I partially heat my house with a wood furnace, and all winter I'm cutting and splitting. A couple years ago I bought a semi load of tree sections from a builder that was clearing a lot. I've been working my way through the pile.
Yesterday, I brought a couple of massive maple tree trunks up to the splitting area. I started to buck, and now I'm really torn about whether it would be a waste to burn these, or whether I should cut bowl turning blanks.
I don't know how realistic it is to think that I'm actually going to have time to turn bowls, but maybe I could make a few bowls and sell tuning blanks? I dunno- but it just seems a shame to burn the stuff, especially since much of it it is not checked and cracked. I reckon I need to seal the fresh cuts to prevent further cracking.
My lathe is a Powermatic 45 with VFD speed control, nova chuck, free standing tool rest for outboard turning, a good bowl gouge and sharpening jig, etc. I'm all set up, but I have not turned a bow since 2003 or so!
I reckon that I need to set up a chain saw with a ripping blade in order to cut bowl blanks. or maybe I could use the splitter.
I guess I'm just looking for a sanity check here...