I'm glad someone else mentioned the bark. The bark has thin layers that I think grow additively similar to tree rings (though much thinner), which means the bark gets really thick on old trees from all those layers accumulating for 100+ years. It's not uncommon to find 2-3 inch thick pieces of bark. The pieces of bark come off in columns about 4 inches wide and up to a couple feet tall. Commonly used for green man carving, but also gnome houses. Takes detail incredibly well, though some carvers avoid it because it's not uncommon to hit blade dulling or nicking sand particles. I didn't see a particularly representative piece of bark on your slab. I'd recommend going to a carving-specific store like Chipping Away to get your hands on a good sample of carve-able bark.
I operate a small sawmill operation in New Hampshire I have sawn some big Cotton Wood It's very under utilized Wood. It does take a trick or 2 to dry flat
In the house that I grew up in , we had à cottonwood in the backyard. It was at least 80 ft tall and at least 20 ft around. That was when I was a kid and it is still there and I'm now 65 years.m
You also missed that Cottonwoods are kind of a nuisance in the spring. Not having Cottonwoods in your area you wouldn't get the opportunity to experience how they got their name. The seeds that they "drop" are these white cottony things that fly all over the place and get sucked into to EVERYTHING, your car, lawnmower, tractors, house, etc.
I used to cut and sell firewood as a teenager in the PNW. No one, absolutely no one, would buy and burn cottonwood. Smells bad, and burns like paper when fully seasoned. The main complaint being the soot it would leave within chimneys. Within the lumber industry, I never came across black cottonwood other than perhaps custom orders. Otherwise, logging shows would simply either leave them stand as riparian survivors, or just leave them as nurse logs and biomass.
Highlights not shared in this video podcast: The smell is often dependent on the water it grows. Not all of it smells bad. Its growth pattern is highly dependent on the location it grows and the strain of this particular species. Many are just as columnar as Tulip Magnolia (Liriodendron tulipifera) and size wise they are about the same overall with many Liriodendron dwarfing same-aged Eastern Cottonwood (Eastern Cottonwood) but again this is very region and variant strain related… This was a common “cook wood” for homesteaders when in small branches as it coals nicely but does not split easily due to the parenchyma cell structure similar to the Elms and Hackberrys. This is the main reason it is not used for firewood…not the smell at all…It does “ash out” more than other hardwoods. Overall, one of my favorite species for everything from Timber Frames (just finished one last year) to furniture…The trick to working with hand tools…oil and wax…while working it…
I've listened to the podcast since episode 1 and really enjoy the content, so this isn't meant to troll and hope it's taken as constructive and well-intended feedback. I think you need to choose, are you podcasting or producing video content. This felt rushed and the mix of poor audio and jumps in video made it difficult to either listen or watch. The podcasts have been great, I've learned a ton and I look forward to them. I'll continue to follow your content, regardless of format as I think most people will given the quality of the information, but I think it'd be easier for you to pick a format and better overall for your followers.
I'm really sorry to hear this as I worked hard on this episode and thought it was a big step forward in experience. I get the wind noise during the field report and that was my mistake for forgetting my wind guard on my mic. But I cleaned that up substantially and even listened to it in audio only format. I found it quite pleasing and reminiscent of some high quality news shows with field reporting. What jumps in video are you referring to? I explicitly didn't include dissolves between cuts this time in an effort to give the live reporting effect but perhaps that failed. But don't get me wrong, your point is taken as an old school podcaster who has been producing audio content for more than 15 years. I will continue to try to not lean on the video medium and make my commentary applicable across both platforms.
@@jimneely4527 ah I can see that with the little bit of bark I encountered on my slab. I would still think it would be too soft to hold carved details but now I really want to try it. Thanks.
@RenaissanceWW I came to the comments to mention the bark. The bark has thin layers that I think grow additively similar to tree rings (though much thinner), which means the bark gets really thick on old trees from all those layers accumulating for 100+ years. It's not uncommon to find 2-3 inch thick pieces of bark. The pieces of bark come off in columns about 4 inches wide and up to a couple feet tall. Commonly used for green man carving, but also gnome houses. I didn't see a particularly representative piece of bark on your slab. I'd recommend going to a carving-specific store like Chipping Away to get your hands on a good sample of carve-able bark.
