I recently found out that the huge, gorgeous alder tree in my yard, which was one of the main reasons I bought my house, has to be taken down due to safety concerns. An arborist confirmed it's unsafe or else I might have ended up with a major accident during winter storms. I'm really sad to see it go! The arborists are scheduled to come in a couple of weeks. I'd love to take a piece of the trunk and have it made into planks or a live edge coffee table to remember my tree. Is there a way to do this, and what kind of costs are involved? I'm located in San Diego, which might matter.
3 Answers
Check around for local sawmills and give them a shout. You might even be able to rent a chainsaw milling machine and do it yourself if you’re feeling handy. Just keep in mind that you'll need to let the wood dry out for a year or two before using it, so be prepared for that! Maybe ask your arborist who they recommend for this kind of work.
If you're thinking about using a portable sawmill, make sure to ask what their max size can handle and give your arborist a heads up so they can plan how to fell the tree. If you want a long piece, like around 10 feet, there needs to be enough space for it to drop safely. Otherwise, they'll probably chop it into smaller parts for easier handling.
You can definitely get longer sections of your trunk milled into slabs, but just a heads up—it's usually not cost-effective for just one or two slabs, and drying takes forever. It’s about a year per inch of thickness! Make sure they’re stored properly while they dry; green wood can warp and crack. Check out [Wood-Mizer](https://woodmizer.com/us/find-a-local-sawyer) to find a local sawyer.