# Ambrosia Maple Cookies. Wild stuff!



## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

So I posted a thread over in the projects section with little response and realized here is where the milling and drying information is found...So!

I think I'll post this here.

I was driving down the road and saw some tree cutting going on. I stopped and asked what was happening to the wood? They informed me that the logs had already been sold. Upon a further look see, I wondered if they could cut me off a section of tree base (cookie). I offered to pay for it but they wouldn't have any of that. 
They cut me off a 9" thick slice.

So I took the slice to a sawer friend. The thing weighed in heavier than a refrigerator.
We were able to get 2, 3" slices from the piece. They are 42" long.
I immediately got them home and attached some hardwood slats to the back side to try and help the slices from warping.

2nd photo is the 2 slices.

3rd photo is one of them splashed with mineral spirits to see the grain like it will be when finished out.

I was shocked at the coloring and explosive patterns. I had to share this with Y'all.

So now I'm going to go against conventional drying wisdom and speed dry them. I'm expecting 3 months....More on how later.


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## bmarshall9686 (Jan 17, 2016)

Just as cool here as it was over there!


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

will be interested to hear your speed drying method is. I'm pretty sure the kiln process kills the ambrosia beetle. what projects do you have in mind?


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

Well, Tennessee Tim and others will disagree on how I tend to dry things and it's generally specific to the type of cut and definitely unorthodox and wrong.
Cookies tend to split anyways so I don't care if these do or not. I epoxy fill the cracks and allow them to be part of the design feature. I'm more concerned about warping.That's why I slatted the backside. 

The 1" per year general rule doesn't apply here. We're dealing with end grains only 3" apart and it breaths thru those grains just like the sap goes up and down thru them. The 1" rule applies to straight cut boards and logs.
With those things in mind, I measured the moisture content. It was at about 40-45% and down to 25% in areas, when cut off of the tree.

So I stickers em up and pulled out the space heater. I've had warm dry air blowing around the surfaces for a week now.
This isn't kilning, it's just to keep the temps somewhat steady and since this is maple I'm seeing white mold forming. This will lessen it.
Ok, 1 week in, the moisture content is already down to 35% in the center rings and 18-20% everywhere else. So it's dropping some. No cracking yet except some hairline cracks at the center rings. Expected. When the center rings get down to ~25%, I'll place these pieces in the kiln at 90 degrees. At the end, I'll do the bug kill at 130-140 degrees.
I want the surface down to below 6%, which means the interior grains are likely at 10ish%. 

At this point I think these will take 1 to 1 1/2 months. I was counting on 3 months. After done, I'll let get them planed down to 2" thick (they are 3" now) and re-check the moisture content. Then I'll let them sit for a week or so to acclimate to the world. 

I know I know...It's just not right and I spent too much time showing how to do things wrong.
.......
Plans so far are to join the two pieces and make a 4 seat kitchen table top with the 4 exploding patterns as place settings.
It should measure ~42" across and 2" thick. Finish will be a sanded and polished epoxy. Satin finish.


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## bmarshall9686 (Jan 17, 2016)

It's not wrong if you know the results you will get and that's how you want to do it.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

thanks for the description. I will be interested to know how it turns out for you.


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

Bmarshall...
I do lose about 30% of my wood to unexpected effects and some stuff warps terribly. It's a numbers game and a chance. It's a chance many times I'll take since I don't have room for wood to sit around taking up space for years on end.

TimPa 
Done similar before. 

Tennessee Tim cut me a 3 sided Oak pyramid with 18" sides at the base. Considering the thing was a foot thick, I wasn't going to wait many years for it to dry down. I immediately weighed the pyramid on the scale. 
The piece weighed in at 81 lbs. 
I drilled some deep holes in the bottom to take some pressure off of the piece and straight away I put it in kiln.
Over the next 3 weeks the weight started dropping so I knew the moisture was coming out of it. 
It finally stopped loosing weight at the 3rd week and was 58 lbs. 
I kilned it for 1 more week and the weight was the same... 58 lbs.
This told me no more moisture was going to come out. The surface m.c. was less than 6% (or as low as my meter could register.). I assumed the interior was nearly as dry.

As expected it cracked in 3 places. I ground all surfaces down to 120 grit and started filling the cracks with epoxy. Some voids are 3/8" wide with cracks 6 to 8" long. Still after all the epoxy filling and epoxy finish, it had a unique look.
One year later, I did have to do a little touch up on it, but it still looks good


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## bmarshall9686 (Jan 17, 2016)

I would love to see it!


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

Wish I could show it.
I had a computer crash and it's still yet to be downloaded back into the new computer.


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

Saving your day Aard!!! LOL!!
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f26/would-csm-milling-58231/

When it comes to a item this odd and extreme ....sometimes you can only take the risks and go for it when it comes to drying...extreme size makes drying VERY trying...a vacuum kiln may be the best way BUT they're few and far between in the rural areas,,,,LOL. Aard's weighing method is about the only way without boring and use of probes.

ENJOY!!!


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## bmarshall9686 (Jan 17, 2016)

That was so crazy and pretty, it's like organized chaos


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

bmarshall
Tim just posted the thread w/ photos of the Pyramid.
It has before and after pictures.
(oh wait, you saw it before I did...Ha!)

Thanks Tim !


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

interesting project guys!


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

No fine joinery for this boy.
Different is good.


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

Kiln time.
I've had these air drying for only 2 weeks with warm space heater air going over the slabs. The moisture content is down to 30-35% in the center rings and 15-18% on the outer rings.
So I'm cheating even more and kilning even when the centers are at 30ish %.

So we take the chance and put em under kiln heat. Your guess is as good as mine how the end results will turn out. 
If they crack, I'll deal with it. Big thing is hoping they don't warp.

It's sitting at 85-90 degrees now and will be for a few weeks. I'll check the moisture pretty regularly and when it gets down to 6-8% I'll add a space heater to the other end and cook em up to over 130 degrees for a few days.
Right now I'll relocate the space heater from one end to the other to try and keep the heat somewhat even.


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

So I checked the moisture content after only 2 days in the kiln and the m.c., was down to 7% or less, no matter where I probed the pieces.
So I did a bug kill for 24 hours at 140+ degrees and pulled them from the kiln. Again I probed the pieces and got nothing above 5%.
I did get some cracking and checking as expected. Still this is nothing I can't work with and fill with epoxy later.

So here is the finished picture with the results.


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

Gonna see something purdy...Gonna see something purdy....Gonna see something purdy....:whistling2::whistling2::clap::clap: Are we THERE YET??? LOL


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

Sounds like a bad road trip.

Dad! Tim keeps poking me!
Don't make me stop this car!
I gotta go to the bathroom. 
Hold It!

One thing I didn't mention which sorta should go on the other thread. After the drying I found 3 small mounds of sawdust. Apparently the Ambrosia beetles were trying to bury in due to the kiln heat and dug into the wood a bit. I'm sure the 140+ degrees got em though.

Yeah, I'm not in a hurry on the big pieces but the small piece on the left looks like a chair seat. I might make a Irish style hut chair out of it. like the photo below.


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## bmarshall9686 (Jan 17, 2016)

How do you prevent that plastic from melting?


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## Woodychips (Oct 3, 2015)

bmarshall9686 said:


> How do you prevent that plastic from melting?


My guess is that it's that new fangled hardened plastic outa China.


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

140-150 degrees won't melt visqueen (sp) 4 mill plastic.
It doesn't even deform it.

No it that new fangled Mexican blend with asbestos binders.


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## bmarshall9686 (Jan 17, 2016)

Oh it's visqueen, that makes sense now.


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

Finish on one piece is somewhat done. Some final spray coats to go yet.
It started with chainsaw cuts and was sanded down with 16 grit and I kept going till I hit 120 grit.
I did a crack fill with epoxy and have a little more to go yet. I also pin nailed the bark on and epoxy coated it as well.
Finish so far is lacquer. It tends to pop grain colors quite well.

Take a look see!

I'm going to use this as a seat base for a chair.


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

So I'm prepping to assemble a Irish style chair from one of the cookies shown in the last post.
The parts are all kiln dried in my "cheap kiln (see thread) and ready for assembly with a few small things left to do.

Last step will be sanding and finishes.


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

Watching this build!!! Keep up the pics.


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

I assembled the chair yesterday morning, but honestly I don't know if I like the look.
When I get final finish coats on it, I'll post some photos of the end product.


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

Well, the Irish Chair is finished except some small hole plugging.
Here are 2 shots and I started a thread for more detail.
It's in the "Projects Showcase" section.

Those of us who work with slabs and chunks appreciate you all who do cutting for us.
Mind you, even the smallest pieces can turn into something. 
Remember that when you mill.


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

Chair looking good!!!


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

Yup.
It's sitting in a local restaurant right now with a description of it's Irish origin and a "for sale" sign on it.
Got it up for $525, but you know it will get talked down some. It's getting gawkers who are going "Wow!", so it's a matter of time, I guess.


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