I'll sure miss this oak tree...

[Fuddyduddy1952]

My grandfather planted this oak 43 years ago here, it came from Poplar Forest, a decendant of one of Thomas Jefferson's oaks. It had gotten large, really too close to house. I thought it could be trimmed but tree cutters showed me where bottom had a rotten area and it tried to heal itself. It's full of dead limbs and front yard I had to continuously pick up fallen limbs.
I decided hire out, five guys working with bucket truck.
They'll clean up everything and I have than and other stumps to grind.

 

[/pine]

Save some of the solid wood and make something or have an artisan make something...

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Save some of the solid wood and make something or have an artisan make something...

Yes I thought of that. I have a wood lathe.

 

[MossRoad]

Sorry for you loss. But as you already alluded to, you have a lathe, so you can make something nice to remember it by. That's good.

 

[Cycledude]

Probably won’t miss the tree much after you pay the bill for having it removed

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

$1,500 to just drop it, $2,500 total cut & haul everything off, grind stump and grade it level. I started to rent a bucket truck but they had another truck with trailer & tractor. I'd still have to hire helpers. I thought price was OK. Plus they got two more jobs from neighbors seeing them work.

 

[2manyrocks]

If it helps, your grandfather wouldn't want the tree to fall on your house.

 

[MossRoad]

I've got an oak tree that I transplanted from my parent's house before we sold it after my father passed back in 95. I hope to make two coat trees from it and give it to our kids some day.

 

[TN8Man]

Oak will keep you warm in the winter and save on heating bills.

 

[workinonit]

Sounds like the tree cutter is getting the wood and his money.

 

[riptides]

$1,500 to just drop it, $2,500 total cut & haul everything off, grind stump and grade it level. I started to rent a bucket truck but they had another truck with trailer & tractor. I'd still have to hire helpers. I thought price was OK. Plus they got two more jobs from neighbors seeing them work.

In my area, that's about the going rate for a tree.

Save a chunk and make a wall clock out of part of it. Since it has good memories.

 

[workinonit]

Just a suggestion. If you have some fill dirt have them remove the wood chips from the grinding and fill the hole with dirt. It takes a bit but at some point you will have a huge hole where the stump was and after the wood chips rot.

 

[Thomas]

With little thinking end table tops and stools.

 

[tacticalturnip]

Save some of the solid wood and make something or have an artisan make something...

This is an awesome idea.

I know it's off topic, but that old Nissan Hard Body is pretty cool; they're all long rotted out around here.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

The guys are still working. The oak is down, five foot across at base. I saved some pieces of it. We found more trees to cut , really a good price since equipment is here. A bucket truck is great!

 

[ovrszd]

I've got approximately 50 large oak trees in my two timbers. Some of them I specifically remember 60 years ago as a kid. I keep encroaching scrub brush trees cut from around them. They deserve their place in the timber. No amount of money could buy them.

In your case, you definitely had to protect your house. It's very easy when planting trees to get them too close to buildings.

 

[newbury]

$1,500 to just drop it, $2,500 total cut & haul everything off, grind stump and grade it level. I started to rent a bucket truck but they had another truck with trailer & tractor. I'd still have to hire helpers. I thought price was OK. Plus they got two more jobs from neighbors seeing them work.

Not bad.
I had a large pine (2.5' DBH and maybe 50' to 60' tall looming over my house in Mississippi. I COULD have cut it down myself but any slip in it's fall would have been a royal pain to cleanup.
So 2 years ago I got a guy with a bucket truck and helper. His going rate was $500/decent sized tree to get them to the ground, $3K minimum. He cut the pines in 10' sections and I still need to get them on my sawmill.
I also had several other trees leaning over buildings that needed removal.
/edit - I appreciate postings prices for this type of work, it helps planning.

 

[ovrszd]

Just had a resident in my township call me saying a huge Cottonwood tree had blown down across the gravel road he lives on. Asked if the Township would pay him to clean it up? It's on his land. I said no, that's your tree and your responsibility. I'll bring the grader out and get it off the roadway if you can't? He said oh no, I've got a large FWA tractor and a CTL. Just wondered if the Township would pay me to clean it up? People these days.....

 

[/pine]

FWIW...It's not difficult to mill down a hunk of wood into usable pieces for things other than turning...i.e., jewelry boxes, small display cases for collectables etc...frames, carvings...
Milling can be done with even 10" portable table saws and some chisels...it's nice to have a planer but a cheap belt sander from HF will work....best to dry the wood before spending a lot of time making something worthwhile...

*On a related note*...I work mostly as an advisor with a friend's company...we can build anything from upscale homes to curios...mostly build custom cabinets in the winter...
...We have a large shop with several commercial milling machines and re-saws etc...We also have a 36" cap. BSM and recently built a kiln for lumber up to 14'...
* here is where the relation comes in...new home clients always fret over having to take down trees (on their slice of heaven)...depending on the size and type of trees that have to come down...we can offer anything from exterior siding to interior paneling and everything in between that is usually made of wood made from their own trees...cabinets, doors, trim and moldings, furniture, fixtures...we also have a few lathes and make quite a few table lamps....

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

FWIW...It's not difficult to mill down a hunk of wood into usable pieces for things other than turning...i.e., jewelry boxes, small display cases for collectables etc...frames, carvings...
Milling can be done with even 10" portable table saws and some chisels...it's nice to have a planer but a cheap belt sander from HF will work....best to dry the wood before spending a lot of time making something worthwhile...

*On a related note*...I work mostly as an advisor with a friend's company...we can build anything from upscale homes to curios...mostly build custom cabinets in the winter...
...We have a large shop with several commercial milling machines and re-saws etc...We also have a 36" cap. BSM and recently built a kiln for lumber up to 14'...
* here is where the relation comes in...new home clients always fret over having to take down trees (on their slice of heaven)...depending on the size and type of trees that have to come down...we can offer anything from exterior siding to interior paneling and everything in between that is usually made of wood made from their own trees...cabinets, doors, trim and moldings, furniture, fixtures...we also have a few lathes and make quite a few table lamps....

Wow! I wish you were close to me. I had them save some random pieces. It's really nice looking wood. Most all the rest went to a landfill. I inherited a lathe and planer but my woodworking knowledge is about nil.