greg4269ub

has anyone ever used chestnut trees for quality lumber? any qualities or defects that i should be aware of?

phinds

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/person...ct%20sheet.htm

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/person...s/chestnut.htm

pretty nice wood, generally.

Paul

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dirtclod

There's the legendary American Chestnut that was all but completely wiped out by 1950 by a blight imported from China in the early 1900's(?) Then there's the Chinese chestnut that was imported as a pitiful replacement. I assume you're referring to the former. Its wood was highly prized as was its nuts. I haven't worked with the wood or tasted it's fruit but I've tried the Chinese variety and I'm not impressed. My uncle, who's old enough to remember and has tried both, says the nuts from the American variety were superior.

But you're interested in the wood. I'll start off by saying the American chestnut is a protected species. Few survived in its original native range which was roughly east of the Mississippi. What survived there generally die about the time they get big enough to produce nuts. They sucker from the roots and come back. They are now exceedingly rare in their native range. Rumor has it that before the blight hit some were transplanted in the west that survived the blight. If you have standing live trees then I suggest you prize them for their being alive and leave it at that...contact the American Chestnut Society (?) and let them know where they are at so they can collect specimens for preservation.

But, again, you're interested in the wood. You can can compare its appearance to oak, but without rays. It's more rot resistent and easier to dry without defects. It was used for many applications including fence posts, beams for barns and warehouses. flooring, trim, furniture, etc..

There's pleanty of info available in web searches about American chestnut including historical uses and attempts to restore it to its former glory.

TexasTimbers

I studied up on this topic a great deal last year. All I can conclude is that most people have never even seen a true American Chestnut tree. Some claim they still exist in abundance (technically) and some university sites claim they don't exist at all. Someone please post a picture if you have one you personally took.

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Toby allen

Hello,
I work mainly with Swet Chestnut (castinea sativa) in the uk. Good wood, great fencing material as the other chap said, but a high risk of ring and star shake on any over 60 years old. It used to be used in place of oak in buildings though it is very durable it doesnt have the strength of oak or ash.
I'd also be interested in any information about the american chestnut, never heard of it..

www.sayitwithwood.co.uk

slabmaster

Hers one in my yard that i planted from The edison estate.It just started flowering.

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NKYDarrell

how old is that tree now Slabmaster?

lucas.j.dunton

If you listen to NPR there was a good interview today that I heard on my way to work about american chestnut trees and their decline and the efforts to revive them and breed an american chestnut tree that has the blight immunity that asian chestnuts have. It was very interesting. You can find all of npr programming online if you look

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slabmaster

I can't say exactly, maby7-8yrs old.It's growing in exellent soil my 5 acres has 10" of black sandy loam topsoil then 4 ft. of sand then blue clay.This tree is about 16FT. Tall and 8" at the base.

Toby allen

It looks like a conker tree, is it?

slabmaster

Sorry Toby,I don't know want a conker tree is. My tree is a chestnut tree.

Toby allen

We call them horse chestnuts, kids play a game with the nuts called conkers, they drill a hole in them, thread them on string and hit them against each other untill one breaks, great fun. Theres a world championships and everything.
The leaves and flowers look very simular to the photo.

slabmaster

Toby, We call them american horse chestnuts over here.So i guess it is a conker tree.

Toby allen

Theres a problem with them getting bleeding canker here, we might end up losing another tree out the landscape.

dirtclod

There's tonnes of info available on the web about the splendure and folklore of the vernerated American Chestnut (Castanea dentata). Here's a start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Chestnut

I've got some stories passed down from the past...if only I can remember them all.

You caught me off guard with castinea sativa. I've heard of it but had forgotten. How do you like its fruits?

Castanea mollissima is the Chinese (ala Uncle Jed - "Pitiful") chestnut I referred to earlier.

toolman Steve

I played the game when I was a kid in Rhode Island in the 50s & 60s . I was pretty good at it . I had some king Chestnuts. (over 50 wins) We also use to roast them they were very tasty. Some times we forget the good old days!!!

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