Pine tree uses....

**COWBOYSURVIVAL** · 03-03-2010, 07:23 PM

Maybe I lost my mind but....A friend had a rather large pine cut down and I salvaged it all. except the limbs. Not sure what all I'll do with it, but I hauled it home. One thing I was after is some Fat Lighter. I am guessing it has to age some for that. So I ask you any other ideas for not letting it goto waste? It is mostly in 2 ft. sections. From about 1' to 3' in diameter? Any ideas are welcome!

**Runs With Beer** · 03-03-2010, 08:00 PM

Cut fresh pine wont turn to fat lighter, only standing dead for a long time the heart turns to fat wood.

**Justin Case** · 03-03-2010, 08:07 PM

Fat lighter ?? whats that ?

**COWBOYSURVIVAL** · 03-03-2010, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by Runs With Beer

Cut fresh pine wont turn to fat lighter, only standing dead for a long time the heart turns to fat wood.

I'd have to disagree with ya...I have pulled many a fat lighter beam out of old homes. Made one into a beautiful mantle peice. I do agree it can't be left to the elements.

**COWBOYSURVIVAL** · 03-03-2010, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by Justin Case

Fat lighter ?? whats that ?

Don't see it much out west. Maybe you have heard of Fat Wood? Anyhow it is aged heart pine that turns to quite a hot fuel source. The sap in the wood lights up almost like lighter fluid!

**your_comforting_company** · 03-03-2010, 08:25 PM

no telling how long it will take to age into fat lighterd. I mostly find stumps in the woods and get what I can off that. I've taken a LOT of fat lighterd off rooftops where the wood was split, or some rotted from leaking. Some had been up there for 50 years or so and had several roofs redone.
You should be able to chop some into smaller pieces and boil it to extract some of the sap. It will ruin your pan, so don't use the wife's good stuff! I still have a knot on my head from that one!!

**COWBOYSURVIVAL** · 03-03-2010, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by your_comforting_company

no telling how long it will take to age into fat lighterd. I mostly find stumps in the woods and get what I can off that. I've taken a LOT of fat lighterd off rooftops where the wood was split, or some rotted from leaking. Some had been up there for 50 years or so and had several roofs redone.
You should be able to chop some into smaller pieces and boil it to extract some of the sap. It will ruin your pan, so don't use the wife's good stuff! I still have a knot on my head from that one!!

I do collect and use sap from live pines now. I wonder what would take place baking some say 3" X 3" X 12" peices that were really loaded up in sap. I noticed as I unloaded it certain peices had just loads of sap. I think the key would be getting the wood dry while retaining the sap content.

**Justin Case** · 03-03-2010, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by COWBOYSURVIVAL

Don't see it much out west. Maybe you have heard of Fat Wood? Anyhow it is aged heart pine that turns to quite a hot fuel source. The sap in the wood lights up almost like lighter fluid!

Thank you

**Rick** · 03-03-2010, 08:48 PM

Someone correct me if you think I'm wrong but fat wood is just a high percentage of volatile terpenes. The only reason you would need to age it is to reduce the moisture content in the wood so it would burn more efficiently. I think standing fat wood is nothing more than the loss of the root base so the above ground wood dries out to whatever the atmosphere is rather than having flowing water in the cellulose. At least, that's how I understand the process.

Pine is very nice and an easy wood to work with. It's soft and pretty easy to carve. Things line spoons would be pretty simple to make.

Clothespins (wedge kind not spring loaded)
Flint steel handles

I'll bet your daughter would love some simple wooden games like, Jenga (easy to make), hooey stick, wooden bowling or wooden tic tac toe.

**COWBOYSURVIVAL** · 03-03-2010, 08:53 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

Someone correct me if you think I'm wrong but fat wood is just a high percentage of volatile terpenes. The only reason you would need to age it is to reduce the moisture content in the wood so it would burn more efficiently. I think standing fat wood is nothing more than the loss of the root base so the above ground wood dries out to whatever the atmosphere is rather than having flowing water in the cellulose. At least, that's how I understand the process.

Pine is very nice and an easy wood to work with. It's soft and pretty easy to carve. Things line spoons would be pretty simple to make.

Clothespins (wedge kind not spring loaded)
Flint steel handles

I'll bet your daughter would love some simple wooden games like, Jenga (easy to make), hooey stick, wooden bowling or wooden tic tac toe.

I agree with you on the fatwood take...Oh I have ideas! I just was hoping to get more. I plan to make some slabs for decoration around the house, chair seats...etc. I even thought of maybe trying my hand at chainsaw carving! Wombah!

**crashdive123** · 03-03-2010, 09:12 PM

Actually - partially correct I believe. While all the "stuff" is in the tree, it can produce more. It is when it is damaged that the tree starts producing large quantities of the resin - in an effort to "heal" the tree. The most saturated wood I have found has been from damaged trees. Trees that have been struck by lightning or damaged by fire (not burned too much) seem to have the best, most resonous wood. Kind of like anti-bodies attacking an infection in our bodies.

**BLEUXDOG** · 03-03-2010, 09:13 PM

I used a piece of tree trunk as a saddle rack once. It looked pretty neat and made a great conversation piece.

**Batch** · 03-03-2010, 09:13 PM

See down here we call that either lighter knot or lighter pine. It is all over the place in Big Cypress off of Concho Billy Trail.

I was always told it was from a pine tree that was struck by lightning and killed and that the roots kept pumping resin up to the tree and it had no place to go.

Its also used by some taxidermist down here as drift wood on bass mounts.

**COWBOYSURVIVAL** · 03-03-2010, 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by crashdive123

Actually - partially correct I believe. While all the "stuff" is in the tree, it can produce more. It is when it is damaged that the tree starts producing large quantities of the resin - in an effort to "heal" the tree. The most saturated wood I have found has been from damaged trees. Trees that have been struck by lightning or damaged by fire (not burned too much) seem to have the best, most resonous wood. Kind of like anti-bodies attacking an infection in our bodies.

I agree with that too. This tree had been damaged by something and really some of the wood is just orange with sap while some is "white" it is the orange pieces I think will yield fat lighter. Lets face it pine burns quick regardless.

**COWBOYSURVIVAL** · 03-03-2010, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by BLEUXDOG

I used a piece of tree trunk as a saddle rack once. It looked pretty neat and made a great conversation piece.

Good Idea! I have a need for a Saddle rack or two! Thanks BLEUXDOG!

**Batch** · 03-03-2010, 09:20 PM

I also thought I saw Les Stroud take "fatwood" from a cypress stump in a South GA swamp. But, I never tried that.

**COWBOYSURVIVAL** · 03-03-2010, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by Batch

I also thought I saw Les Stroud take "fatwood" from a cypress stump in a South GA swamp. But, I never tried that.

I could see that having worked with Cypress and living in the swamp.

**crashdive123** · 03-03-2010, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by COWBOYSURVIVAL

I agree with that too. This tree had been damaged by something and really some of the wood is just orange with sap while some is "white" it is the orange pieces I think will yield fat lighter. Lets face it pine burns quick regardless.

Yeah, but if you cut or split the orange, resin soaked, lighter into 1/2" X 1/2" strips that are maybe 4" or 5" long, you will have some great fire starting tinder. Shave it - hit it with a spark - viola - fire.