# Gift or not??



## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

My neighbor saw the two sided carvings and kind of liked them. So this afternoon he left me a little something by the back patio door. Fresh cut. Looks like silver maple, English walnut, and something else. Now what do I do with them?? Slice them green or dry first? Paint the ends, sides, or ...?


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

seal the ends..
strip the bark... (unless you want it)
fumigate..
stack and store w/ ventilation...
cover and keep them out of the sun...
come back in a few years and use them...

try this experiment... something turners do...
thin slab them...
cut out your design
submerse in DNA for 24 hours (or longer to displace the water......
remove from the DNA...
drip dry...
after it's dry to the touch (30 minutes or so)
cover w/ brown paper on the topside only w/ the slab ventilated on the bottom side...
weight the design every day, once it quits loosing weight it's dry... 
this should only take a week or two......


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Stick486 said:


> seal the ends..
> strip the bark... (unless you want it)
> fumigate..
> stack and store w/ ventilation...
> ...


I figure on slabbing certain ones for sure. Will have to sharpen up my chainsaw skills a little more. Still mulling over the other ones. The wheels are turning (no pun intended). Sure would take a lot of DNA wouldn't it - for these sizes?


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

honesttjohn said:


> I figure on slabbing certain ones for sure. Will have to sharpen up my chainsaw skills a little more. Still mulling over the other ones. The wheels are turning (no pun intended). Sure would take a lot of DNA wouldn't it - for these sizes?


one or two slabs at a time..
seal what you are soaking in to control evaporation...


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## thomas1389 (Jan 4, 2012)

honesttjohn said:


> My neighbor saw the two sided carvings and kind of liked them. So this afternoon he left me a little something by the back patio door. Fresh cut. Looks like silver maple, English walnut, and something else. Now what do I do with them?? Slice them green or dry first? Paint the ends, sides, or ...?


Do you have a fireplace ?


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

thomas1389 said:


> Do you have a fireplace ?


They're too good to just burn. I'm going to make something out of them. They'll be some waste for the fire pit.


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## OutoftheWoodwork (Oct 4, 2012)

Wowsers! Save me a couple, John (we'll meet in our parking lot :wink: ) :lol:


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Those make me want to start up my lathe and turn some green bowls. 

If nothing else, at least get the ends sealed and store them in a covered location out of the sun. Lost of good wood there John.


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Just a thought, split one down the middle, flatten that backside, and carve an owl with chicks or pair of owls on the outside, make sure the bark stays on.


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## gdonham1 (Oct 31, 2011)

As Stick486 said you need to get the ends sealed or they will split. There are a lot of products but just latex paint will work. If you dont seal the ends you will checks and splits very shortly. 

Cutting green wood is very messy because there is a lot of water in the wood. If you let it dry it will take about a year per inch to dry to use for wood working. If you carve it wet then put it in a paper bag and let it dry slowly. You will most likely still get some cracking but that can add character to carving of faces or of fantasy things like fairies or wood nymphs.

Another suggestion is to make some cookies (cross cut) and make clocks or other carvings on the semi round objects. If you make clocks make sure the wood is thick enough to inset the clock mechanism in the back and have enough left for the shaft. They make the clocks in 1/4 3/8 and 3/4 inch thicknesses. Klockit.com is a good source for clock parts but Hobby Lobby and Michaels carry clock mechanisms along with hands.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Got all the ends painted and started slicing. Got em stickered and sitting in the basement now. Will hopefully get to the rest sometime this week. Any idea how long it'll take them to dry enough to carve? Was hoping for this fall sometime. Will probably take them to a live event, if our Prime Minister ever lets us out, and let people customize them with addresses, names, etc.


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Do you have a dehumidifier in your basement? That will help dry them out somewhat. It would need to have a filter so it could be cleaned. They say a year per inch but that is for standard air drying and it will really depend on other factors like having a dehumidifier where they are stored, possible fans for circulation, and how wet they are to begin with, which these were fresh cut. Now for the bad part, they might split really bad if they dry too fast.

Even if they split a little bit they may make some interesting project pieces.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

what's in the library on drying wood...

.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Wait...what?!
"if our Prime Minister ever lets us out, "
Under your atavar, it says you're in the USofA (not eh?)
Pretty sure it's still a republic(?)...


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

DaninVan said:


> Wait...what?!
> "if our Prime Minister ever lets us out, "
> Under your atavar, it says you're in the USofA (not eh?)
> Pretty sure it's still a republic(?)...



Not the state of Michigan!! Our guv is now a self appointed Prime Minister with a cabinet of Yes Ma'ams. Just hates to deal with the Prez especially when she needs something - like aid. He makes her say "Pretty Please" which p*sses her off to no end. Then she takes it out on us.


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## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

If you don't have one get a moisture reader you need one. They are very useful if you are making your own lumber. I try to use lumber below 11% (air dried), understanding there will be some wood movement I need to account for.

Otherwise really nice haul. I have some walnut logs still hanging out in the corner drying slowly. Probably usable later this year (maybe).


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

honesttjohn said:


> Not the state of Michigan!! Our guv is now a self appointed Prime Minister with a cabinet of Yes Ma'ams. Just hates to deal with the Prez especially when she needs something - like aid. He makes her say "Pretty Please" which p*sses her off to no end. Then she takes it out on us.


Thanks for clarifying that, John. the 'Yes Ma'ams' give her legitimacy? Michigan is a Commonwealth?


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Not a Commonwealth. I think she's in over her head and just keeps digging in deeper.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Time to backfill?


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## UglySign (Nov 17, 2015)

What about offering a Polish Eagle for some pull?
or some of those blanks could make a nice lamp, possibly the base 
can be pointing a finger?
Which finger tho....



MEBCWD said:


> Do you have a dehumidifier in your basement? That will help dry them out somewhat. It would need to have a filter so it could be cleaned. They say a year per inch but that is for standard air drying and it will really depend on other factors like having a dehumidifier where they are stored, possible fans for circulation, and how wet they are to begin with, which these were fresh cut. Now for the bad part, they might split really bad if they dry too fast.
> Even if they split a little bit they may make some interesting project pieces.


Sounds like Running a DH in a basement would be a hassle.

What about storing wood in the attic? Well, thats if it's reasonably accessible.
Im sure there would be fluctuations in temps but is out of outdoor elements. No?
No I wouldn't store wood 3 floors up.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

I have a constant 60 +/- degrees down there so we'll just see what happens. My son down in Raleigh is having a couple huge oaks and others taken down along with about 40 other trees. Going down the latter part of June so I may have some more to bring back. May be a busy year in 2021.


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