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Saw downs, blow downs & wind shakes

Some of the local healthy Norfolk Island Pines blown down by last year's hurricanes had some internal cracks (wind shakes?), but IMHO not much different from felled healthy trees. I wonder if other timbers along the gulf coast or elsewhere exhibit a marked difference whether sawn down or blown down. Would someone please discuss or give a reference to what happens inside a falling healthy tree in general and in particular species. Also the effects of total time spent shaking before falling and how the tree fell. I assume that trunk weight and root size are factors. TIA

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

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Arch
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If, by wind shakes you mean the same as we have with local hardwoods, they happen along the annual rings, and are a result of the tree bending under a load while standing and growing. Ring porous woods like oak and ash seem most prone, but they're certainly possible everywhere. I've even seen some in maple.

Falling trees and "stump pull" is a whole different business. The heartwood remains on the stump, and the bottom stick is left with a big hollow ripped out section. Can rip along wind shakes, but not necessary that they be present. The practice of plunging the saw to relieve the center of the wood prior to felling is pretty commonly used on valuable birdseye and curly veneer logs. Should say was, as now the feller machine holds the tree in position as it's cut, precluding stump pull.

Reply to
George

Arch, not on the coast, but the coastal plain of Georgia I have found ring shake in wild black cherry a few times. In fact I found it yesterday in one that was 30 inches in diameter, and it makes you sad to look at it. I am thinking I might be able to salvage some of it, but all the while I was thinking about the big cherry bowls I was going to get from this tree. Glenn Nashville, GA

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Glenn

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