Silky Oak wood

jennybryce

Hi all. We are new to posting so hope it works! We have a huge Silky Oak tree in our front yard- approx 60 ft tall and the trunk is over 2 metres in circumference. It is about 60 years old and healthy and straight but too close to our neighbours house so has to go! Anyone want some beautiful wood?? We hate to see it go into a chipper! We live in Lockleys, Adelaide.... cheers, Jenny

George Valentine

I sure could used some decent Silky-Oak and you are within (sort of) my necks of the woods (Mt. Compass).

Have you organise anyone to fall it and when does it have to go...???

Can you provide a couple of pics of its location, in relation to neighbour and any other obstruction for its drop or does it have to be dismantled from the top down...???

Every time "possible", I never let wood go to waste, utilization of natural resources, has been my goal with timber for many, many years, unfortunately, I can't have it all..!

Cheers
George

jennybryce

Hi George,
no set plans re schedule of felling. We've got a few quotes but were just waiting for the new tree laws to come in. Also, we wanted to know if anyone wanted it a particular size before we got it chopped. It is about 9 metres from the neighbours front door but all clear on the other side. Not difficult to remove according to the tree people. Photo coming...

George Valentine

That's great, thanks...!

Good idea to have more than one quote, and if I may ask, do all the quotes you have so far include, removing/disposing, chipping, or other to all tree material...???

A 60 years old Silky-Oak, in good soil conditions, should have grown to a "considerable" size and the measurements you provided, shows just that. A straight trunk is good not not essential to me as a wood turner and wood-worker, the whole thing may endup being cut at 3' lengths, if I'm either to take care of it or, collect the wood after someone else have cut it, which doesn't bother me. I only cut now, what I can use but I'm happy to collect the "usable" wood, instead of it being wasted...!

To have a use for the wood, particularly the main trunk and any bigger limbs, represents 2 things if I'm only to collect the wood, one is the person pricing the job, doesn't have to quote for the removal and disposal of 80% of the wood weight, which represents a normal $50 per tonne fee at the dump gates + the handling of the wood into the truck, travel distance and time to the dump, unloading and back...!

For the tree person doing the job, not having to handle that part of the job, and instead, simply cutting then tree down and chipping the branches (small stuff), is always a bonus so, the cost of having the wood transported to me, is in 90% of times, a much cheaper option, than paying the tree worker to dispose it all by the normal methods.

As an recent example, from a large tree cut down in the Adelaide area late last year, the tree people that done the job, required $1,400 to dispose the full tree material, on top of the prep. and falling stages. The tree was calculated at about 20 tonne full weight, so just in dump fees the cost was $1.000, instead I had the usable wood cut to specifications and transported to me by the same tree people, as they had the equipment to handle it anyway, regardless so, the fuel cost and driving time (3 hours round trip) to bring 16 tonne to me (one trip), was quoted at $480, the ($180 fuel, max.) so, the approx. 4 tonne left in light branches, was dumped at a cost of $250, or could be chipped as a revenue to the tree people at the chipper working time only.

In the end, the job was done, everyone was happy and the tree owner saved $670.00 on tree material disposal, covering pretty much the cost of having the tree cut...!

For three people that don't use wood, and have to quote of its disposal, they have no other option than charge for all that involves disposing it. Some may chip as most as they can but, is only so much even the bigger "common" chipper's can eat so, there is always a lot of large and heavy logs that have to be handle and taken to the dump. The cost of chipping is pretty much covered from the revenue it produces but, the big logs require "heavy equipment" to deal with it, at the original tree location, that means equipment cost, operators cost and disposal costs that, have to be included in the quote provided, and that is just the way it is, and have to be...!

As I said previously, is just not possible to "salvage" all the wood that is cut everyday, unfortunately, and the waste of the natural resources is just tremendous, something that one day, we may all regret but, in the mean time, I can also only salvage so much...!

My intentions here are, to simply provide you with relevant information and options, something that will allow you to make a much more educated decision to your tree situation so, the final word is always in your hands...!

Hope this helps...!

Cheers
George