Turning blanks...0 for 1

[Fred Perreault]

Ken Hill and others just go out back, hack a tree down and buck up the logs for blanks. Some of us have to work harder for them. I got a call early today from a friend that was down on the outer beach with his pick-up. He said there was a big tree laying on the beach, and it had burls or warts or something on it. Sounded interesting. So, later today I grabbed a crowbar, blocking, shovel and saw, and headed down to the beach. I found a very large (20"-28" diameter, 15' length) tree, probably a cherry that must have been pulled into the ocean from a high bank in one of the ferocious winter storms we have had recently. It was 1/2 washed into the sand by the surf below the high water mark. As I dug underneath it to get room for the saw to cut it into pieces, I nicked the trunk. The shovel cut at least an inch into the wood. The tree was very punky, and heavily burled and gnarly. I cut a section out, and it is seen near the stump end by my saw. It was missing one whole side of the trunk, and most of the pith/heartwood. I wanted to make sure so I pried it over on it's back, and sure enough, it was pretty rotten, missing half of it's original self. I suppose it could have been used as a canoe or something. It looked so promising at first........
You guys with treescapes are soooo lucky

[charlie knighton]

pretty day, what was the temperature?????

[Russell Eaton]

You say we are lucky, when you cut wood on the beach! Better luck next time.

[Rob Mathis]

What the heck what a nice day at the beach!

Some days reward you in unique ways.

[Ken Hill]

Exactly how many blanks do you want




BTW, im still not done, maybe 3/4 the way done the big stuff LOL! Ive been cutting and hauling so much I havent even had the energy to post lately, but I have been checkin everything here out daily. It looks like a fun day at the beach to me haha!

Im becoming an awesome "stick picker-upper and thrower!"

Looking a bit cleaner? No sand though!

[Fred Perreault]

Ken, the LOML and I are 8th generation Cape Coddahs, and I love the area. But, my favorite spot is the serenity of the woods. Although, breaking that serenity with the bark of a chainsaw or the clanging of bulldozer tracks comes in a close 3rd.

[Ken Hill]

That area up there is always something to see, especially when you dont see the ocean very much.

For me, this is and has been one of the larger tasks ive ever taken on by myself. At 40, its not as easy to do as it was when I was a young man thats is for sure. It will all be worth it when i'm done. I just rebuilt the top end on my 290 and she is eating wood like a wild child once again. I even had to add a baby Stihl to the mix, climbing in and out of the tops was hard enough so a lighter saw sure has helped. I also found out I may be facing Diabetes so the past few weeks has been filled with hard work and alot of worry, I still have hopes of going out kicking and screaming however haha!


I figure you would appreciate this picture

[Kieran Kammerer]

Fred,

Looks like Nauset!

[Baxter Smith]

Nice day at the beach at least Fred! Were the burls rotten too? I have found some dead cherry where everything had rotted to the point of being completely gone, but the burl was still solid. Might be some potential blanks for those HF's full of holes! My nephew has worked the last two summers on the Cape. Loves it. Could be because his girlfriend is working there too though!

Glad your enjoying the new "Old Mans Saw" Ken. I know I do.

[Fred Perreault]

I investigated the tree and it's gnarly shape well. I am not sure why the trunk was so hollowed out unless it had been on the ground rotting before it got swept out to sea, but there was one particular portion that may one day have been a 3' tall by 30" wide burl of great appearance. However, even that section was very soft, and with the center on out missing on the other side, there was nothing solid. I think that if I had a 10" ice pick, I could have poked it right through the entire carcass. I dug the soft wood off of each side of the trunk, and the innermost 12 inches looked like cherry, smelled like cherry and was still not very firm. I did not take much time with the stump, which was pretty quaint looking. But, with all the sand and rocks charged all through it, I just didn't dislike my saw that much. With more help and someone else's chainsaw, the stump might have been a unique yard ornament.
The day at Nauset was 27 degrees, the ocean was as calm as it ever gets, and the visual and aural contrasts were striking. I count my blessings, and I get envious when I see Baxter's Maine posts
By the way, if anybody wants to come this way and visit, we have spare rooms...... gardens to weed, logs to process, windows to wash...... well, you get the picture

[John Keeton]

Fred, time waits for no man - or, burl for that matter!! Looks like father time, and the water, got to the burl first.

Ken, sorry to hear about the diabetes - hit the diet thing heavy and maybe you can manage it that way. I know you lost some weight over recent months and that will help, too.