Beetle Kill Trees and Furniture for the House

In the area we are building, a number of the Ponderosa Pines have been killed by beetles. The beetle attack the weakest trees. During a drought period the weakest trees are not able to create enough sap to close in the holes dug through the bark by the beetles. A fungus then is able to grow within the tree and cut off water movement, ultimately killing the tree. There is not much that can be done to guard against this force of nature, that thins the forest, but cutting down the infected trees before the beetle can move on to the next meal.

Last year, Derek and I cut down a number of beetle kill trees. We used a portable Hudson Sawmill to mill them into lumber. This lumber has a blue streaking to it caused by the fungus that killed the tree. In many areas of the country this type of wood is sold at a premium because of the coloration.

We had originally thought of using this wood on the interior ceiling lining of the house, but the additional milling needed made this too time/money consuming. We have decided to use it to accent areas of the house, e.g. fireplace mantle, handrails, etc., and to make furniture out of it.

Here is a picture of the second piece made from this stock. It is a card table (non-folding) made from Ponderosa Pine with Purpleheart for the border and stretchers. The Purpleheart turns a brownish color over time, but if you put it in sunlight it reverts to a deep purple. This location for the table will require a rotation every once in a while to keep the color even.

The finish is tung oil with a couple of coats of wax.

I hope to make a few more pieces before the house is finished.

Pat