Received free maple logs...now need advice on slicing them up!

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rybo

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rybo
The neighbor across the street just cut down a large, beautiful maple tree. I was out recovering from surgery, so I wasn't able to get my hands on any of the large logs (plus I don't have a place to put them now, or a truck). However, after she saw me picking through the wormy split logs she put out by the road, she showed me the pile of logs she had behind the house and offered me as much as I wanted.

After work today, I hauled as much of the non-rotted maple to our covered porch. I can see some nice spalting on some of it, and the rest looks just like nice clean maple. The tree stump she had ground out looked to be very curly, so I am hoping to get lucky with a few of these logs.

Anyway, my issue now is that I don't know how to get usable lumber. I have a desktop hand-me-down bandsaw, but it's not big enough or strong enough to cut any of this. I've got a reciprocating saw and a circular saw, but that seems like it would take forever and come out terribly.

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Does anyone have any tips on how I might turn this into decent lumber? I'd like a few natural edge pieces, but the rest I'm just really looking for blocks of wood to store away for projects down the road.
 

MrAudio815

New User
Matthew
If you are into turning you can cut them into bowl blanks or use them lengthwise on the lathe and drill out the middle and make something out of it.

Get your hands on a chainsaw to do that. Or Ask if there is someone close that has a Bandsaw that is willing to help you cut it up into usable lumber and give them some for helping out. A Bandsaw is the way to go.


Good luck,

Matthew
 

scsmith42

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Scott Smith
Rybo, those appear to be from limbs and not the main trunk. Limb wood often has a lot of stress in it, and is not well suited for making lumber. Your best bet would be to use them as turning blanks.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
How timely. I've been playing with the same ideas of late. What's the diameter and length of your pieces? Definitely seal the ends of the logs as soon as possible with a wax product like AnchorSeal to prevent checking and cracking. Leave the bark on too.

El cheapo in in a pinch: Get a box of plain old paraffin wax in the canning section of your local grocery store. Melt it in a double boiler over hot water and dip your log ends in to about 1".

Here's a bandsaw log sled reviewed in FWW #231. I don't know that it's worth $140 for a few one off pieces though. They make it look easy, but...?

http://www.carterproducts.com/product.asp?product_id=542&cat_id=75
 

rybo

New User
rybo
Scott - thanks for the heads up, I didn't realize that. There are 2 short spalted logs from the trunk that aren't visible, but the rest was either rotted out or taken away before I could get to it.

Unfortunately I don't have a lathe, or a bandsaw that's powerful enough to cut through this. If anyone is interested in the Charlotte area, I'd split the wood if someone could help me get it into usable pieces.
 
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