But I thought I would take the time to show a couple pictures. I got a call from a buddy of mine who takes care of a local cemetery asking if I wanted an ugly log they had been pushing around in the mud for a month doing an expansion. I asked what is it. He said “It’s just an old elm, but it has alot of forks like you like (crotches) and bumps all over it that look like big strawberries with twigs growing out of them (burls)” So maybe my buddies don’t know the terminology, but at least they think of me when they see an ugly tree.
He dumped it in the yard in 2 pieces. And it does have strawberries growing on it, huh.
The dude in the picture is my nosey neighbor, he is ring counting it for whatever reason. He is about my size, the big end of the log is 36”. Crooked/nasty/limby/burly chunk of wood, I will see what I can do with it .
I whacked the small end off and threw it on the mill to make some crotch table slabs. 
Same piece just flipped over on the mill deck ready to go.
Just that one little piece milled out several interesting 6/4 slabs 27” wide and 4+ feet long…I still have alot of log left.
-- http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/
11 comments so far
mmh
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3036 posts in 1893 days
#1 posted 1391 days ago
WoWwwww! That’s going to make a beautiful table top or some fantastic project! How fortunate it landed in your hands.
-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe
Mark A. DeCou
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1947 posts in 2576 days
#2 posted 1391 days ago
a waaaaay coooool log.
m
-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com
TexasTimbers
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62 posts in 1986 days
#3 posted 1391 days ago
That’s some killer stuff. That last picture is like “Built-in Book Matched”. If you straight edge one side of that one and the one that came off it and put them together it would look like a quadruple book match!
-- "Sure, listen to what the experts have to say, just don't let it get in the way of your woodworking."
mmh
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3036 posts in 1893 days
#4 posted 1391 days ago
Hey Daren,
Mark and I are standing in line for leftovers . . . drooling on ourselves, well at least I am! Would love to see what you create out of this.
-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe
Scott Bryan
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27262 posts in 1993 days
#5 posted 1391 days ago
That is a beautiful slab. It is a shame that the vast majority of pieces like this end up as firewood or simply burned in a trash pile.
-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine
scrappy
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3474 posts in 1601 days
#6 posted 1391 days ago
Beautifull wood. Great score!
The ugkier the tree…...The pretier the wood grain.
Scrappy
-- Scrap Wood's the best...the projects are smaller, and so is the mess!
Douglas Bordner
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3907 posts in 2235 days
#7 posted 1391 days ago
Excellent save. Thanks for posting. I think Scrappy has it right on this tree.
-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.
PineInTheAsh
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394 posts in 1439 days
#8 posted 1391 days ago
All kinds of natural things will find a comfortable home on these magnificent old trees.
Anytime one of these trees make their appearance on LumberJocks like this, it is a spectacular show-stopper!
The first thing you want to do…is take a bite!
Thanks, Daren.
a1Jim
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87305 posts in 1748 days
#9 posted 1391 days ago
great wood
-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/
PurpLev
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7764 posts in 1819 days
#10 posted 1391 days ago
glad to see another post from you.
those are some beautiful hidden treasures in those logs. pretty amazing. thanks for sharing.
-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.
Karson
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34370 posts in 2571 days
#11 posted 1362 days ago
Darren: Thats a great looking selection of wood. It’s nice to have friends that think of you.
-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
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