Fredrick Paget on tue 2 jan 07
About six months a neighbor, an old man who I knew not at all, died
and his daughter inherited the house. She put his wood pile up for
grabs and being an inveterate scrounger I hurried over to get some
wood. I brought home about a quarter cord of the good stuff and
called it a day.
There is a really huge tall tree in the back corner of her lot and it
hangs way over three neighbors property. They were after the old man
to cut it back and that is where the wood came from. I thought it was
some kind of pine by the look of it and the weight.
Turns out that that tree is a Dawn Redwood. , and it must be 65 years
old and has to be one of the first ones planted in the USA after
the tree was discovered -a living fossil - in the remote back area of
China by one of our military Flying Tiger guys who happened to also
be a botanist. At least I think that is the story.
Any way they showed up in California right after WW II and the first
one I saw was small, about Christmas tree size, planted in front of
the Palo Alto Post Office.
They are related to to California Redwoods of which there are only
two species. This was a third one and made quite a stir back then.
Well to finish a long story, I have been burning this wood in my
wood stove and it has very little ash. From the quarter cord I am
getting only about 1 gallon of ash. This will be a very rare glaze
after I make it.
Fred Paget
--
Twin Dragon Studio
Mill Valley, CA, USA
John Rodgers on wed 3 jan 07
Fred,
I really hate to hear of the wood from a Dawn Redwood being burned.,
even from a young tree or trimmings. Cannot something else be done with
it to preserve it in it's natural form - wood rather than be reduced to
ash. - wood turnings, boxes, something? Seems such a shame to burn it.
Regards,
John Rodgers
Fredrick Paget wrote:
> About six months a neighbor, an old man who I knew not at all, died
> and his daughter inherited the house. She put his wood pile up for
> grabs and being an inveterate scrounger I hurried over to get some
> wood. I brought home about a quarter cord of the good stuff and
> called it a day.
>
> There is a really huge tall tree in the back corner of her lot and it
> hangs way over three neighbors property. They were after the old man
> to cut it back and that is where the wood came from. I thought it was
> some kind of pine by the look of it and the weight.
>
> Turns out that that tree is a Dawn Redwood. , and it must be 65 years
> old and has to be one of the first ones planted in the USA after
> the tree was discovered -a living fossil - in the remote back area of
> China by one of our military Flying Tiger guys who happened to also
> be a botanist. At least I think that is the story.
>
> Any way they showed up in California right after WW II and the first
> one I saw was small, about Christmas tree size, planted in front of
> the Palo Alto Post Office.
>
> They are related to to California Redwoods of which there are only
> two species. This was a third one and made quite a stir back then.
>
> Well to finish a long story, I have been burning this wood in my
> wood stove and it has very little ash. From the quarter cord I am
> getting only about 1 gallon of ash. This will be a very rare glaze
> after I make it.
> Fred Paget
> --
> Twin Dragon Studio
> Mill Valley, CA, USA
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
>
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
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>
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>
>
Megan Mason on wed 3 jan 07
Fred,
As the spouse of a fine woodworker, what you are doing burning that rare
wood ,for ash, is like me taking a national treasure potter's work and smashing
it got mosaic tile fragments. I really wish you were not burning it,
man.Please reconsider.
Meg
Jonathan Kirkendall on wed 3 jan 07
Fredrick,
They grow here at the National Arboretum - really beautiful trees. Take
pics and show us once the glaze comes out!
Jonathan in DC
Fredrick Paget wrote:
> About six months a neighbor, an old man who I knew not at all, died
> and his daughter inherited the house. She put his wood pile up for
> grabs and being an inveterate scrounger I hurried over to get some
> wood. I brought home about a quarter cord of the good stuff and
> called it a day.
>
> There is a really huge tall tree in the back corner of her lot and it
> hangs way over three neighbors property. They were after the old man
> to cut it back and that is where the wood came from. I thought it was
> some kind of pine by the look of it and the weight.
>
> Turns out that that tree is a Dawn Redwood. , and it must be 65 years
> old and has to be one of the first ones planted in the USA after
> the tree was discovered -a living fossil - in the remote back area of
> China by one of our military Flying Tiger guys who happened to also
> be a botanist. At least I think that is the story.
>
> Any way they showed up in California right after WW II and the first
> one I saw was small, about Christmas tree size, planted in front of
> the Palo Alto Post Office.
>
> They are related to to California Redwoods of which there are only
> two species. This was a third one and made quite a stir back then.
>
> Well to finish a long story, I have been burning this wood in my
> wood stove and it has very little ash. From the quarter cord I am
> getting only about 1 gallon of ash. This will be a very rare glaze
> after I make it.
> Fred Paget
> --
> Twin Dragon Studio
> Mill Valley, CA, USA
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
>
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
Jonathan Kirkendall on wed 3 jan 07
Meg,
The dawn redwood is not quite as rare as that. It is easily grown, and
considered a fast grower. You can buy them at nurseries all over. For
"rare," one should read "not frequently seen in the US," not
"endangered." A potter's work that's smashed to make tiles can never be
seen again. A dawn redwood can simply be ordered off the web for around
$15.00 from one of the nurseries that carries them.
Jonathan
Megan Mason wrote:
> Fred,
>
> As the spouse of a fine woodworker, what you are doing burning that rare
> wood ,for ash, is like me taking a national treasure potter's work and smashing
> it got mosaic tile fragments. I really wish you were not burning it,
> man.Please reconsider.
> Meg
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
>
Mark Issenberg on wed 3 jan 07
I have two of those rare trees on my property.. They are about 8 feet so
far.They drop all the leaves and are bare through the winter. I also have a lot
Cryptomerias and Lyland Cypress. I even have varigated Leyland Cypress.. I
have most of these trees as a hedge. They are not rare. I have friend that grows
all the cool trees I planted. David Manser and he a web site,
_www.pondsnplants.com_ (http://www.pondsnplants.com) I think, I bought my trees from David
in gallon size,
Ive been busy hauling wood for the 3 wood stoves , ive been cutting,
splitting and stacking the wood for next year.
As far as eating at NCECA I sure hope there is a Shulas where Ken and I can
chow down a monster PRIME RIB...Oh man it just dont get better. Shulas also
had some good veges
Back to the wood pile
Mark
Lookout Mountain Pottery
Fredrick Paget on wed 3 jan 07
>Fred,
>
>I really hate to hear of the wood from a Dawn Redwood being burned.,
>even from a young tree or trimmings. Cannot something else be done with
>it to preserve it in it's natural form - wood rather than be reduced to
>ash. - wood turnings, boxes, something? Seems such a shame to burn it.
>
>Regards,
>
>John Rodgers
You know, I have the same thought and am trying to save a couple of
good pieces. Most of it had been sitting in the woodpile too long and
was going punky. The wood is mostly sapwood and very light.. The
center wood looks better but in the pieces less than 6 or 8 inches in
diameter is only an inch or so in diameter and a way off center. I
have a wood lathe and I am always on the lookout for good stuff,
which this isn't. I will celebrate it in the form of an ash glaze.
Fred
--
Twin Dragon Studio
Mill Valley, CA, USA
BJ Clark | Stinking Desert Ceramics on wed 3 jan 07
Good on ya Fred!
BURN IT ALL!
A rare ash glaze is WAY cooler than some silly wooden box or table leg.
What is this place? TreeHuggersUnite.com?
--
BJ Clark
Stinking Desert Ceramics
bjclark@stinkingdesert.com
www.stinkingdesert.com
On 1/3/07, Fredrick Paget wrote:
>
> >Fred,
> >
> >I really hate to hear of the wood from a Dawn Redwood being burned.,
> >even from a young tree or trimmings. Cannot something else be done with
> >it to preserve it in it's natural form - wood rather than be reduced to
> >ash. - wood turnings, boxes, something? Seems such a shame to burn it.
> >
> >Regards,
> >
> >John Rodgers
>
>
> You know, I have the same thought and am trying to save a couple of
> good pieces. Most of it had been sitting in the woodpile too long and
> was going punky. The wood is mostly sapwood and very light.. The
> center wood looks better but in the pieces less than 6 or 8 inches in
> diameter is only an inch or so in diameter and a way off center. I
> have a wood lathe and I am always on the lookout for good stuff,
> which this isn't. I will celebrate it in the form of an ash glaze.
> Fred
> --
> Twin Dragon Studio
> Mill Valley, CA, USA
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
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