Is This Log Worth Anything?

[James White]

Looks like it is a sugar/hard maple. Most of it has been cut up in firewood length chunks except for the section in the photos. It is about 32" in diameter and 9 feet long. Is this the kind of maple that yields nice curly figure? Or are all of the bumps just defect? I left my phone # and was wondering if they call if I should offer any money for it if they are not giving it away. I would have to rent a trailer. I own a band mill. Sorry about the quality. They are cell phone shots.

James

[David DeCristoforo]

I would be sorely tempted to at least open that log. From the end view, it looks like it might contain a lot of spalting which could be very dramatic.

[Dan Forman]

It would be fabulous for turning!

Dan

[Heather Thompson]

James,

You never know what you will find inside of a log, but that one definately looks promising, especially if you already have a band mill. Since you own a mill I think that this may be a stealth gloat, :rolleyes:, either way I would grab as much as you can get, even that firewood. If you follow the turners forum there are many examples of firewood that has been saved and turned into beautiful pieces, those lumpy things on the log are of particular interest to the turning crowd. I would also suggest that before you cut that log up consider what you may want to creat from it, think George Nakashima as an example. I wish that I had a shot at that log!:D

Heather

[James White]

Well it turns out that the tree has been promised to a neighbor for firewood. The owner of the property felt obligated to follow through with her promise to her neighbor. She did say that she would ask the neighbor if he was willing to give up the 9' section to me. I told her I may even be willing to pay some money for it. That would depend on what feedback I got from here.

Who knows, perhaps the neighbor will tire of splitting this monster up and be willing to work something out. Such a shame that it will all burn. I was told by the owner that it was 200 years old.

James

[Dennis McGarry]

Offer to buy the neighbor a cord of firewood, split and delivered...

[Julian Nicks]

Dennis has the right idea. I'd really hate to see that end up going up a chimney!

[Heather Thompson]

James,

I found three Black Walnut trees cut down a few weeks back, the renters said to take what I wanted, three nice logs at about four feet long. The trees could have yielded many nice planks, the people that took them down basically butchered them, told the renters that the wood was valuable. They took my number and would have the owner call me, he did and wanted big money for the wood, told him that it had been hacked up and I would not pay what he was asking. I drove by a few days later and the renters were cutting the logs into pieces and burning them in the back yard, about 10,000.00 up in smoke, not even firewood.:( Offer to buy two cords to save that wood, it would be worth it.

Heather

[James White]

Well I was able to get the log I wanted and another 4' section of the butt that was about 36 inches in diameter. Man these things are dense and HEAVY. I milled up most of the 4' log today and got some really nice matched sets. These are 2-1/4x24x48 so they would make a 4' square table. I am hopping that I didn't go too thick and waste the log but it just felt like the rite thing to do. In my mind it was a quality over quantity scenario I was thinking. They can always be resawn. How much should I ask for a set? I have never dealt with anything "special" like this.

[James White]

Some more shots. These photos do not serve any justice to these boards. The second photo below is the same two bords rearranged. There is some black spalting about a foot up from the bottom in the center. They form a figure that looks like a man with his arms at his sides and jet propulsion for legs. I hope you all can see it because I feel a bit nuts describing what I see there. Reminds me of a joke that I can't post.

James

[Keith Starosta]

WOW!! Those two sets are really cool-looking!

[Steven Lavergne]

They are very impressive! Congratulations on your find.

[gary Zimmel]

Congrats on the find and score James.

Those will make some fine looking furniture.

[James White]

WOW!! Those two sets are really cool-looking!

The third one that is under the second one is even nicer than the one on top. Imagine what would be between the first board with all of the inclusions and the one on top. Ill try to get a photo of that one. I wish you could see them in person. I found myself just staring at the one with all of the inclusions there is just so much natural beauty there.

Does anyone know were I can find comparable lumber for sale in order to get an idea of there value? I do not think I will use these myself. I do not have a flair for the more artistic approach to woodworking. I feel that a 200 year old tree is deserving to be in the hands of some one like Mark S. or some of the other talented members here who have a more artistic approach to woodworking.

James

[James White]

Here are the remaining boards that came out of the same four foot section. I couldn't resist and sent two boards though the planer. One of the boards has figure that reminds me of curly walnut. I am so please with the way these boards turned out. Now I need to get them dried and sold. Anyone want a slice or two? By the way the board in the second photo is the same board at the bottom of the first photo. Its strange how they are showing up so red when photographed outdoors.

James

[James White]

Same boards different angle.

James

[Myk Rian]

Alright James. Enough of the pictures. Our drool is going to make spots on that wood.:)

[Homer Faucett]

Those slabs look beautiful, and I hope you can get them to dry without the amount of warping that I have had with "soft" maple that had similar wild grain and bark inclusions like you have there.

With the grain turning so dramatically in so many directions, I think you'll find that these boards are going to twist, cup and have a tendency to split in places you normally would not have to worry about with straight grained lumber. Unless you have a drier who knows how to work with figured wood, it wouldn't be a bad idea to sticker and stack these to reach equillibrium before taking them to the kiln and rapidly driving out all the water.

Good luck, even with some loss, you'll yield some incredible boards out of this lot.