Eastern(?) Aspen Trees

Re: Eastern(?) Aspen Trees

George Van

>Hi Doug,

I have sawn Quaking Aspen, and Bigtooth Aspen harvested from our woodlot in Wisconsin. I used the clear butt logs for 2x6 and the upper logs for 1� boards for T&G paneling.

The 2x6 were 10� long studs for my workshop walls; I also got clear 2x12 for headers. About 70% of the studs were straight enough for the wall studs after drying, the others worked good when cut in half for the knee walls of the house. A few had to be reduced to 2x4 to be straight.

The T&G paneling looks great in our gift shop; we get many comments asking what is it. The knots have a pleasant contrast to the whiter wood. I think it is a better choice than the Basswood paneling I sometimes see in our area.

I used a nail gun for framing and paneling and have not had problems. Even when hand nailing as a nail gun can�t do everything it seems to nail well. I think Douglas fir is a more difficult to nail.

I have not turned any but had a tree go down against another last year and will give it a try when I get the Bobcat out there to take it down. I imagine it will be a challenge to get a fuzz free finish cut off the tool.

George

Re: Eastern(?) Aspen Trees

Jon Arno

>Doug, there's a good chance it's the same species (Populus tremuloides, AKA quaking aspen) you had out in Colorado. We have two native aspens here in the East; Quaking aspen (as in Colorado) and also the bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata). Both of them belong to the genus Populus, as does our eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), which we usually call "poplar". The woods cut from the two aspens are virtually identical: very blond (almost white), fine textured, diffuse-porous (with just enough difference in pore size between earlywood and latewood to give them a slight figure) and they are very soft. Aspen wood is only slightly heavier than Eastern White Pine in that it is almost identical in weight to the western ponderosa pine.

Our eastern poplar (P. deltoides) is comparable in appearance and density, but usually a little coarser textured. In my experience working with all three of these woods the aspens are more stable than poplar and have a little better shaping characteristics.

One caution though; the aspens have very poor decay resistance, so avoid using this wood for exterior projects.

Re: Eastern(?) Aspen Trees

Bob Hackett

>Here in Maine it`s called Poppel and it`s considered a weed tree.It is the same tree as Quaking Aspen is out west,as per the folks who know up here.

Peter Bloch from NH turns large translucent lamp shades from it and he said he finds it to be very light weight+stable.His web site would be a great place to get info.

As Jon said the wood almost starts to rot upon contact with the ground.

Once you cut the tree be prepared to prune the replacements that will spring up from the roots for years to come.Weed tree is an accurate description,this is the crabgrass of the forest.

Mainely,Bob