I may have used all the oak from Mike’s, but I also brought home a lot of American Beech. I’m pleased with how little it has cracked, given it’s been two months since it fell. As long as I cut my blanks through the pith and along the existing cracks, I think I’ll be okay. I’ve read a lot on forums etc. about beech. One thing I’m learning is that if you read 5 posts, you’ll get 5 different opinions. As is true with anything online, it’s probably best to take it all in, but rely more on your own experience.
Several people have said that beech is very unstable, so it has a good chance of warping too much, or even cracking. If I were to believe them, then I would just toss this aside. Instead, I’m going to turn it anyway. Maybe they’re wrong, maybe they’re right but I’ll get lucky. If nothing else, it will be good practice.
It’s a very pale, maple-like, color. It has a beautiful shimmer.
Hopefully a few of these guys will survive the drying process and be round enough to turn again in a few months
These are all about 4” diameter. I started with the smaller log. Next I will cut up one of the larger logs. I may get as many as two dozen bowls about 6” diameter from the other logs. Or I may make a big pile of oddly shaped firewood, if this stuff really does move a lot.