It won't all be firewood!

[Baxter Smith]

Early last summer, strong winds split the top out of a maple in my front yard. At the end of the summer I dragged the top down with the tractor but just left it. Since today was a nice one, I decided I would cut up the top for firewood. While I cut, my twin great nephews loaded the smaller pieces.
178903178906178909
Thought I would cut down the remaining stub and leave some of the larger pieces to spalt. After bringing it down, I could see why it had broken. The dog found it interesting,

178904
I found the bottom even more so.:D

178905
It’s a low area, we had rain yesterday and the sap poured out of that stump just like it was spring.
Since I cut them too long to pick up and didn’t want to try and figure out where to split them with the sun going down, I went and got something different.
178907

The boys had changed to go home but they came back to check out the BEEG tractor
178910
and Beeg pieces. Too lazy to go get my camera so made do with a cell phone.
178908

Hauled them back to the woodshed and put a garbage bag over each one. The wood that is. Will figure out the best way to split them tomorrow morning, core one and anchorseal the others. Hopefully it will be cold enough so my helpers don’t want to haul more wood.

[Christopher K. Hartley]

ow, three helpers and beautiful wood you are truly blessed!! Any chance it is a Sugar Maple? I grew up in NE Ohio where there were lots of Buckeye and Sugar Maple trees. I just can't get those woods here.

[Randy Gazda]

Those are some big pieces. Keep us posted on the splatting progress.

[Jake Helmboldt]

Man alive! Not only are those big maple pieces, but they have some primo wood! I can't tell from the photos, is that spalting or ambrosia beetle stain? Either way, that is a SCORE.

And good call on not bagging the nephews; I'm guessing that wouldn't go over too well.

[Kieran Kammerer]

You are making me very envious. Nice score. Kieran

[John Keeton]

Looks like the Ambrosia beetles have blessed you, Baxter!! That stuff will be some nice wood. Throw a little spalting on top of it, and it will be fantastic!

Looks like the help was having a ball - great weather, too! How did you luck out with that this time of year???

[Bernie Weishapl]

Boy Baxter that is a haul. It sure does look like some ambrosia in there. Looks like some great turnings.

[Pete Jordan]

Great score Baxter!

Those make beautiful bowls!

[Fred Perreault]

Nice looking stuff, Baxter......... the tractor I mean ... :)

[Donny Lawson]

I've seen some nice Ambrosia before but you have a gold mine there.Spalt it or turn it,either way it will be great.
Donny

[Roger Chandler]

Very nice presents from those ambrosia beetles! Beautiful grandchildren..........you are indeed a blessed man, Baxter!

[Leo Van Der Loo]

LOL here Baxter, those little guys are something, you must have enjoyed that, it doesn't get much better than that, and some good looking wood to boot, thanks for those great pictures, I'm still chuckling away ;-)))))

[Brian Weaver]

Nice looking Farmall Baxter! I spent many an hour going round and round on a Super C. Wasn't as nice as your H though. Oh yeah nice looking wood too!

[Curt Fuller]

Nice pictures Baxter! Looks like you had a great day, not to mention that ambrosia wood.

[Mark Hubl]

Wow Baxter. Kids, tractors and great wood. What a day. I can't wait to see some of that maple turned!

[David E Keller]

Nice haul... Are there no child labor laws in that part of the country?

[Cathy Schaewe]

Nice haul... Are there no child labor laws in that part of the country?

Apparently if you bag them, you're exempt.

[Ken Hill]

Baxter has some Beaver in him i'm sure of it!

I still have this big ol' piece of cherry for ya!

[Jon Prouty]

Wow!!!! beautiful tractor!!! Great wood and cute kiddos. I would say that is a tri-fecta! I am so envious of you all with land... being in AZ really makes me miss the country. I would drive that tractor everywhere.

Jon

[Jon Lanier]

All is good, in all the photos. Looks like a great time was had, and what a great reward.

[Reed Gray]

Increased pulse rate, slobber, drool........

robo hippy

[charlie knighton]

great haul, boys, dog, and tractor.....maple too

[Dan Hintz]

Plan on sharing with those less fortunate around you, Baxter? ;) <nudge nudge>

[Tim Rinehart]

Woweeeee...that's about as nice as you could hope for ambrosia stains...you're gonna be turning some beeeaaaauuutttiful stuff from that haul.
Great to see the kiddos helping you out!

[Stephen Walker]

Baxter,
That looks just like the red maple that I came across about a year ago. My guess is that your front yard is going to become a little more barren, as I'm sure that tree's neighbors are also infested with that nasty little beetle that we love so much. Great find!!!

Steve

[Baxter Smith]

Glad you enjoyed the pics. Between dogs, tractors, wood and kids, there was something for everyone.


Any chance it is a Sugar Maple? I grew up in NE Ohio where there were lots of Buckeye and Sugar Maple trees. I just can't get those woods here.
I don't know of any Sugar Maple around here Christopher. Almost all Red.
Cut up those 3 pieces this morning. The biggest and best stained one I had cut at an angle when I cut the stub.
179026179022
So much for the 20 inch bowl.

Two of my 3 helpers from yesterday went to story hour this morning at the library
179024

and the third wasn’t good for much.


None of them were round or straight sided. Between the early cracking from the pith, shape and a pocket or two of rot, the best way to split them almost always seemed to be at right angles to each other on opposite ends.

179027
At least the pith is gone from all of them.

This afternoon I went back and got a partially rotted piece to cut into smaller sections. Its all anchorsealed and put away on the floor of my woodshed.
179025
Snow is in the forecast for tomorrow so it may be a turning day!
Cut up some more of the top this afternoon


Baxter has some Beaver in him i'm sure of it!
I still have this big ol' piece of cherry for ya!
Thanks Ken I haven't forgotten.;)
179030
Thought of you and your squirrel pictures when I saw this. The pileated woodpeckers seem to have had a fondness for this tree as well.

Nice looking Farmall Baxter! I spent many an hour going round and round on a Super C. Wasn't as nice as your H though. Oh yeah nice looking wood too!

Wow!!!! beautiful tractor!!! Great wood and cute kiddos. I would say that is a tri-fecta! I am so envious of you all with land... being in AZ really makes me miss the country. I would drive that tractor everywhere.
Jon
No tractor pictures today Brian and John. The big one never came out of the woodshed. The 49 H was one of my projects about 10 years ago. Doesn't get used much. Though it can pick up what I can't!:D

Nice haul... Are there no child labor laws in that part of the country?
No kid pictures either, just in case the child labor police are watching. :)

Plan on sharing with those less fortunate around you, Baxter? <nudge nudge>
Dan, have you used up Kens wood already?;)

Baxter,
That looks just like the red maple that I came across about a year ago. My guess is that your front yard is going to become a little more barren, as I'm sure that tree's neighbors are also infested with that nasty little beetle that we love so much. Great find!!!
Steve

179029
So you think this bigger half is infected as well?
A 26 inch ambrosia bowl does sound interesting.
Or how about these two, 30 feet away?
179021
I doubt they would come down gently! My tractor can’t get to the lathe in the back of my shop. Not sure about my engine hoist either. Who needs a 31 inch ambrosia bowl anyway. :eek::D

[Brian Libby]

I bet that wood will yield some purrrrty stuff !

[Jon Nuckles]

Very cool! City living is nice, but the only trees on my property are about 3" in diameter and the people who live in the other condos in my building might be upset if I chopped them down. I wonder if Mayor Daley would mind if I took down a few boulevard trees? Thanks for letting me live vicariously.

[Stephen Walker]

Baxter,
So you think this bigger half is infected as well? I would say yes.
A 26 inch ambrosia bowl does sound interesting.
Or how about these two, 30 feet away? No guarantees, but probably

I got two trees from the same yard, one silver maple and one red maple, about 100' apart. The silver had no ambrosia but the red was loaded (my avatar, or pics in a post I made). Red maple must be tastier.
You'll definitly want to keep an eye on the other half of the tree you cut on, as that open cut will start to rot the rest of the stump over time, leading to another blow down.

[Baxter Smith]

Thanks Stephen. I will be keeping an eye on it.;) Might even be tempted to cut that one side down a little further after I get these other pieces handled.

Roughed out the first piece this morning. Did another this afternoon. This is what the mornings looked like.

179167179170

Maybe these and some of the rest will get posted again in 2012.

179169179168

I guess it passes inspection for now.
I would have used a quarter for scale but the kid was handy.

179166

[Cathy Schaewe]

"the kid was handy" - ha! nice comparison. Beautiful pieces of wood, and very nice looking kid! all keepers!:D:D

[Don Alexander]

that big one looks almost big enough to bag the kid in :D

[Baxter Smith]

Very cool! City living is nice, but the only trees on my property are about 3" in diameter and the people who live in the other condos in my building might be upset if I chopped them down. I wonder if Mayor Daley would mind if I took down a few boulevard trees? Thanks for letting me live vicariously.
Glad to help with your vicarious living Jon! I kind of do that when I look at all the neat things other people turn and post.;)


"the kid was handy" - ha! nice comparison. Beautiful pieces of wood, and very nice looking kid! all keepers!:D:D

Better than admitting I had spent my last quarter on lathe stuff.:) The kids may be "keepers" but I don't mind when they go home at night!:D