If you’ve been to our house in the last 5 years, you may have noticed the large pile of large maple logs by the shop. This past weekend, Chris and I decided we needed to chop them up and haul them away. Much to our surprise and (my) delight, the very center of those long large logs were still mostly solid wood.
This is just half of the total wood we deemed usable. Some of these logs are 16″ or more in diameter.
Today, I picked one of the small pieces as a test. Let’s see if this new “stash” is really going to fly. Or if I need to toss it in the back with the other two thirds of the original pile to feed the bugs, which will feed the birds.
Looking good … The side grain cuts wonderfully. So I know it is solid wood. But I am fighting a lot with the end grain tear out. For now, I will blame that on the novice behind the tool rest.
The end grain tear out was even more of a struggle on the inside. But I tried stabilizing with a good soak of thinned lacquer applied just before the final cuts. Maybe there are better ways to do that, but the lacquer seemed to work. I made it to the finish line!
Here’s a photo from the underside that better shows the profile, and is probably a better representation of the true finished color (I’m using an old iPhone for photos). Can’t wait to try again, after I read up on old wood and tear out.
