Funky milling - Woodworking Talk

**Daren** · 11-01-2009, 05:44 PM

So I get this large-ish maple crotch(s) dropped off the other day...I counted 14 hearts. Some of the limbs have double hearts but you can't see them because I painted over them with Anchorseal. There just has to be something good buried deep down in this thing.

I drag it to the mill...oops too big, had to do some chainsaw work after the picture.

Lopped that one long limb off and take another off with the mill.

Flipped it again.

Pretty much squared up and as big all the way around as I can cut.

To be continued...

Handyman · 11-01-2009, 06:36 PM

Daren With all the heart that crotch has, how stable will the piece be after you cut it up? I have never cut logs like you do, but it would seam to me the piece would tend to crack and split up pretty bad.

**Daren** · 11-01-2009, 06:59 PM

Yes there is going to be quite a mix of straight grain and endgrain in the pieces. It will be a bit of a challenge to dry, but I have been here before. It's the highly figured wood that is in these chunks that make it all worth it (usually). There just has to be curly/quilted/twisted grain in such a funky piece. Even if it has to be later dissected into smaller usable pieces after it dries.

Gary Beasley · 11-01-2009, 07:05 PM

If only you could get a pot big enough to boil the wood in. Might help with the cracking problems.

**Daren** · 11-02-2009, 03:12 PM

The figure is hard to seen fresh/rough sawn...but there is plenty of it.

Just about the whole thing is curly/quilted.

With plenty of crotch feathers.

24" plus wide (2 foot framing square on top) and a little over 5' long, the next few pictures where sawn 8/4 thick.

Bookmatches.

Pretty funky stuff in person.

Chad · 11-02-2009, 03:33 PM

I have to get a mill, awesome wood!

greg4269ub · 11-02-2009, 10:47 PM

very awesome!!i will be getting some walnut like that later this week. i hope that i am as lucky as you and get some figure also. you said you put anchor seal on the log will anchor seal work below freezing if not what can a guy use in its place?

**Daren** · 11-03-2009, 07:39 AM

They make an additive for the Anchorseal for cold weather because once it freezes in the bucket it's ruined...I just keep the bucket in the basement in the winter and it's fine. It will work on frozen logs no problem.

toolman Steve · 11-03-2009, 08:07 AM

That is some nice wood . I have some peace's similar out of pecan I am thiking about cutting it into a block for turning , I hope it comes out that nice. Pictures to follow in a few days .

red · 11-09-2009, 02:12 PM

Very cool pieces.

Red

garryswf · 11-10-2009, 06:14 AM

Daren,
I have been following this thread but didn't post any replies just because i know very little about milling lumber. But this thread has my brain going nuts. The figure in this particular piece of wood "crotch feathers" has made me wonder what it would look like if used in a black powder rifle or PISTOL. I envision the crotch feathers wraping around a pistol stock, or draped down over a rifle stock from the wrist of the stock to the butt end. I will tell you this, Black power gun builders don't always build replicas of traditional weapons, but do at times build something that is just unique. Something to think about Daren. Pistol and rifle stocks take very little wood compared to a dresser-table or any other large project. You may consider googling a few sites that pertain to the subject i just mentioned. I for one am going to keep you and TT in mind because before i die i will build either a flint lock pistol or rifle . Have a Great Day

**Daren** · 11-10-2009, 08:47 AM

Yep, gunstock material was on my mind when I milled this out. I did not mill anything thinner than 2". There are plenty of neat shotgun-rifle blanks sawn out that I did not show in the pictures. After it dries it can be resawn for like you said pistol grips, or knife handles, or reel seats (custom fishing rod makers buy from me) or...any neat little thing.
I mill ugly pieces like this when I find them in walnut/maple/white oak...because they most often have this cool crotch feather that someone can use, not just furniture makers. Some of my stuff gets resawn by a guy in Indiana who does awesome hardwood floor installs, custom stuff with inlaid medallions made from matched crotch grain.

Gene Howe · 11-10-2009, 10:13 AM

Among the very few reasons I regret moving to AZ from IL is not being close to a mill like yours. We'll be in IL in May. I'm definitely going to stop by.
Gene

garryswf · 11-10-2009, 11:16 AM

Daren,
I was in the garage working on the grandsons table and chairs and couldn't get the grain of that maple out of my mind, If you wouldn,t mind a phone call from me in the not to distant future i am very interested in a special piece of wood to build a blackpowder pistol.

**Daren** · 11-10-2009, 04:11 PM

Sure I could probably scrounge something up in either maple or walnut crotch or stump material.