Cherry log - another salvage operation

[WV Sawmiller]

   While feeding the stock yesterday I rode along a rock bar near the property line fence a spotted a good sized dead cherry with the top out from a big derecho that hit us nearly 4 years ago. Decided to salvage what I could. Went to cut it and realized it was leaning right over our line fence. Had to go back and get the 24' extension ladder and put a 1/4" cable up as high as I could climb. Set up a snatch block uphill where I wanted it to fall parallel to the fence (about 90 degrees from the way it was leaning) and hooked to my 4 wheeler winch hook then chained ATV to a big buckeye and pulled tight. I went back and notched the tree pretty deep where I wanted it to fall then explained to my wife to keep tension on it as I cut and to wind up the winch cable to keep slack out as it moved. I went back and started cutting on the back of my notch and she winched. Every time she felt slack Becky tightened more. As I cut deeper and she tightened it steadily leaned toward the snatch block. Finally cut far enough it fell and landed right where I wanted it. I cut the top foot off where there was a lot of shake and found it was much more solid than I had expected.

    Went back today and bucked up the 40' log into 2-8'6", 1-10'6" and 1-12'6" logs based on the curves. Painted the ends good with anchorseal and I'll drag them out and cut it up into native edge slabs, boards and hopefully a mantel or two. A local furniture maker called me this morning and sounds like he will get most of it.  He had a customer wanting a mantel out of a cherry log the customer owns and did not need the rest. I told him if he brought the log here I'd cut it for my sawing fee and he could keep the rest to use or sell as he wanted. He really liked that idea and that works well for both of us.

   I may post a little more on this log as I get it sawed up. It is sure rewarding to be able to salvage what would otherwise be a few dollars worth of firewood into several hundred dollars worth of lumber, slabs and mantels that people will enjoy for years to come.

 
I was afraid it would be rotten half way up but was solid to the top.


 
Full length view - about 12 feet from and parallel to my property line fence.


 
Had several curves in the log. See ATV with Anchorseal waiting in the background.


  

 
Stump shows was from 18" to 24" inside bark where cut. A little buckeye was practically growing out of the same stump. (added this picture after posted and can't get it to open)

[WDH]

Cherry pith cracks bad, so be aware that the mantle is very likely going to crack and split. 

[WV Sawmiller]

WDH,

    Thanks for the reminder. I always tell potential customers to be careful with the high heat and rapid drying of mantels over fireplaces and wood heaters and I know cherry is really bad about checking. That was why I painted the ends of the logs with a thick coast of Anchorseal as soon as I bucked them into lengths.

    I actually find ash to be worse about checking than cherry but those 2 woods are worse than anything else I have encountered so far.

[WV Sawmiller]

   Sawed the butt and top logs today. Both were 8'6" long. About 138 bf total yield. The butt log had a lot of flare. I bet the big end was fully twice the size of the little end. I cut it into 8/4 slabs and a couple 3 & 4 inches thick for possible mantles. Because of the different widths I experimented and cut it at an angle to straighten out the back side and make both ends nearly the same width with the middle twice as wide. Ended up with 2 D shaped mantels with a rounded front. After letting them air dry a little more I may take a wire brush and see about knocking off the remaining sap wood and bark off the front. Don't know if they will sell or not. They are different and unusual.

[killamplanes]

Sounds to me with the work u put in that cherry u earned it.   8)

[Seaman]

Is't it nice to do something in front of the wife every once in a while that looks like you actually KNOW WHAT you are doing ?
Frank

[WV Sawmiller]

Is't it nice to do something in front of the wife every once in a while that looks like you actually KNOW WHAT you are doing ?
Frank

Frank,

   The risk is now she will get the big head and realize I can't survive without her.