Fat wood from a Christmas tree?

M

Mrknot

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Aug 15, 2013
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Trimming the base of our Noble Fir Christmas tree tonight and sap is oozing out all over the place.
Wondering if I leave the tree upright for a few months after the holidays and let it dry out real good, if the base will be a fatwood "goldmine"?
Thoughts?
 
It will have some. All of them do, but it depends on the size. The fat-wood is the heart wood, so the bigger the trunk the bigger the heart wood. Might help to know if your tree came from a ground level cut, or it was topped off of a taller tree. If it was topped it will probably be a decent amount being that it came from an older, bigger tree.
 
not just the trunk, but the base of each branch may have some too. i like using branch base fatwood for shavings.
 
cut the boughs off immediately, make wreaths, and the trunk will dry out much faster.
Or wait until next Friday, whatever. ;)
 
Fat wood forms when a pine tree dies standing and all the SAP / resin falls to the base and roots. I have found stumps with large amounts just below the surface. You can try it with your Christmas tree, not sure it is going to work. it will take a long time as the SAP has to dry while still in the wood. What kind of pine is it.
 
It's a fir...Noble.
Am I wrong in thinking that it would have same properties for fatwood production? (The sap feels and smells pretty similar)

Figured I'd let it stand upright, (outside of course), for a few months and see what happens...

This whole fatwood thing is kind of new to me and I am not too sure about the specifics.
 
All conifers have fat wood. It's the heart wood of the tree. Let it dry, and harvest what you can. It will be very dark in color, have a strong sap smell (pleasant), and will be very hard. I'm thinking most will com from the center of the trunk.
 
CM_Rick said:
It will have some. All of them do, but it depends on the size. The fat-wood is the heart wood, so the bigger the trunk the bigger the heart wood. Might help to know if your tree came from a ground level cut, or it was topped off of a taller tree. If it was topped it will probably be a decent amount being that it came from an older, bigger tree.
Click to expand...

I don't think just the heart wood makes fat wood. I've got some pine stumps that are solid fat lighter from one side to the other. The heart wood is just a small part of that thickness.
 
Sulaco said:
I don't think just the heart wood makes fat wood. I've got some pine stumps that are solid fat lighter from one side to the other. The heart wood is just a small part of that thickness.
Click to expand...

A stump is different. That change happens after the tree is felled for whatever reason be it cut, or natural causes. If you harvest from a fallen, rotted tree it's always just the heartwood.
 
For ten bucks you can buy a big box of fatwood from Wally World. Marketed under the name Duraflame. You know, those fire place logs you can just buy and burn? Yes that one. Ther is a company online selling plastis sacks stuffed with fatwood and all kinds of stuff intended to be fine tinders. Looks like what comes out of moms vaccum cleaner bags but is real fine and catches a spark well.
 
Sulaco said:
I don't think just the heart wood makes fat wood. I've got some pine stumps that are solid fat lighter from one side to the other. The heart wood is just a small part of that thickness.
Click to expand...

I just scored a solid stump about 16" across and 3' tall. That sucker was so heavy I could barley pick it up, even after cutting it in half. This tree had been in a fire, when all the sap heated up it sunk down and collected at the bottom. Burned up areas are a good place to find fatwood.

I get a lot from heartwood as well. It is my understanding that a tree must die at the right time of year when the sap is at its peak for fatwood to form. That is why you can check out fifteen dead trees in the same area and if you are lucky only one may have fatwood.

Here are a few morsels for your viewing pleasure:



 
That is some decent looking fat wood right there...... My neighbors talk of "rich pine" to describe sap rich but not yet Fat pine...... Any pine with good rich veins in it will work....... You just need more of it...... I frequently think using fat pine or as it is also known" fat lighter" is almost like using #2 Diesel or kerosene...... The fat wood smells better tho......LOL.....

Ethan
 
I grade it in three categories; the average stuff I call "lighter knot", the really good stuff is "super knot" and the stuff that is close but not quite there is "maybe knot".

A few chunks from today's haul:



If anyone above that has posted in this thread up to here can't find fatwood in their area, I will fill a small or medium flat rate box for you if you cover the shipping.
Just post an "I'm in" below and send me a PM or e-mail with your address and I'll give you my paypal info.

rickft@bellsouth.net
Thanks,
Rick
 
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Just figured I would see if MrKnot is still around and how this worked out.

Well?
 
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