Suggestions on cutting this up

[Jerry Gerard]

How would you go about cutting up this chunk of Maple . I don't know the condition of it , I hope to check it out tomorrow and see if its good . Again I don't know the size of it but it looks fairly big . What kind of plan of attack should I take with this thing . Thanks for the suggestions .
Regards
Jerry

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/687/treeun2.jpg

[Steve Schlumpf]

Jerry - that is quite the chunk of wood! My opinion - cut it into the largest manageable pieces that you can lift - and then make sure you seal everything so it doesn't check before you get a chance to turn it.

Don't know what size lathe you have - but if it is large enough the crotch section could make a number of very interesting bowls or hollow forms. Have fun with it but be safe - that stuff is heavy enough to cause pain - and that's not fun! DAMHIKT

[Bob Hallowell]

If it was me I would use a chainsaw! :eek:

[Jerry Gerard]

Steve thanks for the tips , I'll be sure to take it easy , don't need a sore back. I have a Nova TL1500 with an outrigger rest . I'm new to turning I don't think I'll tackle turning something big just yet .



If it was me I would use a chainsaw! :eek:

Got that part covered , just sharpened it up too .


Thanks
Jerry

[Bob Hallowell]

Sorry Jerry just couldn't help myself

Bob

[robert hainstock]

Looking forward to your posting how you solve it. Steve andI are going to try to obtain its twin this week, but we may have a tractor with a hydraulic boom to help. Good luck. and be careful, bad backs sux.:eek::)
Bob

[Reed Gray]

First rule is cut it into managable chunks that you and maybe a friend can move. I would start by cutting off the smaller log sections above the main crotch. These look to be a size where you can leave them whole, but if not, cut a bit longer than the diameter, which meand if it is 12 inch diameter, cut the lengths to 14 or 16 inches. You can cut them down fairly close to the crotch. Then I would cut the lower trunk of the tree, up to the crotch. The crotch will be the best wood, and the part under where the branches come in will have some nice figure to it as well. You may be able to get 2 bowl blank sections from here, or cut a long section, then slice it in half down the pith, again depending on what you can move (have a hand truck, don't leave home without it). The crotch piece will be more than I could lift, and it looks like at least a 3 branch crotch. I have never figured out how to cut one of these up so I can get 3 crotch blanks. I select for the best one, and slice it down the pith, and leave the other piece to see what I can get out of it later. This will get you home, where you can cut it up more (down the pith), and start to turn. The end grain sealer works best on fresh cuts, which means that you can wait till you get home before sealing, but don't wait any longer. Having the sealer on can make a mess in your car, and on you. Easier to deal with at home.
robo hippy

[Burt Alcantara]

What's a Nova TL1500?

[Jerry Gerard]

First rule is cut it into managable chunks that you and maybe a friend can move. I would start by cutting off the smaller log sections above the main crotch. These look to be a size where you can leave them whole, but if not, cut a bit longer than the diameter, which meand if it is 12 inch diameter, cut the lengths to 14 or 16 inches. You can cut them down fairly close to the crotch. Then I would cut the lower trunk of the tree, up to the crotch. The crotch will be the best wood, and the part under where the branches come in will have some nice figure to it as well. You may be able to get 2 bowl blank sections from here, or cut a long section, then slice it in half down the pith, again depending on what you can move (have a hand truck, don't leave home without it). The crotch piece will be more than I could lift, and it looks like at least a 3 branch crotch. I have never figured out how to cut one of these up so I can get 3 crotch blanks. I select for the best one, and slice it down the pith, and leave the other piece to see what I can get out of it later. This will get you home, where you can cut it up more (down the pith), and start to turn. The end grain sealer works best on fresh cuts, which means that you can wait till you get home before sealing, but don't wait any longer. Having the sealer on can make a mess in your car, and on you. Easier to deal with at home.
robo hippy


I went and checked out this monster at lunch , its huge and after looking it over I came to pretty much the same conclusion you suggested . Cutting the three trunks off , the longest being 39" in length and 20" across. The two other trunks are 26" L x 15 " & 26"L x 16 . Cutting below the crotch and taking it from there. The good thing is the tree is close to a friend of mine that owns a backhoe . I'll get in touch with him to see if he'll be able to pick it up and place it on another buddys trailer . ( It sure does pay to know people ) . Once I get it back to my shop I have a small JD backhoe to help me move it . Keep the suggestions coming , I took some pictures of it in hoping someone could ID it . From looking in my tree field guide I think its a Silver Maple but not 100% sure .

http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/409/tndsc013191xn4.jpg

Bark of the tree

http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/8193/tndsc013181aa0.jpg

Base of the Tree , I do have more pictures of it in case these aren't enough to ID it . Thanks again for all your help , I look forward to bringing this home sometimes soon .

[Jerry Gerard]

What's a Nova TL1500?

The 3000 took it's place from what I was told.

[curtis rosche]

cut it so that the crotch in the middle is a big slab

[Nathan Hawkes]

Wow. That's a crotch for sure! Congrats on the score; whatever it is. My thought however, is that it looks a lot more like an oak than a maple. The chunkiness of the bark suggests that to me; maple seems to have more sharp, almost flaky edges to the bark furrows. I'd guess red oak, but thats pretty vague I know. If you cut off pieces of the limbs, just cut it in half and look for the medullary rays that would say 100% oak/maple. Are there any leaves around at all??

[Jerry Gerard]

Wow. That's a crotch for sure! Congrats on the score; whatever it is. My thought however, is that it looks a lot more like an oak than a maple. The chunkiness of the bark suggests that to me; maple seems to have more sharp, almost flaky edges to the bark furrows. I'd guess red oak, but thats pretty vague I know. If you cut off pieces of the limbs, just cut it in half and look for the medullary rays that would say 100% oak/maple. Are there any leaves around at all??


Hmmm got me thinking now . The only reason I say Maple is the owner called it one and the tree guy that cut it down did as well. The description in my tree guide fits what they call a silver maple , having a short stout trunk , few large forks but looking at the picture of the bark it doesn't fit it . No there weren't any leaves around . I'm guessing it was cut down a while ago , don't know for sure . I did email the owner asking when it was cut down . We'll see what happens next .

[Brian Weick]

My cut's would be of this nature~ 2 each his or her own.
Brian.

[Jerry Gerard]

My cut's would be of this nature~ 2 each his or her own.
Brian.



Thats pretty much how I may do it if I can't get the backhoe over there to help . It has three trunks that come off the crotch .


http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/7043/tndsc013112ei8.jpg

[Jerry Gerard]

I posed the "What is it" question over on Woodweb and they all seem to think its a Norway Maple . So for now that's what it is , until my autopsies proves different :D and even then we still may never know .:confused:

[Leo Van Der Loo]

An Educated guess on the wood if it is a Maple, the bark would fit a Norway Maple and a Red Maple, not a Silver or Sugar Maple.

[Nathan Hawkes]

Boy that looks different as a whole than the closeup that I guessed oak by. If its maple, I'd add that its more likely norway maple than anything else. They're not found (commonly, anyway) in my area.