500 Year Old Oak Falls

[kilowatt]

About a week ago when we were having high winds around our area here in Northen Cali this old Oak Tree split and one of the big fork limbs crashed to the ground. Then earlier this week they decided to take the other limb off about the same size but it was hollow inside too and fell and almost wiped out some of his old tractors that he has for "yard art" around his place.

So they got ahold of an Tree Arbortist(sp?) and so they confirmed the problem and another big old oak just a ways over was in the same condition, so they hired a crew to come in and removed these trees.
The place is used at times for big car shows and gathering and owner did not want anyone hurt, killed so out they came. Place is lined with old Oak trees.

The two largest trunks of the oak were bought and hauled to SO CAL to be used for Oak Veneer paneling from what we heard.

My damn camera today had a dead battery so took a pic with my cell phone before it was all gone.

Look at the dark blue PU/trailer in the back ground as they had a frontend loaded loading that BIG one piece of OAK into it for the trip to LA area.

This ranch owner has the worlds largest collection of Motor Oil Cans all housed in one building.

Brian
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[overton]

Is that the tree off Old Redwood Highway you planted when you were young?

 

[NVBighorn]

I heard it had the word "kilo" carved in it when it was just a sapling.

 

[eelgrass]

Cool!!!!! You know my motto: The only good tree is a stump.

Eel

 

[RELH]

Kilo;

My wife has a ranch on the Sacramento River and the victorian house was built in the 1890's. when they built the house a black walnut tree was planted in the front yard. That tree is now over 100 years old and HUGE.

The arborist that examined the tree stated it is the largest diameter walnut tree he has measured in the N.CA. area. The trunk is over 7 feet in Dia. An offer of 12 thousand dollars has been turned down for the tree.

There is not too many of the old large trees left in CA. and I hate to see them come down or die off. I better keep Eel away from that tree.

RELH

 

[kilowatt]

RELH,
You ever heard of Calico Hardwoods? They are about 2 miles from this place here and close to Overton's office. THey buy OAK STUMPS from all over and are hauled here, then cut amd made into rifle stock blanks....various prices and some real beautiful grained blanks and PRICES show that.


Brian
http://i25.tinypic.com/fxbjgy.jpg[/IMG]

 

[cjboz]

>Cool!!!!! You know my motto: The
>only good tree is a
>stump.
>
>Eel


Eel that must be a logger thing. My dads motto is "The only two good things in this world are stumps and gut piles" LOL


Thats a helluva tree Kilo!! You could cut firewood off that baby all summer!!

 

[RELH]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-24-12 AT 10:23PM (MST)[p]Kilo that offer we had for the tree was from a buyer that works for a custom gunstock company. we have thousands of walnut trees in this area. We also have a Bastogne walnut tree in the rear of the victorian house that is 6 feet in dia.

when I used to do gunsmithing, my father in law cut up a large English walnut for me and I got over 80 gunstocks out of it. I have used some of that walnut for my knife handles and pistol grips.

RELH

Kilo I have handled some Turkish Walnut gun stock blanks that had a price tag of $ 2,000.00 per blank. Those are the kind of stocks that go on a high dollar safe queen custom rifle and never see the woods.

 

[kilowatt]

cjboz, yea a person could have a lot of splitting to do there but most of the large parts went south for Oak Paneling.

RELH....I made a mistake in above post I meant to say that Calico Woods BUYS a lot of WALNUT TREE STUMPS WITH THE MAIN ROOTS STILL PARTIAL ATTACHED.

Years ago I bought a whole pallet of "end pieces of Walnut" that they had no need for and used it for kindling in fireplace. Not even sure they still sell it. Guess the best pieces could have been kept for making walnut handle plates for 45's etc.

Brian
http://i25.tinypic.com/fxbjgy.jpg[/IMG]

 

[eelgrass]

boz, I like your Dad already!

RELH, tell me more about the location of your wife's house. I'm really interested in photographing your trees. I have a new saw.......I mean camera.

Eel

 

[RELH]

Eel, you really do not want to cut down that old walnut tree. I may have the reputation of being a ornery hillbilly, but in my family, the Mrs. is the mean one and will dot you eyes with a bullet. She is a darn good shot also.

That tree is almost 100 feet tall and shades the victorian house from the afternoon sun. Main reason her father and her have turned down several offers to sell it.

RELH

 

[Little2Feather]

I'll bet that tree could tell some great stories. It would be great to sit around its fire, gently inhale its smoke and listen to its spirit tell those stories.