There was an old sick juniper by our front steps that we finally got rid of (as much as we could, the deepest roots are still in the ground). I’m left with a chunk of the trunk maybe 18 inches long and maybe 8 inches thick. This part of the trunk appears to have been healthy, no internal visible bad spots on the cut ends. The rings appear to be very dense, as if it grew very slowly.
Is this wood good for anything - i.e. is it worth taking it somewhere and having it sawn into (admittedly short) boards? It’s been sitting in the dry basement for maybe 6 months, how long might it take for it to dry out enough to be useful (I don’t have a moisture meter)? Does juniper wood look good?
I was reminded of this while reading the thread about carrying sticks, but unfortunately this is too short and thick for that. I thought that if the wood was nicely figured I could make a small box or something out of it.
Roddy
It sounds like you don’t know anyone who is a woodworker. I would have to say you probably won’t get enough usable wood from it to bother with. As the wood has dried out, it has developed checks or cracks you may not be able to see. Best thing would be to find a school that has a woodworking program and donate the piece to them. It’s possible someone with a lathe can turn it into a couple of small bowls.
When you say 8" thick, do you mean in diameter? If it has been sitting 6 months chances are it is full of relief cracks. Better to split the bolt and then saw prior to drying, eliminating the pith. Many people coat the end grain with something to slow drying since that’s the greatest air exchange portion; wood glue, latex paint or proprietary product are used.
Figure depends on ambient conditions, impossible to know from here. But if it grew in dry conditions you might have a tight grained contender for a soundboard on a small instrument. The serenity of quarter sawn panels framed in a darker wood has appeal as well ala the small box.
Not bing snarky, but if you find that it is unsuitable for building something, you can always burn it. I would definitely split it first. Juniper burns hot, with very little smoke. It has one of the best aromas around.
