Hi Dan, and welcome:
You wrote to oldtools:
>Now for my beech question. I have a couple nice beech trees
>that are going to be termite food due to storm damage. I
>plan to beat the termites to the trees and cut them up. I
>know that some galoots like to make planes out of beech, but
>I was wondering what else it's good for? Anybody have
>suggestions as to how I might cut the tree to maximize its
>galoot value? I'm guess that quarter sawn 3X3's, and 3X4's
>might be pretty handy. If anyone has some sawing
>suggestions I'd be happy to listen.
While not an expert, I have cut, sawed and used some "home grown" American
beech. I think it is a super wood. The plane makers (eg. Larry Williams)
can tell you about using it for plane bodies. I've used it in furniture,
and very successfully. The beech that I've cut from my Maine woodlot has a
very light color, with almost a greyish cast to it--a bit different from
the more honey-colored beech that you see in plane bodies. It is a tough,
fairly dense wood that planes and smooths well. I find it more brittle
than oak and a little less dense than hard maple. It takes a finish well.
Some things to keep in mind: Beech, like most birch, tends to go "punky"
pretty fast after it has been cut (or dead on the stump). When you fell
your trees, get the cut ends sealed right away, and keep the logs stacked
off the ground and covered until you saw them. Beech also can be difficult
to dry. I've had some kiln dried, and the loss was pretty substantial.
Differential shrinkage can occur in a board to cause it to warp, "waggle"
and cup considerably. Air drying is less risky, but losses can still be
considerable. One dry it is stable (hence its traditional use in plane
bodies).
One other thing about beech is that the smaller limbs and waste make
excellent wood for cooking with over an open fire. While it burns
relatively fast and hot, the smoke is "sweet". Back in the days when I
could eat the stuff, the best steaks I've ever eaten were broiled over
beech coals.
Good luck with your trees,
Sandy
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