Milling California Laurel or Tanoak?

[Tanoak]

I have access to a supply California Laurel (Umbellularia Californica, also know as Bay, or Myrtlewood) as well as Tanoak (Lithocarpus Densiflorus). These are west coast semi-hardwoods, each affected by sudden oak death. We will give it the 1-2 punch with an Alaskan chainsaw mill for cants, and a Ripsaw after that. The laurel is comming down green, and the tanoak will be either green or standing dead.

Does anyone have any experience milling either of these types of tree? We have bucked some and observed very off center pith in the laurel which concerns me a bit. Also have read (and observed in firewood) that the Tanoak checks very easily and must be dried very gently.

Thoughts? Comments?

 

[Tree Bones]

The bay laurel is called Myrtlewood in Oregon and can have some highly prized figure. Used by many craftsman it is a good one to hang on to. The tan oak has no real market and tends to easily go bad. Guess you probably already know this. I have milled both and the Myrtlewood is very hard if left sitting to long, easier to mill green. I would leave it in thicker deminsions to help prevent movement during drying. The tan oak tends to get spalting very easily.

 

[woodshop]

I have access to a supply California Laurel (Umbellularia Californica, also know as Bay, or Myrtlewood) as well as Tanoak (Lithocarpus Densiflorus).

As I'm on the east coast, and have zero access to either of those trees, I wish I was on the west coast so I could "help" you take care of those

Welcome to AS... do I understand you mill the logs into cants with a csm and then use a Ripsaw to slice into lumber?

 

[Tanoak]

Thank you Tree Bones and Woodshop for your input!

Tree Bones, in your work with the Tanoak have you observed any ray fleck? Apparently it can be had if quarter sawn. Have you tried this or observed any ray cells at all? Your comment re getting the bay while green is much appreciated. For anyone interested in lesser-known hardwoods of the west, this document is handy, and includes drying schedules: http://fcg.cof.orst.edu/rc/RC 8.pdf

Woodshop, yes the plan is csm followed by Ripsaw although... the Ripsaw is not working yet. We received one for free that had been left out and neglected. There is currently an old Homelite frozen to it. So I'm expecting a little time to rebuild the Ripsaw. Any advice? I understand the folks at Better Built/SIR are quite accomodating w.r.t parts etc. I haven't inspected the Ripsaw myself yet, but am expecting at least to replace wheel bearings and blade guides. By the way, will it be obvious which type of powerhead this Ripsaw is setup for (Stihl/Husky)?

 

[Tree Bones]

I have never seen the Tiger Stripe (ray fleck) in the Tan Oak. It is not a real oak and is not nearly as hard as real Oak. Photos Here.

 

[Zodiac45]

By the way, will it be obvious which type of powerhead this Ripsaw is setup for (Stihl/Husky)?

Good score on the ripsaw! Hope you get it going again without too much expense. Woodshop will know for sure but I think, too answer your question, it's has too do with the bar mount on the saw. Stihl and Huskie being different size wise. I'm guessing though and in any case you need a saw with an inboard clutch and you'll have to switch too a spur gear if the saw has a floating sprocket on it.

 

[Backwoods]

Myrtlewood is used for food grade projects, as it is a dense wood. Myrtlewood must be kiln dried to kill the bugs that are in it. When milled you will not see the bugs or there holes but they are there. They will show up in the finished piece of furniture looking like a pinhole with a small sawdust pile. The wood workers that I know will not even have a piece of non-kiln dried Myrtlewood on there place. When you mill it, mill for color and figure. The wider the color spectrum the more value.

This tree was removed from the local V.A. cemetery to make room.

The color of this log is very mild as it is an inland tree.
Coastal trees have more color

The grain of this tree is good.
These blocks are off to be made into gun stocks.

 

[Burlhunter13]

I have never seen the Tiger Stripe (ray fleck) in the Tan Oak. It is not a real oak and is not nearly as hard as real Oak. Photos Here.

NICE TIGER STRIPE!!!!! I wish I had a few logs like that laying around!!!!


Nice myrtle too backwoods!

 

[Zodiac45]

Good info Backwoods,

And great pix as usual. Beautiful stuff!

 

[Tree Bones]

Backwoods, Great looking Myrtlewood lumber and log heading towards the mill. We don't have any this far inland where I am now. I miss the coastal species.

 

[Backwoods]

I am within 100 miles of the coast, and the Myrtlewood from the Umpqua valley dose not have the color of the Myrtlewood from the coastal areas like Myrtle point, and Bandon but has a more pronounced grain pattern. It is something in the soil that adds to the color spectrum. The log headed to the mill, was cut into all turning blanks for the Myrtlewood factory just out side of North bend. They do some awesome work with the Myrtlewood and is a must see if you are ever in the area.

Not to mention they are on the dunes. Which means dune buggies

 

[woodshop]

Woodshop, yes the plan is csm followed by Ripsaw although... the Ripsaw is not working yet. We received one for free that had been left out and neglected. There is currently an old Homelite frozen to it. So I'm expecting a little time to rebuild the Ripsaw. Any advice? I understand the folks at Better Built/SIR are quite accomodating w.r.t parts etc.

Advice would be to get a Ripsaw manual if you don't have one so you can ID parts that you might need to get it up and running. Yes the SIR folks are very accommodating, and those bearings are not that expensive as they are off the shelf. In fact you can get them from industrial houses like MSC. There are two flavors of Ripsaw, and the diff is the way the powerhead mates to the saw as was already said. Just as it would be difficult to put a Husky bar on a Stihl, same with the Ripsaw where the powerhead bolts to the Ripsaw as if the Ripsaw were a very large bar. The oiler output of the powerhead has to match up with the hole in the Ripsaw where it mates so oil gets to the pinion gear inside the Ripsaw as you mill.

... By the way, will it be obvious which type of powerhead this Ripsaw is setup for (Stihl/Husky)?

After you get that Homelite unbolted, take a Stihl and or Husky bar and hold it up to the Ripsaw where it mates and you will see which one lines up with the bar studs and oiler output and which one does not. That will tell you what flavor Ripsaw you have.

 

[Tree Bones]

I am within 100 miles of the coast, and the Myrtlewood from the Umpqua valley dose not have the color of the Myrtlewood from the coastal areas like Myrtle point, and Bandon but has a more pronounced grain pattern. It is something in the soil that adds to the color spectrum.

The minerals in the soil can have a big affect on the color of wood. Sometimes trees that are only 100 feet apart can have different color if the minerals change. You can even have the color in a single tree change if new minerals are introduced during the growing process.

 

[Bushler]

I've helped mill quite a bit of myrtle. The bugs (powder post beetle) usually only go as deep as the sap. Small pieces, like for turnings, can be put in a micro wave oven to kill the beetle larva. Or you can kill them by pouring some laquer thinner into the holes.

I like turning myrtle on the lathe, its pretty strong, and if you avoid the bad grain and knots its pretty stable.

We use a woodmizer. I'll dig up my pics. We haven't milled any lately, so the pics will be dated a few years.

Tan oak? Send it to the pulp mill. Makes good printer paper.

 

[Bushler]

Found a pic. Check out the little box. We were making those w/dovetail joints.

I'll keep looking through my pics. I did some shaker furniture, rockers and candle stands out of myrtle that came out trick.

 

[Tanoak]

Thank you all for the thoughtful replies on this thread. There is some great information here which will undoubtedly be useful once we get milling.

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Found a pic. Check out the little box. We were making those w/dovetail joints.

I'll keep looking through my pics. I did some shaker furniture, rockers and candle stands out of myrtle that came out trick.

Nice stuff there...

 

[Bushler]

Aggie, what kind of tree is that?

I've never made any money selling myrtle wood. Time consuming and everyone expects you to sell it for firewood price.

I do manage to make a few bucks milling Port Orford cedar. The top quality cuts go for musical instruments, the next sort goes for boat lumber, and the fall down sort I sell to the builders for decking.

PO cedar cuts nice.

 

[Burlhunter13]

Aggie, what kind of tree is that?

I've never made any money selling myrtle wood. Time consuming and everyone expects you to sell it for firewood price.

I do manage to make a few bucks milling Port Orford cedar. The top quality cuts go for musical instruments, the next sort goes for boat lumber, and the fall down sort I sell to the builders for decking.

PO cedar cuts nice.

I wish myrtle grew around me! I have to pay the fine cost of shipping to get the little bit I have. Tree makes a neat looking burl!

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Aggie, what kind of tree is that?

I've never made any money selling myrtle wood. Time consuming and everyone expects you to sell it for firewood price.

I do manage to make a few bucks milling Port Orford cedar. The top quality cuts go for musical instruments, the next sort goes for boat lumber, and the fall down sort I sell to the builders for decking.

PO cedar cuts nice.

Water Oak