Sawmill time

I got out my sawmill for the first time this year to cut up some black walnut logs for a friend. The tree had been toppled by a passing summer storm.  It was just going to be cut up for campfire wood, so I suggested we cut it up into lumber instead to see if there were any wood grain surprises inside.

The tree was an old yard tree.  The trunk was about three feet across at breast height, short and full of limbs and crotches. Now, I happen to know that if the crotches are cut right, that is where the curly flame wood resides.

After all was said and done I cut about 700 board feet of lumber out of a tree that would have been turned into fire wood. Now it will dry and eventually be turned into something fantastic - I hope.

I worked at lining up the crotch wood just right to get some awesome bookmatched slabs. These boards are 18" wide and about 54" tall each. I saved some of the smaller crotch wood slabs for making spoons.  Stay tuned.  The wood will probably be ready to work into spoons early next spring.