My mouth watered as I studied about getting it out, and riven into staves. But there is no way, just to remote and steep to access by anything other than foot or mule. I haven't had a mule for over 30 years now. I'll just watch it rot away.
Nope, not doing it!When you walk the dogs carry a saw & axe with you, bring it home a few staves at a time
Pretty much. Checking will be bad if the sap is up unless extra steps are taken. The tree in the picture is still alive, but barely. It actually has small undersized leaves and nuts on it.Quinton, does hickory turn into spaghetti if cut and split this time of year?
In years past I would get that tree out one way or another. The tree is in a deep cove near the top of a mountain. You can't just hike up there, you have to climb up there using your hands and feet.Quinton,with all due respect,Sir:Would it be too tough to walk out there with a cross-cut saw,hatchet,and some wooden wedges?
In my neck of the woods folks used to have to find a very particular birch that could be riven,to split into stuff suitable for snowshoes,dogsled runners,fishtrap,et c.
Such trees were always rare,one friend told me that it took about 3-4 days walking,averaging about 20 miles a day,to find one,and of course it was usually a good piece into the woods away from the river(we have no roads here at all).
So the tree was riven on site,staves leaned against another tree,with a cover of birch bark,for a year or so,to air dry,then packed out on a packboard.
Those were some 12-16-footers,though...A 4-foot stave for a haft,and none too big around,seems like a guy could fetch it home eventually,one or two at a time...?
I wish some of you guys had that tree instead of it going to waste.quinton, i'll help you with that, need a workout anyway
The reason it does not grow on your continent, according to Roy Underhill, is explained in a video I just included in this post on another thread:I wish that it grows on my continent. Straight grain even better, but we don't even have hickory here!
I wouldn't bother with stain. Cherry will naturally darken/redden with time just from UV exposure. Beautiful natural color will come out. I'd use BLO or tung alone and see how it matures.