Harvesting Trees

The word ‘harvest’ brings to mind small grains, alfalfa, sugarbeets, potatoes, legumes and the bounty from the gardens and orchards. Harvest, the seasonal reaping of any natural product, also includes lesser thought about products, including the harvest of trees for wood. Crane resident Ken Redman harvests trees and runs the logs through his small mill, producing slabs and boards of whatever dimensions he desires. He uses his end product to build anything from cabinets and trim to corrals and trailer decking.

Redman has worked with this particular mill for a long time, but just recently decided he would pursue millwork and carpentry as a paying hobby. “Dad bought this mill 20 years ago to make corral lumber,” Redman remarks. “He built corrals out of cottonwood, and he used the mill to make the timbers on the house he built. I helped him with the mill, so I’ve been working with it for a long time.”

He continues, “A few years ago, I decided to try this again. I like working with wood, and I knew the oil field was not the place where I wanted to spend the rest of my life, so I got the mill from my dad. This is unique, I can work for myself and I can develop this into a small business if I wish.”

Redman’s mill consists of a band saw that moves along two rails. Redman can position the logs, secure them in place, and run the band saw through the log, rather than moving the log through the saw. “The saw cuts a 1/8 curve so I waste less wood,” he comments. “The mill also uses less power. I can cut logs to any size and dimension I want, depending on the project. The saw moves on rails, the wood sits still, so I can work it myself. I like to have assistance, but it isn’t necessary.”

At this point, Redman has secured all his logs through salvage. “I use trees that have fallen down, been killed by disease, or trees that have been taken out for other reasons,” Redman says. “I’m in the process now of building my inventory, as once I’ve cut the lumber, it takes one to two years to dry. I’m cutting and stacking lumber now to dry for future use.”

Once the wood has dried, Redman runs his cut lumber through a planer and a sander, and uses the finished product for chests, cupboards and other items made from wood.

Redman uses a variety of different trees for his lumber and says that each species of tree has its own unique qualities. “Cottonwood is very lightweight but strong, and it works well for a variety of uses, including cupboards,” Redman remarks. “It’s a boring white color, but it can be stained. Local ash makes great trim and furniture wood. Elm produces a dense, good quality hard wood excellent for chests and cabinets. Russian olive is quite pretty when finished. You have to look twice to decide if it is walnut or not.”

He continues, “I love Russian olive. It is a dark wood that works as a replacement for walnut. The hard part about it is that Russian olives are usually small, crooked trees, and they have sand in them which is hard on saw blades. However, the final result is beautiful.”

Redman appreciates the satisfaction he gains from working with wood. He also sees a place for his product down the road. “This is a hobby and what I enjoy doing,” he concludes. “It is a lot of fun. At some point when I have enough stockpiled wood, I can see this becoming a hobby that pays its way. I see a place for custom orders in the future.”