneling from those logs with large knots. Should be fun.

Might make good posts, but maybe not beams with those larger knots. You will be able to see more when you get the bark off and get to sawing.

[Sprucegum]

When I was a kid we had some blow down. Dad cut them about ten feet from the root ball, peeled the trunk and roots, and planted them up-side down in the yard. Then he painted them bright colors and hung bird houses, mobiles, etc. from the roots.

Yep we're strange  :D but good natured  ;D

[Brad_bb]

I'm hoping to use them as posts.  The one in the foreground just has a slight bow near the bottom, which should be fine, and the one behind is straight.