The sapwood of many species is susceptible to borer infestation, so the poles should be treated with a solution such as pyrethrum, once the bark is removed. The timber is sawn into wedge-shaped sections, utilising more of the log without compromising any timber quality other than its traditional look. Relatively small logs from plantation sources can be radially sawn to produce stable, wedge-shaped beams. Sustainability Small is beautiful. Small sawmills may not be able to supply the kiln-dried timber preferred for some joinery jobs, but they usually have stocks of building timbers suitable for a variety of uses.
Information is also available through wood-turning schools, where local offcuts are put to good use.
Beware of corporate exploitation. Some companies spend vast sums to promote their 'product', claiming that the timber is sourced from sustainably or environmentally managed forests. These companies are often also involved in export woodchipping of old growth forests. In many cases, we are still waiting for the good news about where the environmentally-responsible, well managed forests that they refer to actually are, and what it is which makes them so different to the exploited forests to which we have become accustomed. The amount of wood removed from such a forest must be balanced by the amount of regrowth.