Oregon Woodworker Posted October 11, 2022 Report Share Posted October 11, 2022 Hello, This is my first post here. I live in northwestern Oregon. I have been a woodworker for about 8 years now. I have made various furniture pieces and I am slowly but steadily learning more woodworking skills. It seems that furniture with router inlay work has become one of my favorite things to do with wood. I have an Alaska sawmill (chainsaw) with 50" bar and so far I have milled Claro black walnut (the most common type of black walnut on the west coast), Pacific Juniper, Big leaf maple, red alder, and bitter cherry (a wild cherry native to Oregon). My dad who was born and raised in Iowa used to tell me about how the American chestnut was the king of the forest in the midwest and east coast until an Asian chestnut blight wiped out almost all of it in the early 1900s. Fortunately, pioneers brought American chestnut seedlings to the west coast where it is not affected by the blight. There is an old ranch near where I live with a grove of 20+ large American chestnut trees. I sent samples of the leaves and branches to the American Chestnut Foundation and they confirmed that the trees are American chestnut, and not an Asian hybrid. I have also sent them chestnuts which they are using in their orchards to try and develop a blight resistant American chestnut. Three years ago one of the large trees blew down in a winter storm, and the ranch owner let me mill it into slabs. The slabs and large cookies from the stump have been stacked and stickered (ends painted) going on three years. My woodworking is primarily in black walnut and big leaf maple and I have no plans for the chestnut slabs. Here in Oregon there is little to no market for American chestnut; people do not have an historic attachment to it here like they do in its former range. So I would like to sell it. Please let me know if there are places in the midwest that would be interested in it. I assume that slabs would be expensive to ship. Here are some photos. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 Wow, those are some pretty chunks of wood! Makes me wish I lived a bit further West. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 Wow, those are beautiful pieces! I would like to have one of the slabs, if for nothing else as a woodworker, to say I had one. I hope you can find a buyer(s) than appreciate them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZombieMonkey Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 That looks amazing, if I was closer I would honestly consider it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 Happy to hear some American chestnut survives. Hopefully, some of those seedlings will get planted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chestnut Posted October 12, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 7 hours ago, Mark J said: Happy to hear some American chestnut survives. Hopefully, some of those seedlings will get planted. I have 3 in my back yard. There is a large blight resistant stand in Wisconsin i got some seedlings from a nursery 3 years back. Mine are 7' tall from 4" after just 3 years. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted October 12, 2022 Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 There is a state-operated reforestation complex about 2 miles from my house. Along with many acres of "seed orchards" for loblolly pine, various oaks, and walnut, they have a small grove of American Chestnuts tucked away in the back. I should probably check to see if they offer seedlings for sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JohnG Posted October 12, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted October 12, 2022 On 10/12/2022 at 7:07 PM, wtnhighlander said: There is a state-operated reforestation complex about 2 miles from my house. Along with many acres of "seed orchards" for loblolly pine, various oaks, and walnut, they have a small grove of American Chestnuts tucked away in the back. I should probably check to see if they offer seedlings for sale. The botanical gardens we used to go to are actually taking out a lot of loblolly pines to plant longleaf pines. The loblollys are overpopulated in the area and prevent a more diverse pine forest from growing. I need to go check on the chestnuts I planted last year. We had ordered some from the same nursery @Chestnut ordered from. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted October 13, 2022 Report Share Posted October 13, 2022 If I recall the longleaf pine timber is more valuable than the loblolly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted October 13, 2022 Report Share Posted October 13, 2022 On 10/12/2022 at 6:35 PM, JohnG said: I need to go check on the chestnuts I planted last year. We had ordered some from the same nursery @Chestnut ordered from. If I weren’t so old, I would like to plant some. If I planted them now, the new owners would prob cut them down to cook barbacoa! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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