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Wormy Black Cherry valuable or junk?

Started by rambo, June 06, 2012, 09:15:28 PM

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rambo

I was hoping FF could give me a little advice/knowledge on wormy lumber. Just the other day I put a cherry log on the deck. This log has been sitting around my place for around 2 years. It was an 8 footer, 20 inch diameter and knot free. It was producing some beautiful lumber. At least I thought it was. I put them on stickers and after about an hour when the face's were drying that's when I saw it. Worm holes all over. I was disgusted because I thought they were scrap at that point.
But, my uncle told me that certain species with worm holes are desirable. So is this wormy cherry junk or valuable? And are there other species with worm holes that are desirable? Because I have around 30 logs that have been sitting for two years or more that will probably have worm holes.


POSTON WIDEHEAD

I have found over the years that there is somebody that will pay top dollar for any piece of wood if said piece of wood is marketed right.

Wormy Cherry wood make some beautiful country benches in my area. I could get about $400.00 a bench using very little wood.

The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

WDH

As a wood worker, I like it.  It is probably ambrosia beetles.  Do you have a picture? 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

rambo


bugdust



Quote from: POSTONLT40HD on June 06, 2012, 09:23:51 PM
I have found over the years that there is somebody that will pay top dollar for any piece of wood if said piece of wood is marketed right.

Wormy Cherry wood make some beautiful country benches in my area. I could get about $400.00 a bench using very little wood.


Thanks Dave, that's not what I what I wanted to hear. Hind-Sight is 20-20 fits me to a "T". In '98 I couldn't wait to get home from Indy with my NEW WMLT40 and begin sawing cherry logs I had brought home from northern WV. Was I ever disappointed when the opening slabs showed worm holes. Perfect logs ruined. We scraped the whole lot and pulled in poplar. For most uses of cherry for furniture I would guess it wouldn't be the most popular, but for Dave's usage it could be well worth processing. Don't be like me .... find a use.
Since I retired I really like work: It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.

rambo

I would love to show you a picture but I use a computer at work and I am very limited with what I can do with picutures. That's right I am enjoying FF while working for the man. :D

rambo

Dave,
what thickness do you think I should mill my future wormy logs?

Magicman

Wormy lumber adds a distinct character.  In the past I have built bed room suits, various furniture and many clocks using wormy Pecan that brought top $$$.   I am sure that wormy Cherry would fall into the same category.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Ron Wenrich

Wormy all the way through, or just in the sapwood?
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

metalspinner

I agree that the creative woodworker can use the lumber to its maximum potential.  But I don't think the bug damage increases its value. It creates curiosity and interesting discussion when viewed in a finished piece.  But it's not the same as birdseye, fiddelback, blistered, or even spalted lumber. Have the bug holes changed the color of the heartwood in any way, or is it just the holes? Given the choice to buy sound, clear cherry, or bug riddled cherry, I would buy the good stuff. :)

As I'm thinking about it, I remember seeing furniture built then being "antiqued." ::)  Where the builder beats the heck out of the piece and pokes holes in the lumber with an awl trying to replicate a century's worth of wear and neglect. I've even seen shows on television and articles in magazines "teaching" this. ::) 

I prefer my furniture to develope its patina the natural way... for it to be neglected and abused and after 100 years pulled from the junk heap, dusted off and admired for its primitive nature. :D
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: rambo on June 06, 2012, 09:39:56 PM
Dave,
what thickness do you think I should mill my future wormy logs?

When I first saw and see a wormy log for the first time, I have literally sat down with a cold glass of tea and just look at what has just appeared before me.
I keep in mind that I can only saw once and that it is hard to put it back together once it's been sawn.

I saw slabs 2 1/2 inches thick to let them dry. This gives me enough thickness to resaw it down to 2 inches if it has a little warp in it next year. My thickness is based on benches only. What ever your plans are your sizes and thickness may vary.

Is the project I have in mind gonna have legs? What size? I usually saw a few 4x4s out of the same log for my legs. I have enough thickness to resaw or plane my legs. Sometimes I use slab legs with live edge for my benches. I saw a few 1 inch boards also for trim etc.

And talking about live edge......a lot of people absolutely love the bark left on a slab and will pay a little more for it.

I like the 3 or 4 slabs I can get out of the middle of the log just above and below the pith. It shows a beautiful quarter sawn face.

I always remember that no matter how wormy, how buggy, how spalted a logs is, there are NEVER 2 slabs a like. Plan, plan, plan ahead before you saw each log.

If a log can not be used for lumber, I have made enough on 1 bench that will bring in enough $$$$$ that will out weight what the log would bring sawn for lumber.

I LOVE UGLY LOGS!  :D

The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

qbilder

God bless our troops

samandothers

Sounds like a new commercial for Dave,  'You saw UGLY and we buy your Ugly logs'


Happy Birthday Dave!

rambo

The worm holes are all the way through. The is no change in color and the holes are about 1/8" in diameter.

rambo

Dave,
I have no intensions of stealing your thunder but I was just curious who are these customers that pay big bucks for your benches and how do they find out about you. If you don't want to answer this I understand some secrets are best kept a secret. ;)

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: rambo on June 07, 2012, 05:26:18 PM
Dave,
I have no intensions of stealing your thunder but I was just curious who are these customers that pay big bucks for your benches and how do they find out about you. If you don't want to answer this I understand some secrets are best kept a secret. ;)

Nope.....I ain't gonna tell ya......ZIP IT.....TAKE A LOCK! _ smiley_ignore smiley_ignore smiley_ignore

Just kidding, most of my customers come out of Charlotte, N.C.  Home of MONEY! The home office for Bank of America is there and a slew of other big businesses have there hubs in Charlotte. People up there love to spend.
After I make something, I just post pics and a description on "JEFF'S LIST".  :)
I set a price and stick to it. Sooner or later it sales. Spring time is the best time to sale. When fall gets here, there is this man that buys all my stuff, if I have any at the time, and takes it up to DOLLYWOOD, TENN. and sales it on the side of the road to people who come up for a fall vacation.
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Ianab

Marketing is always a challange

Check this post by Bibbyman about some nice cedar slabs he came across
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,58760.0.html

Not his usual product but he was able to locate a local custom furniture guy that is interested in that sort of stuff. Probably a small ongoing market.

So have a look at who is selling custom made furniture, especially the rustic sort of stuff where the wormy look is more normal. Where are they getting their raw material from now? Do they want to buy yours?

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

MotorSeven

Quote from: POSTONLT40HD on June 07, 2012, 10:41:15 AM
Quote from: rambo on June 06, 2012, 09:39:56 PM
Dave,
what thickness do you think I should mill my future wormy logs?

When I first saw and see a wormy log for the first time, I have literally sat down with a cold glass of tea and just look at what has just appeared before me.
I keep in mind that I can only saw once and that it is hard to put it back together once it's been sawn.

I saw slabs 2 1/2 inches thick to let them dry. This gives me enough thickness to resaw it down to 2 inches if it has a little warp in it next year. My thickness is based on benches only. What ever your plans are your sizes and thickness may vary.

Is the project I have in mind gonna have legs? What size? I usually saw a few 4x4s out of the same log for my legs. I have enough thickness to resaw or plane my legs. Sometimes I use slab legs with live edge for my benches. I saw a few 1 inch boards also for trim etc.

And talking about live edge......a lot of people absolutely love the bark left on a slab and will pay a little more for it.

I like the 3 or 4 slabs I can get out of the middle of the log just above and below the pith. It shows a beautiful quarter sawn face.

I always remember that no matter how wormy, how buggy, how spalted a logs is, there are NEVER 2 slabs a like. Plan, plan, plan ahead before you saw each log.

If a log can not be used for lumber, I have made enough on 1 bench that will bring in enough $$$$$ that will out weight what the log would bring sawn for lumber.

I LOVE UGLY LOGS!  :D

That pretty much covers it, good post!
WoodMizer LT15 27' bed

rambo

Good story Dave. Thanks for sharing.

rambo

Thanks Ian. I have a whole new outlook on my so called Junk logs.

cutterboy

Rambo, I would saw a lot of it into 4/4 boards and advertise on Craigs list. Hobby woodworkers love something different. A few years ago I sawed a lot of cherry that had ingrown bark in the boards. I was worried that it wouldn't sell, I thought it looked ugly. Well, this guy came for cherry and he loved it. He went through the whole stack and took all the boards with bark in them.

For every board there is a customer who will love it.
To underestimate old men and old machines is the folly of youth. Frank C.

rambo

cutterboy,
I am learning not to have tunnel vision when I look at a log. Now I am looking at my other logs that I thought were useless with dreamy eyes. LOL

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