In the initial posts there was mention of the difficulty faced in turning a
block. Part of this problem may go back to the basic properties of redwood.
While structurally strong enough for tables, deck boards etc. ,the wood as a
tree is brittle. In the “early days” as this link discusses, they spent more
time constructing a “bed” for the giant tree than actually cutting it. The
redwood is actually brittle. A tree could be destroyed by errors in where the
tree land or “was placed” by the feller.
https://books.google.com/books?id=O9fPAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA104&lpg=RA1-PA1
04&dq=preparing+bed+for+redwood+felling&source=bl&ots=oq0vQc7AVc&sig=7DNFw_0NeLu
LwHC_cmi4hqkBcME&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjW58Gi7avbAhVBL6wKHQQ-AP4Q6AEILDAB#v=onep
age&q=preparing%20bed%20for%20redwood%20felling&f=false">https://books.google.co
m/books?id=O9fPAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA104&lpg=RA1-PA104&dq=preparing+bed+for+redwood+
felling&source=bl&ots=oq0vQc7AVc&sig=7DNFw_0NeLuLwHC_cmi4hqkBcME&hl=en&sa=X&ved
=0ahUKEwjW58Gi7avbAhVBL6wKHQQ-
AP4Q6AEILDAB#v=onepage&q=preparing%20bed%20for%20redwood%20felling&f=false
Jump ahead to more modern times and the beds were often built with a bulldozer.
Reshaping the land to form a cradle like bed for the tree to land in. This, in
the worst case, caused tremendous disturbance, erosion, etc.. Some called it a
moon scape.
One link acknowledging the complexity of managing the redwoods
https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/4251/thornburgh1.pdf
Because of public interest you can find all sorts of articles on line concerning
the redwood.
I have several redwood planks that I am still saving for the right use, and I
have the still solid 2 x 8 redwood lumber I salvaged from a picnic table I built
for my parents in 1963. I salvaged the wood because the galvanized bolts rusted
to nothing. Of course damaging the wood around them.
Treasure but use those special woods you happen to inherit.
Take care,
Cal Meier
Central Louisiana
Dry side (no rain) of the current hurricane/tropical depression dumping on
Alabama, Georgia, and Florida An points north.
|