Lumber Making #4: The Maple has Landed!

Huge!

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Looks really promising, even if it doesn’t really yield to wide slabs. I can see some Nakashima stuff coming out from it. Just work around the cracks and make them part of the design. If you can not hide them, highlight them!

In any case, keep us up to date, please.

-- Jojo, shopless in Kyoto · http://twitter.com/kagushokunin

This will be fun to watch. Good luck, Dorje.

-- Thos. Angle

Yes. Lets see what comes of it!

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

Hi Dorje,

This should be interesting to watch. I admire your intentions. Good luck with it.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

This should be a pretty exciting adventure.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Really cool. In addition to all of the wood for furnature, I see some nice pen blanks in that log….lol

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Looking good. This will be fun to watch this one.

Steve

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

Dorje,

I cannot wait to see how you utilize your new treasure.

Once it is on the ground like this do you cut it up into boards immediately or do you have to wait a certain amount of time?

Once you cut it up will you kiln dry it or air dry it?

How long do you anticipate the air drying process to take if that is the route you go?

Sorry for my amateurish ignorance but I am very curious about this process.

My neighbor has a monster Mulberry he is mumbling about getting rid of. I don’t know if that wood is worth doing anything with or not. I have turned a couple of pieces of it on the lathe and it has an interesting grain and color pattern.

I do know for sure that it makes for some loud, crackling, popping firewood.

-- Jesus was a Jewish carpenter.

More roadside logs spotted in Omaha. But even sectioned they are too big for me without a cant hook, peavey etc. Might have to recruit my stepson. I admire your chutzpah, Dorje. Go get ‘em.

Aubrey, I have been guilty of googling Mulberry lumber, as it can be quite lovely. Hope you are able to score as well.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

let’s see. How many small boxes can you make out of a maple tree?

DaLE

I can’t wait to see the lumber you get out of this. If nothing else, you will have a supply of maple pen blanks for life!!!

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Wow, that’s an impressive log. I’m drooling and it’s not even in my own country. What a venture!

-- Dekker - http://www.WoodworkDetails.com/Blog/MNagy/

when did you want me to come pick up some lumber…lol.

-- Steffen

Thanks for all the comments – appreciated.

Aubrey – cutting it as soon as possible would be good, but I’ll have to wait a bit until I get to it. Also, I should have gone over this weekend and painted the ends of the log to avoid splitting, but I’m not too worried about a little loss at this point, so I’ll just do what I can do, when I can do it! Can you tell I’m not putting too much pressure on myself?

Re: the drying process…I’ll air dry it for a year or so, then possibly rent kiln time, depending on how much I value or want to use the wood at that point. If I don’t kiln dry it, I’ll bring it inside to acclimate to a indoor environ for another 6 months to a year before using it. Basically, I need to gradually reduce the moisture content to 8-10% over the next couple years. Also, air drying is just one step in the process, versus an either/or kind of thing…

Mulberry – I don’t know much about it, but sounds interesting!

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

oh right! UPDATE:

When I finally got a hold of my friend, with a larger saw than my own and an Alaskan milling attachment, and asked if I could borrow his set-up, he said, “Sure.” Just like that! He should be bringing it into town this week!

This was my “best case scenario.”

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

nice friend!
:)

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Ready, Set, Go.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †