Galoots assembled,
I’ve a lovely old white oak tree in my yard that is suffering from massive root
rot and will be taken down May 25th. It measures about 36 inches in diameter
near the base and has a couple of good long straight runs in the trunk where
there are no branches.

Ever since my Peace Corps days in the early Seventies, the Whole Earth Catalog,
and the publication of the first edition of Alexander’s Making a Chair From a
Tree (3rd edition due in July), I’ve wanted to make a chair from a tree.

While I’ve built lots of 18th century fine furniture, I’ve never done any green
wood working.  I’m sure I could get the arborist to cut a 5 foot long log from a
straight segment of the trunk, so that would be the starting point.  I ordered
the 2nd edition DVD of Making a Chair From a Tree to get an overview of the
process, necessary tools, etc.

 Am I out of my mind to consider such a project?
Your collective wise counsel is appreciated.

Cheers,

John M. Johnston

“P.S. If you do not receive this, of course it must have been miscarried;
therefore I beg you to write and let me know.” - Sir Boyle Roche, M.P.