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OT: American Basswood

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hillbillyOH

07-05-2007 03:56:34

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We had a big tree come down near where our tractor trail meets the creek. I thought it was an oak at first, but it wasn't. A little research showed it to be an "American Basswood" tree.

American Basswood

Do these trees make good firewood? It's a big tree, I just don't know if it's worth messing with.

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Dave Anderson

07-05-2007 17:44:07

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Re: OT: American Basswood in reply to hillbillyOH, 07-05-2007 03:56:34

Go to woodweb.com to find a sawyer near you. Basswood is very good for carving. Around here they use it for ducks and geese decoys, we cut it into 4"X 6" blocks about a foot long for blanks. Keep the pith out of your blocks or they'll split. Basswood is NOT rot resistant so don't leave it exposed after you cut it up, and also get it it up off of the ground asap, and milled asap or the bugs (powder post beetle,mainly) will get into it and make it worthless!

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Bob Kerr

07-05-2007 17:29:47

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Re: OT: American Basswood in reply to hillbillyOH, 07-05-2007 03:56:34

A long time ago it was used for making wooden shipping boxes and package boxes like for velveta cheese and winchester ammo boxes for example. Here in Indiana a friend has one in his yard and the japanese beetles strip the leaves off it every year leaving just the veins. I don't know why the tree hasn't died yet from it. He has set the traps all over and dumps them out 5-6 times when they get full.

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NEsota

07-05-2007 17:23:30

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Re: OT: American Basswood in reply to hillbillyOH, 07-05-2007 03:56:34

Basswood must be what I burned a little of last winter. The smoke smelled pleasant and was very distinctive. I did not find anyone who could identify it. This was in S.E. NE where there is not much of it. Are the Basswood and the Linden really the same tree in MN?

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1936

07-05-2007 17:10:51

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Re: OT: American Basswood in reply to hillbillyOH, 07-05-2007 03:56:34

Best for lumber and carving wood. Lumber must be inside from the weather. Will burn similar to soft maple commom name silver maple. Fast and hot.

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Tim in New York

07-05-2007 16:30:01

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Re: OT: American Basswood in reply to hillbillyOH, 07-05-2007 03:56:34

And, it has a unique smell when burned. Hard to describe, kinda sweet. I definitely can tell when I have a chunk in the stove.

I'll take one for firewood every once in a while - they seem to blow down easily after bigger trees have been taken for logs.

Tim in New York

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Dave_Id

07-05-2007 14:01:20

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Re: OT: American Basswood in reply to hillbillyOH, 07-05-2007 03:56:34

Basswood up in Minnesota was also called Linden, I believe. For firewood, it burned, (very quickly, that's all you can say about it. The stuff I cut always had a big hollow on the inside, about 6 inches in diameter, so these didn't make good saw logs.

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Tim B from MA

07-05-2007 09:30:41

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Re: OT: American Basswood in reply to hillbillyOH, 07-05-2007 03:56:34

Used to be the standard for carving duck decoys - till it became hard to get. Now they use cork.

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Dave 2N

07-05-2007 05:35:02

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Re: OT: American Basswood in reply to hillbillyOH, 07-05-2007 03:56:34

Bingo to what these guys are telling you. It makes great lumber. We used ship-lapped basswood boards to finish one wall of our patio/three-season room. We painted them white and it gave a nice "country" effect. They look great. What you do with it is up to you and the condition of the tree. My experience with burning it is that it's about like burning rolls of paper towels. When I was a kid, my Dad supervised logging crews around SW NYState and NW PA. They mainly cut the traditional hardwoods like oak and maple but I can remember my Dad telling the crews to take any basswood too that they came across.

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hillbillyOH

07-05-2007 06:39:18

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Re: OT: American Basswood in reply to Dave 2N, 07-05-2007 05:35:02

I don't believe the trunk is rotten. It came down only because the bank underneath it gave way.

My buddy builds furniture, so maybe I can talk him into helping me limb the sucker and drag it home in 8-foot sections. We'll definitely go the lumber route rather than the firewood route.

The worst firewood I've ever dealt with was sycamore. Absolutely impossible to split cleanly.

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HENRY E NC

07-05-2007 06:46:40

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Re: OT: American Basswood in reply to hillbillyOH, 07-05-2007 06:39:18

As others have said, basswood is prized by wood carvers because there is not as much grain in it. it is easily carved into figurines. , It makes great rockers for rocking chairs for the same reason. I repair furniture and use it all the time. Have sone cut into 4" lumber that be cut into blocks. I'll bet you can sell most of it thru a woodcarvers magazine or website .

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hay

07-05-2007 05:19:35

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Re: OT: American Basswood in reply to hillbillyOH, 07-05-2007 03:56:34

makes great lumber if you can get it sawn at a mill. light weight and strong and light color. takes a great finish.

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homard

07-05-2007 05:18:05

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Re: OT: American Basswood in reply to hillbillyOH, 07-05-2007 03:56:34

If it was a large tree and sound inside, you might consider asking a saw mill about the cost of cutting it into boards and beams (to later cut into blocks). Some people favor Basswood for carving (both furniture and other objects).

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Jim Sabatino

07-05-2007 04:10:30

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Re: OT: American Basswood in reply to hillbillyOH, 07-05-2007 03:56:34

Good Morning,

Basswood is also known as the "bee tree" for the flowery blossoms it has that attract bees. Basswood honey is very sweet and sought after. As for firewood, we have many of these on our tree farm and the wood can be burned, but is light in weight and not very dense. It burns quickly. We burn all wood so as not to waste it with today's firewood prices, but it will also serve as natural fertilizer as it decays if it's not in your way. Just our two cents! Good luck. Jim

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