ChokeCherry Wood for sculpture

[fzz]

has anyone ever worked with Choke Cherry wood...the tree that produces the sour cherries that birds love and people use for jam?

wondering because i have about 4 12-15" diameter dead [mostly] standing trees and started to harvest them from woodwork or firewood.

no burls but some crotch wood.

i plan to dig around the base of one that has two 40' trees coming out of the same root system thinking that if i get down a couple of feet there might be some figure in there?

i don't know. it's a lot of work and that wood is heavy and hard on the chainsaw. after two or three years of air drying it will be ready [tho it's dead at the top, the trunks are quite green]

anyway i'm hoping someone will say: "that wood isn't worth the effort...don't waste your time. burn it."

or "that wood is awesome. you are lucky!"

i imagine the truth will be somewhere in between.

thanks.

 

[Mark Mandell]

Choke (somethimes called "wild" or "mountain" cherry and will do just fine. It tends to be a bit lighter in color than the cultivated black cherry, but dances just as well, meaning that if you saw it you need to be carefull with stickering and use lots of weight or it'll twist up to 45* on you along an 8 foot board. You can lessen the dance by removing the sapwood as much as possible from your boards.

It turns well when green/wet, but cvhoke will tend to tear out when dry unless you keep your tools very sharp.

That root ball is likely to have some wild stuff in it.

Go for all of it.

M

 

[fzz]

thanks for the encouragement and info.

i actually cut two of the trees and anchorsealed the ends of 4 foot loglengths, laid them across some pipes about two feet off the ground and covered them with scraps of plywood.

since i work in abstract forms of imperfection, i don't mind the 'dancing' i guess. other than that, does this seem like an advisable way to airdry for a few years?

thanks again.

i will go after the root/trunks and bring those indoors to dry for a few years i think.

 

[Mark Mandell]

i actually cut two of the trees and anchorsealed the ends of 4 foot loglengths, laid them across some pipes about two feet off the ground and covered them with scraps of plywood.

Anchorseal is fine, but it's not designed to seal over two years, temperature and humidity will break it down, and repeated rain etc. will actually wash it off. If you're going to hold the bolts for 2 years, you should cover them with a waterproof tarp that also allows air to circulate around the log, and keep direct sun off the wood as well

i will go after the root/trunks and bring those indoors to dry for a few years i think.

If you going to turn any of this stuff, I'd suggest you rough out basic shapes and hollowing while its wet, especially the rootball stock. Root stock can be quite a bit harder or more abrasive than trunk wood because of an increased silica content. Either way, it will work much easier wet than dry.

M