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Holly

Started by Woodwalker, December 22, 2008, 11:46:14 PM

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Woodwalker

I've got this Holly



that Hurricane Ike blew over on an old shed. I'm just getting around to cleaning it up and I guess this question is redundant cause I'm going to mill the tree regardless, but anyone have an idea how much the wood had degraded in the last few months?

Just cause your head's pointed, don't mean you are sharp.

Tom

It might not have degraded at all if the root ball is still intact with the soil.  Holly will grow sideways if it has to.

The degrade you must look for is Grey Wood.  Holly is known for its white wood.  Age turns it grey and its value as an inlay wood is diminished.   I've sat in many a Holly rocking chair that was grey though.  It can be "marketed" as silver, if you have a tongue of that hue as well. :D

If it is still white, dry it quickly and carefully, under roof.  Try to keep it as white as you can and sell it, or use it, as inlay wood.  Inlay is usually very thin.  You don't have to mill it very thin though, it can be resawed in the shop, and probably will be.  1x4's, 1x6's and a few 2x2's or 2 x 3's would be a good target.

Woodwalker

Thanks Tom, Good information. If the rain holds off today I plan on getting it cut and milled up. You can't see it in this picture, but there is what's left of an open fronted shed under all that mess. Looks like when the storm passed through, winds from one direction took the top out of an Elm, then after the eye passed, wind from the other direction took the Holly down. All right on top of the shed. I've got an old edger in there, but it doesn't look to be damaged.


Just cause your head's pointed, don't mean you are sharp.

Dodgy Loner

I agree with Tom.  If the tree is still alive, you might not have any degradation.  If it's been dead for any length of time, you'll probably end up with gray wood.  Holly is best milled and dried as quickly as possible to preserve the white color.  Some folks will only fell the trees in the winter, thinking that the trees will be less likely to stain with less sap in the wood.  I don't know if that's true, but I do know that it should be dried very quickly.  If you don't have a kiln, I would stack it in narrow stacks (4' or less) with large stickers (1" or more) in a very dry location.  You may want to keep a fan blowing air through the stack for the first week or so.  Snow-white holly is very desirable and very marketable.  I've seen large planks sell on eBay for $30/bd.ft.  Let us know how it turns out!
"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey." -John Ruskin

Any idiot can write a woodworking blog. Here's mine.

Texas Ranger

 I have a supply of holly that we milled from a blow over, dried fairly quickly, and it is still good and pretty.  Some of it has a single blue streak through it, but some how just adds to the wood.  And does it work good!!
The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

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