Fortunately for us the tree was at the end of a track
leading into the woodland from the main road which meant we were able to
bring in some heavy lifting equipment.
Enter............ Forward Control borrowed from a
local farmer.
The trunk would have to be separated from the base plate and to do this safely its weight would need to be supported as we could not risk trapping the chainsaw during the cutting procedure.
In addition there was likely to be some tension
released once the trunk was cut away, as part of the base plate was still
attached to root system in the ground.
The first cut is the deepest?
or not............
In
our case the first cut found a nail embedded in the trunk some six
inches in. This slowed our progress as the chain had to be
resharpened before we could continue.
The black mark that can just be seen in the centre of the groove in this picture is a nail, hammered into the tree some sixty years ago.
As the tree continued to grow the bark covered the nail and it was lost until we cut into it!
Having found one nail we took a chance and, keeping our fingers crossed, we started another cut eight inches further along the trunk.
Success this time, no nails were found and the trunk was cut
smoothly from the base plate.
It had been a wise decision to support the tree, because as the saw cut through, the trunk was released and the base plate was pulled back towards the ground by the roots.
Once free from the base plate the trunk was cut in half as in one section it was far to heavy to be lifted.
Each section was then carefully carried out of the woodland and loaded onto a waiting trailer to begin their journey back to our premises for planking.
We have finished milling the tree now and were able to get 87 eight foot planks ranging from 1 inch - 2.5 inches thick with the widest board being 28 inches.
What about the stump and base plate?
The base plate and root system remained in the ground.
Just two months after we removed the main trunk new growth can be seen on what remains of the tree stump.
Proving once again that no trees are killed in the making of our furniture.
The first piece to be made from this tree can be seen here.
The Restoration Throne
Price: £21,000
There will never be another piece like this, it's made
from a Sweet Chestnut tree that was planted at the beginning of the
Restoration period (1660's) by the 1st Duke of Newcastle. The tree blew
down in strong winds in 2007.
At a total height to the top of the
back of 95 inches, the height of the seat is 35 inches add another 17
inches to the top of the arms. Finished with a clear shelac in it's
natural colour and hand waxed, there really is no other piece in the
world quite like this, it is simply unique!
The throne will be exhibited on DesignersBlock
stand at the International Furniture show in Milan 17th - 22nd in the
Museum of Science and Technology along with pieces from the best of
British design.
