Harvesting redwood tree for furniture or other woodworking?
We have to fell a 100 foot redwood tree in our backyard, and are wondering about whether it makes sense to harvest any of it for potential furniture or other purposes, either to give away to a craftsperson or commission something with one of the sections. Has anyone done this, or know of any local woodworkers who would either want some of the tree or might be willing to work on creating a table from some of the trunk? Thanks in advance for any tips.
Sep 13, 2022
Parent Replies
There is a local woodworkers group on Nextdoor that is interested wood like this, including at least one person who I think has a portable mill and cuts trees into slabs that would be good for a table. I don't know what his availability is, but look for "Urban tree salvage and woodworkers connection" on Nextdoor.
Hi, my spouse knows about wood and told me some things that might be helpful to you. First, kudos for trying to use the wood instead of wasting it! But it might prove difficult. Spouse says that when people take down a big tree in a city, it's usually cut into small pieces, because there is no room for large pieces that might weigh a thousand pounds or more. You'd have to have the tree-felling-people allow some 8-foot sections, that will then be impossible to move given the weight. Then you have to get a chainsaw mill that two people operate that runs across the trunk cutting it into slabs of whatever thickness you set, and you need enough room for the people to do this, and the ability to haul the wood afterwards. Sometimes there is a portable mill that one person can operate (but it's still big and heavy). Then, because the wood is "wet", it should be dried/cured in a kiln, and it might be hard to find someone with a wood kiln in our urban area. Lastly, the process of drying the wood can take several months to a year in a kiln, or a few years if you dry it naturally. A resource might be to go to Macbeath Hardwood in Berkeley on Ashby Ave, they might have good advice or connect you to someone who wants the wood and will do this. Good luck to you!
My sister found a tree company that cut their redwood for free and kept the wood as payment.
Sounds like a lovely idea! There used to be a lovely reclaimed wood furniture store in Berkeley that used to work with reclaimed redwood, called the Wooden Duck. The store has since closed, but one of their guys went to open his own shop, called UCHI furniture. Maybe call them and see what they can tell you? I believe that it can take years for wood from a tree to be dried and ready to be turned into furniture, and a quick google search suggests that you need to start that process once it has been chopped down. So call the furniture store and ask. Good luck!
Hi there,
I would recommend Stephanie Shipman, who's an excellent local carpenter that's done several projects with me. She builds custom furniture and other wood items. I'm not sure how busy she is but it would be worth checking. I'm trying to paste her website and can't get it to work. Google her and you'll find it.
I would recommend reaching out to Jeff Traeger (jefftraeger [at] comcast.net). He runs the Diablo Woodworkers Association and will be able to point you to resources who can use the wood from the tree.