quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:
Okay. Here is a pretty bumpy one.

If I were to cut this down what length slabs should I cut and how thick should I cut them?

Should I let the trunk sections age first or go right to making slabs? If I should wait to cut slabs, how long?

Once I cut slabs should I seal them in any way?

The butt of the rifle is about 7' above the ground. If you look closely you can see it in the top photo as well.

Peel a small section of bark near the ground with an axe. You are looking for the close wrinkles as shown in the blanks below:



We cut as close to the ground as possible.

Cut logs to 36 to 40 inches long before slabbing.

I want to cut into slabs less than a week after dropping the tree. Here in the wet Pacific NW mold will set in quick. Slab the logs and put the slabs in a dry storage area. Coat the ends with a end seal paint. We place 3/4" square "stickers" between the slabs for air circulation.

Blanks: 3-1/2" to 4" thick to allow for shrinkage and we plane both sides of the blank when dry. I like to cut 4" thick. This usually results in a final thickness of over 3 inches.

Why 3 inches minimum in a fully cured blank? I put at least 3/8" cast off in my stocks. You will not be able to do this with most commercial blanks, as they are at most 2-1/2 to 2-3/4 inches thick. Not enough for proper cast off.

Big bore, heavy kickers, with iron sights only, need cast off.

If you have access to a portable sawmill such as the WoodMizer below, you can cut the whole logs into slabs, then cut to blank length.

Photo taken when I moved some blanks from the curing shed to my shop. 20 years cure. Grain to kill for in that pile!





Just plain awful!!!!



Right off the duplicator, rough sanded, no finish:

quote:

Originally posted by WoodHunter:

Wonderful!

I took a machete to the tree. Poor tree.

Under the bark in a very straight part of the trunk I could feel ripples. So, I chopped some of the wood out. You can see the ripples, and when viewed on the edge I can see contrasting bands.



The tree is COVERED in burl. In fact, some areas are large enough to cut 4'x12"x4" slabs in nothing but burl. I shaved the bark off of one of the bumps. Birdseye?

That does look like an impressive tree...now saw it up!

quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:
I took a machete to the tree. Poor tree.

Under the bark in a very straight part of the trunk I could feel ripples. So, I chopped some of the wood out. You can see the ripples, and when viewed on the edge I can see contrasting bands.



The tree is COVERED in burl. In fact, some areas are large enough to cut 4'x12"x4" slabs in nothing but burl. I shaved the bark off of one of the bumps. Birdseye?

Drop the tree, slab it up, coat the ends, stickers between slabs, store the blanks in a dry place.

Then a long wait!!!


Might turn out looking like this:




Or this:



Maple: Most hate it, a few appreciate it!

https://www.amazon.com/Classic...ords=wood+end+sealer


End seal for the slabs.

One heavy coat when the slabs are cut.

Then a coat each month when you sort slabs and rotate for good air curing.

Why end seal? Blanks will dry too fast if the moisture comes out the ends, and often the ends will check.

Note the way this blank is cut.

The large flat side is tiger stripe.

The edge is flame or sausage or pillow depends on local custom.

Cut it the other way and you will have flame on the sides.



Below blank is planed flat and lightly sanded. The flame type grain reflects the light and gives the appearance of flames.



Tiger:



Flame:




Below is section cut off from a blank when I was duplicating a stock. 20 coats of my home brew finish rubbed in over a 3 month period. Much of our local maple has a reddish hue from the minerals in the soil and the correct oil finish will really make it pop.

mr. woodhunter: have you quarter sawn any maple, and if so, what is the difference in appearance as well as stability? In the white oak I use for furniture, it has a noticeable difference in both. I always prefer to use quarter sawn if it's available.

thank you.

Ive studied wood for years and talked to the most learned wood folks out there..It seems that a log should be soaked in water for a lengthy time, then air dried, and Ive purchased a couple of such blanks and they absolutely have maintained stability over a number of years and with hard use...Anyone care to commit on this practice.