The property owner of The Marlay, Chad, writes in with this great account…
The Historic Pecan Tree was given it’s proper respect yesterday when Frank the “Lumber Jock” slabbed-up the 2 largest trunk pieces. Using an “Alaska Jig”, we were able to get 9 slabs of beautiful Pecan wood – all over 10 feet long. This should yield 5 or more beautiful banquet tables. There was also enough left over to allow several Decatur wood-workers material to use for furniture projects.
We will also have some benches that we made from the outside cuts.on site just in time for the St. Patrick’s Day Festivities.
The First Cut is the deepest, er, I mean the hardest. A wood guide is built to run the jig on- once there is a flat surface, the jig runs on the top of the log, with the huge saw mounted below.
Pecan, like many hardwoods, can “check” and crack quickly. The slabs are immediately “stickered” with strips of wood between each leveled slab. This allows airflow for even drying and minimizes warping. Without a kiln, it could take up to 3 years to air dry these monsters. We may send some of these slabs to a “vacuum kiln” where the drying process is reduced to 1 month.
The best part of the show was Frank. He can be seen here wearing steel reinforced safety-orange chaps and drinking Perrier. He confessed to me that besides wielding a 6 foot chainsaw, he enjoys making his own soap. Watch-out Ladies, he’s available!
Pecan wood is beautiful.
It is so nice to see a tree like that getting a second life as furniture. I was shocked to find out that when most large trees in Atlanta get cut down they are hauled off to a landfill because they usually contain metal and as a result cannot be processed by sawmills.
Beautiful! Nice work, Marlay House!
Would your team be willing to publish the contact information for the lumber “Jock” as they were listed in the story. I have several large trees that we will be taking out as part of a construction project in the next month and would welcome the chance to have him come out to do something similar.
It would be greatly appriciated!
Frank posted his email Further down the thread.
Can someone post the contact info for Frank? We have a large pecan tree in poor health and would also like to recycle it for some furniture projects.
Taking down large trees is expensive enough. The fact that Marley House went the extra mile to recycle its wood is commendable, indeed. Based on Tammy’s previous comment about metal in trees, I wonder if Frank uses a metal detector before making that first (or each) cut? I’m also curious/nosey as to whether one’s insurance helps defray the cost of removing such tree’s before they fall over into one’s house, car, etc…
Lovely tree. Much thanks to Chad for saving the wood. And we miss you out at the Stone Mountain Games.
I too would love to have contact info! I’ve got an old pecan reaching the end of it’s days too.
This was really very cool. Thanks to Chad for providing the account and pictures above. Looking forward to trying out one of those benches after a pint or two!
Fantastic!!!! Please post the contact info Frank.
That wood is gorgeous. Has anyone counted the rings to get the age of the tree? Would be cool to understand the age and align the bigger and smaller rings with drought years.
Hey Keith- I believe 76 rings were counted. The stump is still on site if you want to look at it.
Cool…thanks.
Can we chip ther eftovers to throw in a smoker?
I happened to talk to these guys today. They can take your slabs, dry them in their kiln (not a vacuum kiln though), and make something for you. They also can slab trees, but I would hate to step on Frank’s toes.
http://www.architecturalwoodco.com
The guy with the saw: Frank Summers
[email protected]
Good job with the pecan, Chad. I tried out the Marley benches on Saturday…. just great.
Your Old Proof of the Pudding Friend….. Nola 🙂
I just think you blew your cover! DPO?