Need some opinions

[Texatdurango]

I need some opinions from those familiar with cherry wood.

I went wine tasting today and one of the wineries was cutting down a lot of their cherry trees so I asked if I could grab a few logs and was told to help myself. I picked a few logs that while I don't believe them to have true burls, they are very knurly and knotty looking.

Before wagging these things 2,500 miles back home, am I going to be disappointed when I cut into them or do they look like they might have some promising burly type grain?

Just to answer one question beforehand… I am on the road, don't have a saw so can't saw one open to see what they look like.

So…… should I toss them back or keep them?

 

[OldWrangler]

Even bad Cherry is a good wood. It will be worthwhile to salvage this and get it home to work on.

 

[hewunch]

Yes, and you need to get something on the end grain to seal it too.

 

[doddman70]

Hey George remember i know where you are at so if you through them out just let me know so i can pick them up LOL!!!! seriously if you need help cutting them up to see whats there before you haul them home let me know. depending on what day it is i might be able to help you out. School starts up for me next wednesday

 

[JayDevin]

keep them you will be surprized!

 

[Hosspen]

I'm no expert on cherry but it looks like those are pieces that were pruned and grew over to heal themselves, but may still have some interesting grain in those spots & the crotch wood. You'll probably enjoy working with cherry and making the most out of whatever grain it does have. It has a nice aroma when turning sanding or burning too. Plus you will have the story of how you hauled that wood 2500 miles ... and could make some nice winestoppers since it came from a winery.
Being a country boy from NC I can't help but ask-- Does that winery make "Cheerwine"? Just kiddin'

 

[wdcav1952]

Wow, Boone's Farm has wine tastings???? :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::drink:

 

[Russianwolf]

If worst come to worse, Cherry is a good smoking wood.

 

[Fred]

Put the wife on the Greyhound and go back and get all the wood you can get. You should have a very nice surprise waiting when you cut into the logs ... especially around the crotch area. And seal the ends NOW ASAP. White latex paint works well in a pinch!

BTW, better not make the wife ride the bus else the surprise you get when she does get home will far overpower anything you have ever experienced before. (All this is contingent on IF she is with you on the road in the first place!)

 

[Rudy Vey]

George, I would keep it, just seal the ends to avoid cracking. When you come home, you maybe surprised whats inside.

 

[Daniel]

My experience with any wood is that the really great stuff comes in small patches. It looks like there are a lot of crotches in these logs and those always hold promise of good grain patterns. When I bought that 500 lbs of walnut burl it was sold as burl. but of coure there was loads of wood with just really nice grain in it. the "Burl part" was in relativly mall pieces scattered around inside the logs. they are worth watching for and planning the cuts to get the most of them. I have some blanks that actually have spots that look like birdseyes in them. so in short you never know what you will find until you start cutting.

 

[Texatdurango]

Thanks for the ideas everyone, I'll try to hang on to them and based on some of the comments and PM's, might go back and get some nicer pieces to use for other projects than pens. Now to go find a paintbrush and some paint! All that's in Prosser, Washington is wineries, I wonder if any of them sell anchorseal?

Shane, Looks like our timing might be off, we leave for Hood River tomorrow then on to Bend wednesday then leave Crater lake next monday and will either head out towards 101 or to 395 south into California, we're still up in the air on that. If we decide on 101 for sure we might pass pretty close to you, I may hollar and bring some wood over to split with ya!

 

[great12b4ever]

Always keep the logs until they can be checked out! Even if they are not heavy on the burl, as the others said, the crotch areas may produce some unusual grain. Also, even if it proves to be basically plain, there are many things other than pens that can be made from it, like Botle Stoppers, game calls, pen stands, pen boxes, use it for segmenting, ring holders, ear-ring holders, tankards, goblets, candlesticks and more.

I had to have a 36" diameter Sweet Gum tree cut down in my yard recently, and I made the guys stack up ALL of the wood. I then went thru the whole pile and kept almost everything over 2" in diameter. I have been very surprised to see of the grain and looks of this wood as I am slowly cutting it up to usable chunks. I know that a 36" diameter by 36-40" long log section is not easy to turn on a "mini" lathe. :biggrin:

Anyway, keep it.

 

[acpens]

You can't go wrong if you keep them and try using them to make some beautiful pens, bowls or whatever is your interest. If you get just 10% of this wood to use, you will be happy you did it!

 

[altaciii]

I'ld be willing to bet that there is going go be some great pens, stoppers, and "other things we make" in those logs. Cherry makes some real classy pens. I gotta ask, How did you get your wife to agree for you to hual that many logs 2500 miles. (you must have the addiction worse than I) Good Luck and let see what you get when the time comes.

 

[Texatdurango]

I'ld be willing to bet that there is going go be some great pens, stoppers, and "other things we make" in those logs. Cherry makes some real classy pens. I gotta ask, How did you get your wife to agree for you to hual that many logs 2500 miles. (you must have the addiction worse than I) Good Luck and let see what you get when the time comes.

Alex, we're towing our fifth wheel trailer around the country and are in Washington right now where we are stocking up on wine. The winery we visited yesterday had recently cut down dozens if not hundreds of cherry trees from their orchard to make room for more grape vines and the logs were just piled up everywhere in neat little piles about 20' apart.

While travelling around the country, I always keep my eyes open for wood I could possibly use. The only problem is the weight and I have to remember I have a 17,000 lb trailer I am tugging around.

 

[redfishsc]

George, from what I've seen from cutting cherry, maple, and other similarly growing trees, I'd say you have some very penworthy wood in there.

You might not get wood that has those super-tight knots and eyes in it like we all love, but then again most of my customers are most impressed by the FACT that I made a pen out of nice cherry, not the LOOK of the cherry. Seems that everyone knows cherry and recognizes it as a "premium" wood (never mind they will ignore the snakewood pen that cost umpteeen times more and is much more trouble to work with).


Also consider the other benefit----if your truck is anything like the big chevy I used to have, it will ride a LOT smoother with 400 pounds sitting in the back :wink:.


You might stop at the nearest Borg and buy a cheap can of cheap mis-tinted latex paint to seal up the end grain.

 

[Texatdurango]

...Seems that everyone knows cherry and recognizes it as a "premium" wood (never mind they will ignore the snakewood pen that cost umpteeen times more and is much more trouble to work with)....

The more I think about this, I think this morning I'll revisit the vineyard and grab a few clear logs as well.

...Also consider the other benefit----if your truck is anything like the big chevy I used to have, it will ride a LOT smoother with 400 pounds sitting in the back :wink:...

I hear ya, the only problem is that the pin weight of my fiver is close to 3,500 pounds already! :frown:

 

[DocStram]

..... and ... what you don't use ..... cherry has a great aroma when you burn it in the fireplace.