

- FLL 2015 TRASH TREK POINT MEASURE HOW TO
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As Americans, so much of the supply chain process is taken out of our purview that we don’t understand how long things take to make. “People don’t realize how time-intensive fabrication is.

We could involve students in discussing what chemicals might be used to treat the slabs against decay,” said Charlie.Ĭarter Innovation Studio director Cassie Kise shared similar thoughts about timing for next steps. Sometimes, slabs need to be treated against insects. A better technique is to find a shaded area to stack the wood with space between each slab so that air can flow. It can twist and warp the exposed side and not the other. “Rain is not an enemy of this process, but sunshine is. Though the viability of many ideas still needs to be assessed, one suggestion is to enlist students to help create proper storage conditions on campus and to have them oversee the curing of parts of the tree.
FLL 2015 TRASH TREK POINT MEASURE HOW TO
Summer conversations also focused on how to involve students in all aspects of recycling the tree, from these early harvesting steps, to curing, to cutting smaller pieces, and–eventually–to crafting. It will be part of student learning.” A photo of Founder’s Oak taken circa 2020

We’ll schedule it for during the week so that the community can see and be a part of what’s going on. “The actual cutting of the main trunk will be noisy, but we won’t schedule it for a weekend. Maybe a big two or three days,” Charlie commented.
FLL 2015 TRASH TREK POINT MEASURE PORTABLE
Once all of the smaller branches have been strategically cut and cleared away, Nick will partner with Kyle Dowd from Golden State Portable Milling on the milling of the main trunk. The smallest pieces will be the first pieces ready for processing.” The largest ones are as wide as tree trunks themselves and will take years to cure. The branches off the main trunk are called “secondaries”. “At this point, most of the smaller limbs have been separated from the main trunk. Nick has been on campus managing a process that could span two months. Every piece of it is important to try to get as much as we can out of it.” That’s why it’s so important that we be strategic at this stage in where and how we cut the logs to cure.Įnter Nick Harvey of Bay Area Redwood, the expert we’ve hired to oversee the harvesting of the tree. “We can’t predict how much usable wood our tree will yield. “Our particular kind of valley oak– quercus lobata–can be difficult to work with,” Charlie continued. Additionally, some of the pieces we set out to cure may have been lost to rot. At the end of this process, the dimensions of the cuttings will have changed. While the smallest pieces are expected to dry over the course of a single season, the trunk and large branches might need to be stored for five or more years. The best pieces will stay straight only if they have gone through a careful drying process.”Ī tree as large and complex as Founder’s Oak will yield cuttings of different thickness.

“When you go to a store and buy a milled piece of wood, you’re relying on that wood to be straight so you can build something out of it. “We think of wood as dry on the inside, but it’s actually pretty wet,” said Charlie, who worked as a furniture maker prior to becoming a teacher. Proper curing will yield bone-dry wood that won’t continue to change–wood that is ready for cutting. A robust curing process allows wood to wick moisture and settle into its final shape and hardness, all while protecting against rot. Wood tends to twist and check as it dries.
FLL 2015 TRASH TREK POINT MEASURE SERIES
Beyond this introduction to our first careful steps in repurposing the tree, a blog series will keep you informed around the status of Founder’s Oak.Īn essential early step in the reclaiming process is curing. Chief Operating Officer Keith Powell, Middle School Head Lauren Railey, Carter Innovation Studio Director Cassie Kise, and Middle School English Teacher Charlie Raymond spent several weeks exploring how best to honor our beloved tree. Could its wood be crafted into something usable? Could those who loved the tree take pieces for themselves?Ī team was assembled to discuss exactly that. How could we find a way to honor this tree by giving it another life? Alongside an outpouring of memories came a slew of ideas. The response to the fall of our mighty oak was swift and resounding: first, grief, then grit.
