Today's wood haul - and I struck GOLD!!

[John Keeton]

A crew had been clearing along the main road to move an overhead electrical line. I had been watching this wood for the last few days.

So, after finishing up the bench for the lathe, I went to check on some fresh cut walnut and cottonwood that a couple of neighbors had piled up.

There was a lot of both, but the walnut was either too large too fool with or too small. Not sure what happened that there weren't any manageable pieces. I may go back and work on a couple of the larger pieces, but my neighbor did have a piece of walnut that had been in his pile for a year or so, and I cut that in half and took it.
WALNUT.jpg
Another neighbor had a whole cottonwood tree, but I wasn't very impressed with the wood - kind of drab. There was one piece that had a limb coming out of it, so I cut that. There is more if I decide to go back.
COTTONWOOD 1.jpg COTTONWOOD 2.jpg
But, as we were talking, I told him I bet if the cottonwood laid around for while, it would spalt. He didn't know what that was. I tried to explain it to him (not knowing a lot about it myself!!), and I said maple does it a lot as it get fungus and stuff in it.

And, that is when he said......

[David Christopher]

John, that looks some beautiful wood. too bad you dont have a lathe but I will give you my address, cause I still have mine

[Mike Minto]

John, and that is when he said what?

[John Keeton]

".......well, they piled up a bunch of maple up there on the hill a couple or three years ago, but I don't think it is much good now. I pushed a bunch of it up with the tractor so I could burn it!"

Quickly, as it was getting late, I said WHERE?????

So, we walked up the hill a bit, and there were two large piles of maple, and some other stuff. He said you can have all of it you want.

I pulled a piece out, and cut it in half -
MAPLE 1.jpgMAPLE 2.jpg

I showed my neighbor and said THAT is what I am looking for! Couldn't wait to get home and cut it in blanks.
MAPLE 3.jpgMAPLE 4.jpg

I'm going back tomorrow if it isn't raining!! There are probably 12 - 15 pieces like this in those piles, if not more!!!

Now, I really want my lathe to come in!! Dang, this is fun!!

[gary Zimmel]

You may have too much to store John.
Send a bit up here and I will take care of storage for you.

Sweet gloat!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Yup - don't even have your lathe yet and you already need a bigger one!

Great looking bunch of wood John! Get all of the maple that you can! Have fun with it and be careful when lifting!

[David E Keller]

Great looking spalt... Can't wait to see it turned. Be careful with the dust from that stuff, as mold spores make some people pretty sick.

Like Steve said, get all you can. You'll never regret getting it, and when it runs out, you'll wonder why you didn't get more.

Hope your lathe arrives soon.

[Bob Glenn]

Nice find, John. I often get asked at reenactments, what my favorite type of wood is. I always tell them it's a little known rare species called freewood.

Show us the results after you put a tool to it.

[Steve Mawson]

You are just falling into everything here lately. How can one guy be so lucky. Now I want your lathe to come so you can show us what that maple is going to look like. Should be great. Keep it up.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I told ya John just put that folding bench down. It will hold all that wood for sure.

Congrats on some nice wood John.

[Doug W Swanson]

John,
Nice score!

Now I bet you were wishing you had held onto your other lathe until the Delta arrives!

Maybe I'll have to start looking around more for the tree guys!

Doug

PS I did get some old true 2x4's from my brother-in-law the other day. The wood is about 100 years old and looks nice. It does have some nail holes so I'll need to get a metal detector. I could glue some up for turning but I know I could get some really nice end grain cutting boards out of it.

[Joseph M Lary]

Talking to my brother-in-law he said a guy that he was talking with took some mayo, and painted it on the cut side and ends of some wood and got some good spalting for it in about 3 month . Im going to give that a try with some cotton wood this year.Im going to paint it on and put it on the north side of the house under some plastic.

[Jim Slovik]

John,
Very nice. I can't wait to see what you do with it.
Jim

[Jamie Straw]

Ahhh, the wood-spirits are really taking care of you, John. Fabulous find!

[art san jr]

Sweet Mamma............The Saga Of Turning John continues.

Super nice score John. Thanks for showing.

Art.