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Sawing Chinaberry

Started by WDH, March 10, 2013, 08:18:52 AM

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WDH

A farmer friend was clearing some acres for a center pivot irrigation rig to be extended, and he gave me the trees that were being pushed up.  Some of the logs are chinaberry, Melia azederach.  It is from China (of course) and is in the mahogany family.  Not sure if anyone else has sawed much of it.  On the biggest log I just sawed out 6/4 live edged slabs.  Here are a few pics of some of the wood.

The latewood pores are arranged in wavy bands, just like hackberry and elm.  The growth rings are kinda wild in how they grow, and are variable in width, even within the same ring. 



 

Here is the larger log that I slabbed.



 

The inside of the earlywood pores are brown, and when sliced open on the flatsawn cut, they give the wood a distinct two-toned color.  Also, being ring porous, the coarseness of the earlywood pores makes a clear pattern.



 



 



 

Widest slabs were a little over 20".  I have 10 or 12 more logs to go, so I will get well over a thousand BF.
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

customsawyer

You are one lucky guy. Not only are you able to get folks to give you logs but you have the talent to cut them into beautiful lumber. ;D
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Rob Bocik

I have sawed a bunch of Chinaberry you will love working this wood. End seal it and sticker it just like you would with any other lumber. If you turn chuck some of this up you will love it. If you are extra lucky you will have a curly tree in the lot. You can see the curl in the bark as little ripples. Good score. Also have never seen bugs in this wood.

Feel free to call me if you have any questions.

Dave Shepard

Nice looking lumber.

Are you trying to tease us northerners with that green grass? :)
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Jay C. White Cloud

Beautiful...do you know how long it's been in the wild.  That would be a wonderful accent piece in timber frame.  :o

"To posses an open mind, is to hold a key to many doors, and the ability to created doors where there were none before."

"When it is all said and done, they will have said they did it themselves."-teams response under a good leader.

Magicman

That is beautiful lumber.  The limbwood is also used for smoking meats.
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

Peter Drouin

A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

WDH

Jay, the trees were all fast grown because it was a good site.  Runoff from a big cotton field drained naturally where the trees were growing, so they were very happy trees.

Dave,  I will have to be mowing soon  :).  This is a wild early spring grass that really shoots up and forms a big seed head.  it is called Italian rye grass as it is a native of Europe.  Once it starts to get hot, it turns brown and is done till next year.
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

Jemclimber

Beautiful wood, thanks for sharing the pics.
lt15

Magicman

In my area, Chinaberry trees are spread by birds eating the "Chinaballs".  That is if they don't get too drunk to fly and fall out of the tree.   smiley_dizzy
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

Jay C. White Cloud

Hey Magic,

Were they ornamentals planted in yards that then went feral through "birdy distribution?"
"To posses an open mind, is to hold a key to many doors, and the ability to created doors where there were none before."

"When it is all said and done, they will have said they did it themselves."-teams response under a good leader.

Jeff

How stable is the lumber from that species?
Just call me the midget doctor.
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Rob Bocik

Quote from: Jeff on March 11, 2013, 10:25:01 AM
How stable is the lumber from that species?

Very! If you can get it mill it. It is a mahogany. Dries fast with little degrade to crack/warp/cup. I have not experienced any bugs in CB. I dont think it would be good as a structural lumber because it is brittle and grows VERY fast. But for wood working you will love it.

I cut this turning stock last week



  

 

Jay C. White Cloud

Hey Rob, et al.,

Just for future planning and thinking, I can deal with it's structural properties for timber framing by sizing and design.  It has to be as strong as white pine at least, but if not, we can deal with that too.  How long would in take in your area to say mill and stockpile 4000 board foot of it?  Could you get 7" x 12" live edge beams and how long that size?  They don't have to be straight at all, prefer them not to be. A Florida timber frame from that species would be stunning and worth the effort. Might even warrant shipping as nice as it is. How far north does it grow?  We have been discussing this since this post started.  What a beautiful wood.  Thank's again

Regards,
"To posses an open mind, is to hold a key to many doors, and the ability to created doors where there were none before."

"When it is all said and done, they will have said they did it themselves."-teams response under a good leader.

moandrich

woodmizer lt 40HD  2007
Kubota RTVX1100 2019
Kubota L3940   2009

isawlogs

 Nice boards Danny, you sure have a way with wood,  :)   Danny, how hard is this wood if you where to compare it to one of our northern woods here...  It sure does have a prety look to it.  :)
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

Red Clay Hound

I have a 16" chinaberry log my neighbor gave me in the que to be milled.  Hope mine looks as nice as yours!  I have woodworker/customer who has already spoken for it. :)
2007 Wood-Mizer LT40 Super Hydraulic with 51 hp. Cat; 2007 Wood-Mizer EG200 Twin Blade Edger; Woodmaster 718 Molder/Planer; Stihl MS460 and MS362 Chainsaws; 2011 John Deere 5065 with JD 553 Loader

Magicman

Quote from: Jay C. White Cloud on March 11, 2013, 10:21:57 AMWere they ornamentals planted in yards that then went feral through "birdy distribution?" 
Most probably because they are common around old abandoned house sites.  I would need to walk through and flag some larger trees for potential harvest.  I knew that it was of the Mahogany family, but I have never sawed any CB and really considered it junk. 
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

octam1

that CB is some dang nice looking wood... we have not had the chance to saw any of it, but we sure as heck would if we got some of it...

Nice lumber Danny!!!
KnottHead Custom Sawing & FabWorx
Ceres/Twain Harte CA.

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Rob Bocik

Quote from: Jay C. White Cloud on March 11, 2013, 11:26:39 AM
Hey Rob, et al.,

Just for future planning and thinking, I can deal with it's structural properties for timber framing by sizing and design.  It has to be as strong as white pine at least, but if not, we can deal with that too.  How long would in take in your area to say mill and stockpile 4000 board foot of it?  Could you get 7" x 12" live edge beams and how long that size?  They don't have to be straight at all, prefer them not to be. A Florida timber frame from that species would be stunning and worth the effort. Might even warrant shipping as nice as it is. How far north does it grow?  We have been discussing this since this post started.  What a beautiful wood.  Thank's again

Regards,

Good to know I guess I chimed in there without much knowledge of timber framing  :-X

If I had a standing order and deposit I could get it but it would take some time time, +/- 6 months or so. 7''x12'' are doable. They get quite tall (60') so the only issue on length is hauling and shipping. All of that can be over come though. I would have to get with a bunch of the local arborists and place the order for saw logs. I would be happy to send you a sample if you cover the shipping.

I have heard of it growing as far N as GA and W to TX but I dont think they get as big as they do down here.

While we are talking timber framing how about long leaf pine Pinus palustris I can get truck loads of it from local permitted harvest. Again it does take some time, we are a small operation and do not stock pile large quantities. Except Indian Rosewood I take all that I can get.

WDH

It grows across the entire southern part of the US all the way to the west coast and up the eastern seaboard with a pocket of it even in NY State.  Here is some info on the wood:

http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/chinaberry/

It is terribly invasive here, and is a problem on my farm.  It colonizes any newly disturbed ground very rapidly because the large seed is distributed by birds.  It grows fast, but not straight.  To get a big one that is really straight is hard to do.  Density is medium low, about like sycamore and yellow poplar. 

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

isawlogs

 Too bad that it is giving you pain, if only it grew straight then at least there would be some comfort witht the invasion.... :-\

  Thanks for the link, interesting and quite usefull, I bookmarked it.... and also emailed the link to myself, as I am at the daughters for a week or two while she is in Bolivia.
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

WDH

Marcell,

I have hacked and squirted it, and I have basal sprayed it.  I have personally slain thousands of them.  They tend to grow in the hedgerows between Ag fields, because that is were the birds perch.  They benefit from the nutrients from the farming fertilization.  They are amazingly well adapted, and the large marble-sized drupes make great projectiles if you are a kid  ;D.
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

isawlogs

 The birds, I gather, eat those marble size drupes and they are part of the seeding ....  Eat the birds. 
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

WDH

Yes, it is all one Big Circle, like they said in the Lion King  :)
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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