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 Post subject: Cottonwood
PostPosted: Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:22 pm 
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OK, another "is it good for anything" post.

RE: cottonwood.

First I'm aware that it's (almost) literally 80% water from the get go. I'm aware that dry it's got little heat value as far as burning it in my shop stove. But it is a rather white creamy color that might be useful as an accent here or there. I have a rather large cottonwood I need to take down and thought I'd ask if anyone thinks it's worth trying to use for a project of one kind or another. I suspect that as far as dimensional stability, it probably moves more than any other species so that would, I presume, rule out using it for as a major component in a piece.

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 Post subject: Re: Cottonwood
PostPosted: Thu Jun 21, 2018 7:40 pm 
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Pulp

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 Post subject: Re: Cottonwood
PostPosted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 10:29 am 
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The only things that cottonwood trees are good for is making a mess and making more cottonwood trees.

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 Post subject: Re: Cottonwood
PostPosted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 11:25 am 
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Perhaps the best thing to do, then, is to drop it over the bank and let it enrich the soil beneath. (grin)

Thanks for the replies.

Although one member of our turner's club did submit a piece to our gallery last night that was turned from spalted cottonwood that was pretty nice.

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 Post subject: Re: Cottonwood
PostPosted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 11:58 am 
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Hey Dennis,
Cottonwood does spalt quickly. I suppose that if it were resin stabilized, it might make good turning stock.
Cheers,
Tom

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 Post subject: Re: Cottonwood
PostPosted: Sat Jun 30, 2018 7:59 pm 
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There is a simple reason you don't see much, if any furniture made from cotton wood. It is soft and weak when finally dried if you can get it to dry!


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 Post subject: Re: Cottonwood
PostPosted: Sun Jul 01, 2018 10:25 pm 
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we are in a category D4 drought - "exceptional drought"; that's one stage past "extreme" and the end of the scale. Our standing cottonwoods would probably match air-dried lumber in Skagit. :-(


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 Post subject: Re: Cottonwood
PostPosted: Mon Jul 02, 2018 9:05 am 
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Cottonwood is light and weak, but it can be used in a pinch for various things. A favorite memory of that is in Holling Clancy Holling's book "Tree in the Trail": https://www.amazon.com/Tree-Trail-Holli ... 039554534X


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 Post subject: Re: Cottonwood
PostPosted: Mon Jul 02, 2018 11:28 am 
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drstrip wrote:
we are in a category D4 drought - "exceptional drought"; that's one stage past "extreme" and the end of the scale. Our standing cottonwoods would probably match air-dried lumber in Skagit. :-(


Yeah, I have to empty my shop dehydrator every other day. Amazing.

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