Southern Magnolia - Milling

[E-Tex]

Had a guy call me this afternoon about milling an old Magnolia tree that was struck by lightning on their homestead.

I have never milled Magnolia and he is not sure what he wants it milled into.  He's thinking just live-edge slabbing it and eventually building outdoor furniture.

What is the good/bad/ugly on milling Magnolia?
What do I need to know about Magnolia and help this guy decide what he wants?
is it stable, how will it behave air-drying, how much should I over-size, etc....?

Thanks, Lance

[High_Water]

Cuts well, no warping so far, but mine hasn't been drying long. From an aesthetic standpoint I don't see any point in cutting anything but slabs, unless he just wants dimensional lumber for whatever other projects he has in mind.

 

 

[WV Sawmiller]

  Everything I read Magnolia is not real durable so I would not recommend it for outdoor furniture. I gather it is a soft wood. The only magnolia I have ever sawn is cucumber tree. I gather you are talking about Magnolia grandiflora. Good luck with it,

[Den-Den]

I have milled one into slabs (have turned several pieces from magnolia).  The slabs dried pretty flat.  It is not a good wood for outdoor projects.  The older Magnolia trees have dark heartwood that contrasts nicely with the sapwood.

[E-Tex]

Thank you for the input...helpful!

[WDH]

Should saw similar to yellow poplar. 

[Nomad]

  I've sawn a fair amount of magnolia for people.  I like it.  Saws easy and flat.  One of my customers has sold a number of slabs of it; seems to dry well and sell well too.

[scsmith42]

Several years ago we milled the oldest magnolia tree in the city of Raleigh.  Unfortunately the bottom 6' or so was hollow, but it produced some nice lumber.  It was easy to mill and did not distort very much.

We did some slabs and 4/4 and 5/4 lumber from it.  The 5/4 was subsequently sawn into 1/8" veneer after drying.  It was used in the first LEEDS certified building built in Raleigh - the new HQ for the NCDENR and the Nature Research Center.

Here is a pic of one of the cabinet fronts made from bookmatched veneer, and also a wall in their lunch area that was made from the veneered panels.



 

[WDH]

Wow!

[Wattwood]

How cool is that!

[Bruno of NH]

Awsome !