Perspective on Growth rings

[Riggs]

First of all, I want to say that I am far from an expert, I did this for my kids, and my wife for that matter. This is the end of a tulip poplar I cut Tuesday, the first picture just shows the growth rings. This one has (approximately) 61 rings which dates back to spring of 1951. For perspective, my Dad would have just turned 3 and my GrandPa would have just turned 25.



 

The second picture show important years in my life. The yellow pin in the center is 1951, the year the tree sprouted. The blue one is 1973, the year I was born. The red pin was 1992, graduation. The white pin is 2000, when I married the love of my life, and the green pin is 2009, between my two kids birthdays (2008 & 2010).



I plan to do this with a big oak that I'm getting ready to cut as well. I think the comparison will be interesting. They are just a few yards apart.
The rings in the poplar are really tight from the 70's to the 90's, must have been some lean years...

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy.

[drobertson]

Riggs, cool stuff man, thanks, I cut some disks for my daughters wedding, One she used for the guest sing in. just cool stuff, I am falling timber this week doing some tsi,  you have gave me some good ideas.  Good luck with the oak.   David

[Sprucegum]

 8)  8) One of those cookies with date markers should be displayed in every elementary school  ;)

[Magicman]

I love the way you have dated your families history on that cookie.  Maybe it gives me an idea.   

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I love the way you have dated your families history on that cookie.  Maybe it gives me an idea.   

You're gonna need a B I G log Magic.  ;D

[westyswoods]

Great idea, for some of us need to get the magnifier out, cause that tree will need very tight growth rings  or big one big tree, maybe both.


Be Well
Westy

[clww]

 :D :D :D :D :D

[bugdust]

I agree, this would be a great teaching aid for the kids. I can't wait, I gotta try this with the two grandsons and I know where there's a big old white oak that will be perfect.

[WDH]

You're gonna need a B I G log Magic.  ;D

:D :D :D. 

BTW Riggs, that is so cool!

[Riggs]

Thanks all, if anyone else does it, don't forget the pics.

[thecfarm]

That's a neat idea to tie it in with family. I have seen one done with world wide events but not with a family.

[Norm]

I like it!

And I agree that it would make a great teaching tool albeit with the right teacher who understands.

[DeepWoods]

The next time I cut a large Norway off the 40 that my FIL watched over for the last 60 years, I am going to cut and save a cookie that I can make our Family Tree out of.  The stand of Norways are well over 100 years old, so getting everyone's birthday on the annual rings will be no problem.  Now, is there something I can do so the cookie doesn't split, or do I just let it happen and let it add character to our Family Tree?

[woodmills1]

BTW

that tree and I are the same age


maybe they were not lean years

the tree may have had full sun young then partial sun later

[Ron Wenrich]

I did one of those for a class at an elementary school.  I marked where there were major disturbances in the forest.  You could tell where there were timber cuts over the years, and I also could tell where there were defoliations from the gypsy moth.  The teacher was amazed, but not so sure about the students. 

[beenthere]

Whenever I heard of a student looking for a science project, I'd suggest taking a look at a tree cross section. They could do as discussed in this thread and expand on many different avenues with just the one piece. Growth rate, cell division, cell structure, changes during a year, changes over the years, significant dates, drying stresses as it cracked, examples of making boards, limb growth, where knots come from, etc, etc, etc.
Warned them that knowing when to stop might be the biggest problem, once they got started.

[redbeard]

Too keep the cookie stable from cracking back it with some plywood lots of glue. Neat idea showing family birthdays!

[CHARLIE]

I really like this idea. It would be fun to do for my family history, but it could also be done for city history and state history too.

Deepwoods, get yourself a washtub and mix a solution of dish detergent and water (not dishwashing machine detergent) at a ratio of about 50:50.  Soak the cookie in the solution for a day and it most likely will not split. I've used this technique when doing my woodturning. I'll soak a rough turned bowl for a couple of days and go right to finish turning it without it splitting.  Ron Kent, a woodturner in Hawaii, discovered this technique.
http://www.ronkent.com/techniques.php

[Sprucegum]

That sounds like a neat trick Charlie, thanks for bringing it up.