I an a novice wood worker. I really like using big and unusual lumber. So I decided to start cutting logs into slabs. I then built a DH kiln. So far two hard maples cut and dried to about 8% MC. I have about 1500 bd ft in the kiln.

A few questions:
How much warp, twist etc is normal for a maple slab? The average dimensions for this run of slabs is: 8ft x 3ft by 2 inches thick.

They dried in about 24 days; is this too fast?

I plan on planing/jointing down to about 1.5" using a router planing sled. any suggestions?

Any other thoughts/concerns?

What is the value of dry slabs this size that are unplanned?

Thank you,
Allan

Here are a few pictures of my first maple logs cut into slabs.

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8'x3'x2''= 48 bft...Even at a ridiculously low price of $5 bft for such big-unique-pretty slabs, that's $240. I personally would be more in the $8-$10 range as a seller at my mill for what I see there. That is rough sawn/kiln dried, cash and carry.
Let's see what others may have to say, buyers as well, prices do vary regionally. But those are NICE, and nice = expensive.


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Those are very cool! Where do you live? I am looking for some maple for a few projects.

I live near Lynchburg, VA. I expect I could ship the slabs through UPS or FedEx, they are dry 8%. This weekend I will try and weigh a large slab to see weight.

I will have pictures of all slabs in two weeks. I have 4 more maple logs that will be cut end of April as well. Thanks.

I would like contacted if you are selling.
I make live edge table and will be moving to N/W North Carolina in may.
Could you PM me?

Are the above pictures before or after the slabs have been dried?

It is difficult to dry 12/4 hardwood in a few weeks without case hardening or honey combing. The amount of distortion depends on the relationship and amount of radial(quarter cut) to tangengial(flat cut) wood in any slab. Most wood shrinks twice as much one way as the other so that leads to the shape change or build up of tension or in the worst case cracks opening up.
The wood look very promising.

These are pictures before. The next two weekends I hope to post after pictures. They are dry about 8% MC; slabs on top have moved but these that are on bottom haven't moved much. They are 8/4 not 12/4. they were slabbed as the tree grew; trying to keep as much crotch as possible.

From the samples I am surprised at how white they still are. Thanks for the information. If they are good quality how much per bdft do you think?

Living in Central Wis you should have several saw mills nearby where you can obtain slab wood. Price is around $35 for a large bundle.
I am a 24/7 wood burner and burn slab wood, mostly oak. Burned 12 big bundles so far this year. I get my slabs from a mill located between Marathon and Wausau. Mill owner just told me other day he's going to start cutting a maple stand soon.

There's some beautiful unusual stuff in those slab bundles. When cutting them for firewood, I usually end up with a stack that I can't bear cutting or burning because I can see a project use for them.
With a router and some unusual shaped pieces you can make some nice signs.

Just a side note - went to the Cedar Creek Wood Carving Show last year in Rothschild. Woodworkers were selling pieces of slab wood for $20 to $30 a piece. At that rate I had about $10,000 sitting in my back yard and it eventually all went up in smoke.

How big are those slabs? Do they have bark on one side and flat face on the other?

Slabs I buy at the mill are 8 1/2 feet at the longest. Some are 2', 4', 6' long etc., but most are in the 8' range. Width can be anywhere from 4" on up to 14" - 16". Depends on diameter of tree that is cut.
Some can be flat on both sides, some can have bark on one side and flat face on the other.
I pull a lot of nice 8' boards from the bundles and save them. Width is anywhere from 4" to 12". (now I just need a planer)
That's the beauty of the slabs, so much variation in a bundle.

The slabs at the wood carving show were all about 4 to 5 feet long and I think were flat on one side and bark on other side.

Sorry for the brief hijack -

What mill do you go to? If you don't want to put the info here, can you PM me? I get to Wausau at least once a month.

Thanks!

Ok. The slabs I have sound to be different. They only have bark in the outer edges. Both front and back are flat wide lumber. If one was to cut the edges off my maple they would have a single board of lumber that was 2" think by 8-9 feet long and 36 to 40" wide. I have several if the slabs you are talking about but they are mainly bark... Will post pictures this evening