Hello All,
I’m a sporadic/newbie woodworker and have a question regarding a large (100+ ft) Kwansan Cherry tree which resides on a corner of our property. Because of its location I suspect it was planted about 74 years ago, at the time our home was built. It’s dirty, each year dropping thousands upon thousands of small dark purple cherries that stain our brick patio as well as my neighbors’ driveway, cars and deck. My neighbor has mentioned that he would like to remove a smaller Kwansan on his side of the fence and has hinted that maybe they should both come down together. I love trees (esp. old ones), but because of the staining mess and because it doesn’t provide any real shade benefit to our house, I could be talked into taking this one down.
Is Kwansan a desirable variety of cherry for woodworking / furniture making? If so, would sawmill / lumber companies be willing to remove a tree like this at no charge or, possibly even pay me for the lumber?
How would I go about getting in touch with an appropriate company in my area (NE Ohio)?
Also, I intend to have a basic shop in my 2-car garage within 12 months. If I can find someone to fell the tree and rough saw a small portion of it into lengths is it feasible for me to store / dry it in my garage and end up with usable lumber in a few years? What should I expect to pay per b.f. for this service?
Many thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.
c
Replies
Keerock, kwansan cherry (Prunus serrulata) is one of the Japanese cultivars used in landscaping. It is a true cherry, in that it belongs to the cherry genus in the Rose family, but it is not a major commercial species...and because it isn't commercially important, I think it's doubtful you'll find someone willing to come in and pay you to cut it down...especially since that involves hauling in a lot of equipment to harvest just one tree...and espcially since the tree is a city grown cultivar with a serious risk that it might contain "impurities" such as nails, screws, imbedded strands of old fence wire and who-knows-what, which destroy blades.
On the other hand, if you have plans on becoming a serious woodworker, all of the cherries are good cabinetwoods. They have attractive figure and good working properties...althought the woods of most of the Oriental cultivars aren't usually quite as dark in color as is our native black cherry (Prunus serotina), which is the primary commercial lumber species.
I don't know how to advise you, since I don't know how intense your interest in woodworking is...but if you want to go forward and convert this tree into lumber, it will most likely be at your expense. You'll have to pay to have it milled and you'll have to be willing to dedicate the space for drying it for at least a year. If you do everything right, you'll end up with some very nice cabinet stock and probably at a price below what you would pay for commercial cherry lumber these days.
Cherry typically air dries without much difficulty...so all these things are doable...but you have to decide whether you want to embark on the adventure. Cherry also makes outstanding firewood.
Since an earlier thread mentioned working an a gunstock, that would be a good use for the lumber--you could get a guide for a chainsaw and cut the tree into blanks that way (easier than taking to a mill or getting a portable mill). I would think it would make nice gunstocks. Apple is good too.
Edited 9/4/2004 1:21 am ET by Danno
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