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Western red alder

Started by redbeard, July 09, 2012, 11:57:05 AM

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redbeard

Some 10' logs spalt not quite all the way to center yet. 

  

 
Whidbey Woodworks and Custom Milling  2019 Cooks AC 3662T High production band mill and a Hud-son 60 Diesel wide cut bandmill  JD 2240 50hp Tractor with 145 loader IR 1044 all terrain fork lift  Cooks sharp

Tree Feller

That's some purty wood. I just finished looking at some Alder cabinetry and trim on another forum. It was gorgeous.
Cody

Logmaster LM-1 Sawmill
Kioti CK 30 w/ FEL
Stihl MS-290 Chainsaw
48" Logrite Cant Hook
Well equipped, serious, woodworking shop

colinofthewoods

It is too bad Alder gets such a bad wrap,  I like the look of it, and there is lots of it around.

WDH

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

5quarter

There's another Forum?  ;)
What is this leisure time of which you speak?
Blue Harbor Refinishing

captain_crunch

works good fer cabnet work but us OLD people veiw  spalded as rotten
M-14 Belsaw circle mill,HD-11 Log Loader,TD-14 Crawler,TD-9 Crawler and Ford 2910 Loader Tractor

bandmiller2

Alder is pretty much a four letter word up here in the northeast,grows up in your hayfield overnight.Hope your is a different variety then the DanG clumps we have. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

beenthere

Frank
Right, a completely different beast in the east. :)

Until 20 yrs or so ago, the red alder was also considered pretty much a weed tree. But then some of its good traits surfaced and it has found its niche in the West. A bit similar to soft maple.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

WDH

Probably Hazel Alder, Alnus serrulata.
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

POSTON WIDEHEAD

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

WDH

I started to talk about the woody, cone-like catkin, but decided that I had better not  :).
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

grweldon

Fender guitars have used Alder for their guitar bodies for years.  Since they are in California, I suppose it is the western variety.  Most all of them get painted after grainfill...
My three favorite documents: The Holy Bible, The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States.

Tree Feller

Alder used to be dirt cheap until cabinetmakers discovered it. It's still inexpensive compared to other native hardwoods but it certainly has a growing fan club.

I know a professional furniture maker who uses Alder for most everything and he sells $20k pieces to West Coast clients. Alder works easily, takes stain well and can be made to resemble other woods.

I rarely stain anything but for pros working on a slim profit-margin, using a wood like Alder might mean the difference between surviving and going under.
Cody

Logmaster LM-1 Sawmill
Kioti CK 30 w/ FEL
Stihl MS-290 Chainsaw
48" Logrite Cant Hook
Well equipped, serious, woodworking shop

WDH

I have heard the alder is about the best wood when you want to stain a lower value wood to look like cherry, but I have never done it.
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

Ga Mtn Man

That's some gorgeous wood.  Alder has become quite popular for cabinets around these parts.

Hey redbeard,

Is it always foggy around your mill or is that just the camera? ;D
"If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy." - Red Green


2012 LT40HDG29 with "Superized" hydraulics,  2 LogRite cant hooks, home-built log arch.

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: Ga_Mtn_Man on July 11, 2012, 09:37:04 PM
That's some gorgeous wood.  Alder has become quite popular for cabinets around these parts.

Hey redbeard,

Is it always foggy around your mill or is that just the camera? ;D

Looking at his pics is like being in a dream.  :)
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

redbeard

I think my camera on phone is scratched up on lens I noticed that lately. It is foggy in the AM. Were finally starting are summer been nice and warm lately. Probably cold too you guys though! :D  the table has spalted holly,maple and alder in it. The stairs are madrone spalt. And the stool is madrone and hickory. These are customer projects just showing some more spalted wood from my milling.

  

  

  

 
Whidbey Woodworks and Custom Milling  2019 Cooks AC 3662T High production band mill and a Hud-son 60 Diesel wide cut bandmill  JD 2240 50hp Tractor with 145 loader IR 1044 all terrain fork lift  Cooks sharp

knothead1

Those are some exceptional pieces of work. I grew up in Longview, WA. Alder was some of the best firewood. Considered a weed to us, until I moved to the midwest and the carpenters were trimming out multi- million dollar homes with it. Found it odd. One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Magicman

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, knothead1.  I too have been called a knothead at times.

How about an intro and telling about your forestry/sawing interest.
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

knothead1

My wife and I purchased 80 acres in west central MN 1 1/2 yrs ago. Thought it would be a good piece of property to raise our kids. The land is 55 acres of woods. Balance is open, some tillable, some pasture, small portion is low ground. Most of what we have is hardwood. A lot of mature white oak, Some black ash, a few poplar trees, and a good handful of sugar maple that we hope to start tapping in the spring.

I've been interested in purchasing a sawmill and milling lumber to timber frame a house. It will be a few years before I build the house. Thought about starting with a small project. An outdoor sauna has been on my mind for awhile. A friend of mine turned me on to this forum and I have to say that it is the most interesting site I have looked at in a long time. High quality and tons of good expertise and advice.

WDH

You have a good plan.  Go for it!
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

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