Here in Atlanta my neighbor is having a large shag bark hickory tree taken down. The tree has been standing dead for at least 8 months, maybe a year. The tree removal company is just grinding it all up. I am sad that my schedule means I cannot even use it for firewood, let alone for some projects.
So, the questions are:
Is a tree which has died and stood dead for that long usable for woodworking?
Is the wood from such a tree already dried adequately or would it dry sooner than wood from a tree cut while green or cut while dormant but alive?
Are there any other problems I don't know about for such urban wood? [I am aware of the greater probability of metal in the wood.]
Thank you for your thoughts.