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.
-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/
12 comments so far
mmh
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1381 posts in 615 days
posted 113 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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1537 posts in 1298 days
posted 113 days ago
a waaaaay coooool log.
m
-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com
TexasTimbers
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26 posts in 708 days
posted 113 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!
-- www.powdercreeksawmill.com
mmh
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1381 posts in 615 days
posted 113 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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20564 posts in 714 days
posted 113 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.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
scrappy
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1580 posts in 323 days
posted 113 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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3424 posts in 956 days
posted 113 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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194 posts in 160 days
posted 113 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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16598 posts in 469 days
posted 113 days ago
great wood
-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon
PurpLev
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2732 posts in 541 days
posted 112 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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25795 posts in 1293 days
posted 84 days ago
Darren: Thats a great looking selection of wood. It’s nice to have friends that think of you.
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
notottoman
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444 posts in 123 days
posted 7 days ago
What else have you done with this magnificent log???
Wow..
How beautiful hidden nature is…
-- "Even small steps makes a distance." (Shawn Phillips, musician)