# I can smell em' a mile away



## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Well, at least notice things from several yards. I got a call the other day about some trees coming off a lot here in town soon for a small building. I was familiar with the lot because my buddy used to own it so I did not get all that excited because they are all silver maple. I still did a drive by to check them out...from no less than 30 paces I spotted something :detective:. About head high there was some bark missing and I could see curly maple. It is spitting rain/overcast so the pictures don't show really what I saw.
I reckon I will take this one.


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## Julian the woodnut (Nov 5, 2008)

That is a nice find Daren.


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## Oscar (Jun 7, 2008)

So, Daren you didn't say if you got a little excited by your observation, or are you just a stoic old fart:laughing::laughing:


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## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

Daren probably thinks that stuff is just to plain and common since he sees it so often. You know, like wide quartersawn oak or walnut crotches. The only thing that peaks his interest now is the obscure and one of a kinds like smoketree burl or spalted curly sourwood . You notice the only thing that shocked him is that he never noticed it was curly until after his buddy owned it. And he still gets it for free:icon_smile:.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

jeffreythree said:


> You notice the only thing that shocked him is that he never noticed it was curly until after his buddy owned it.


This is true and there is more to that story. I spent 1/2 a Saturday last fall within 20 yards of that tree (and might have parked right by it that day, don't remember) My buddy buys "fixer upper" houses and well fixes them up and rents/sells them. This was just a lot with a little old garage on it that needed torn down before it fell down he bought for almost nothing as a package deal with some other property. He got a big dumpster and 3 of us knocked down the garage and loaded it in the dumpster one Saturday afternoon. I never noticed the tree other than species. We could have dropped the tree that day had I not overlooked it :huh:.

A church group bought the lot this winter and are going to put a "pantry" for the needy on it, or that is what I heard the plan was anyway when they get organized. A few trees are in the way and are going to be felled. I usually get called when a tree is coming down. I will donate fairly to the pantry if indeed this tree is $$$ like I am almost positive it is. 

I called my buddy last night after I saw the curl. He works for the city and he will use their backhoe to deliver it :icon_smile:. So it will all work out in the end.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Oscar said:


> are you just a stoic old fart
> 
> you didn't say if you got a little excited by your observation,


Yes, I guess I am. I hate to admit it, but if the shoe fits...

I will be more excited when it is laying on my mill, probably downright giddy. Contrary to what everyone may think I do luck into some unique specimens, some may think more than my fair share (and by luck I mean chase trees all the time hoping for that "one in a million", but a million is a lot to look at to find the one) I am excited when I saw into _any_ log still, except oak :shifty:, that has not wore off. The few I am fortunate enough to snag that are "special" are icing on the cake. And to be honest I have been in a bit of a drought, this will be (when it happens) the first curly maple I have milled in quite awhile. I feel I am due, past due.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Daren said:


> . . . . I mean chase trees all the time hoping for that "one in a million" . . . .


Heck I am happy to just find that 1-in-a-100. :shifty:

Daren turns his nose up to qtr. sawn white oak with heavy fleck. :blink:

Boycott Darenism! :ban:

Boycott Darenism! :ban:​:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

TexasTimbers said:


> Daren turns his nose up to qtr. sawn white oak with heavy fleck. :blink:


It's _OK_, just doesn't trip very high on the wow meter for me...I am going to start another thread soon asking for finishing advice/show some experimenting I am/will be doing. I have a small stash of _curly_ 1/4 sawn red and white oak. I am actually thinking about doing a woodworking project with oak (yea me, the oak disliker :whistling2 I have been messing with a way to get the curl and the fleck to pop. I am doing the old steel wool/iron shavings in vinegar trick to make an ebonizing solution that reacts with the tannin in the oak. It works great for the curl, but is obscuring the ray fleck too much instead of make it stand out. I must be doing something wrong :confused1:. More on that later, with pictures of course.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

I wonder if if there's something that would penetrate the medullary rays, but that would sand off the long grain since it would not penetrate as much.

My thinking being the medullary being much more porous it would take the solution deeper. 

Does BLO highlight fleck? If so, hit the whole thing with BLO first, let dry then seal it ith *something* that would seal the ends of the fleck if it became enhanced like you want, then sand it all off and apply your vingear/iron soup. Just throwing it out there I have no idea what I am suggesting never tried anything like that.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

PS you are probably tired of me ragging you about oak. I'll stop. 



I'll pick a different species. :icon_cheesygrin:


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

In 1/4 sawn to me it seems the rays would be face grain and the rest would be end grain (well sort of, you know what I mean). The solution should not soak in the rays as deep, at least that was the way I was heading but so far not much luck. I did use a water based dye to raise the grain, give it a quick sanding after it was dry and hit it with the rusty vinegar...partial success. The only problem was the "black" dye was _too_ black full strength and obscured everything and green diluted. So the best I have come up with was ebonized oak with green ray flecks :blush:.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

TexasTimbers said:


> PS you are probably tired of me ragging you about oak. I'll stop.


You are going to rag me about something...might as well be oak .


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## JP Sinclair (Nov 13, 2006)

*Good find*

PICS brother when you pull the first slab!.:yes: Almost looks like that is both tiger and blister figure. I've been talking with a guy in town that is a hell of a good finish painter and he uses 50-50 mix of turnpentine and varnish for a first hand rubbed finish on either tiger or flame birch and it really makes the striping stand up nice. I'll get some pics of a flame birch project he's doing with that method. 

Those tiger ripples speak to me from deep inside a pile of logs on a landing every time. My wife thinks I'm losing it. I was at a friend's house last week and he had gotten a load of maple logs for firewood. Sure enough, one soft maple had tiger in it. I forbade him to process into block wood and muscled it into the back of my pickup truck.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Daren said:


> In 1/4 sawn to me it seems the rays would be face grain and the rest would be end grain . . .


I thought the same thing initially, but I don't think you can actually have end grain except, at the end of the log. 

In quarter sawn you're seeing the growth rings in a perpendicular fashion but that isn't end grain. The end grain shows the tyloses (?) or vessels that transport the water and nutrients. 

I am not sure about the terminology a little rusty on that but point is quarter sawn face is not end grain. I had always thought the fleck we see is the cross section of the medullary akin to what you would think of ass "end grain". 

But you might be right about the fleck being less porous than the face of the quartersawn. I bet you're right though you've cut a lot of white oak. I'll take a closer look when I get to the shop.

Maybe I am thinking since Lacewood fleck is very porous WO is too. That's the answer! Use Lacewood.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

TexasTimbers said:


> Maybe I am thinking since Lacewood fleck is very porous WO is too. That's the answer! Use Lacewood.


WO is not at all porous (compared to red oak), part of my problem...and I did an experiment with 1/4 sawn sycamore, turned out just like you are saying. The fleck soaked up the solution like a sponge, really made it look cool.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

*Well it ain't a mile away now...*

It is laying 6' from my sawmill :yes:. This was on a little vacant lot I have watched it for a year. The lot got bought by the community club and we are going to have a "town garden"...the trees had to go. This one went from there to here in a hurry.

























Let's have a closer look at that end :detective: ambrosia...









The crotch is rotten, bummer. It is not uncommon to have curl on the butt swell, many trees do so I don't get that excited. I knocked a chunk off the top end...what do you think ?


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## Mizer (Mar 11, 2010)

:thumbsup: Good score, yea I have been sorely disappointed about nice curl at the but end only to have it disappear quickly.


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

Just stumbled across this thread. Gotta ask, Daren. Did your try any stain or finish on that QSWO? What happened?
We did our kitchen in QSWO and used dye followed by shellac. Tried for the fumed look. Came out OK but the rays sure didn't take the dye well. That was OK cuz they show up better.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Daren said:


> The crotch is rotten, bummer.


I mean gone...too bad curly crotch slabs would have looked killer. I flipped it and tried on both sides, no table tops I guess. 









But I took a stab at bucking it. I cut 4' off, leaving me a 9' butt log. Not bad, heart rot about the size of a quarter where I bucked it.











Mizer said:


> :thumbsup: Good score, yea I have been sorely disappointed about nice curl at the but end only to have it disappear quickly.


Got lucky...good curl all the way, here it is at 10'









I shot a 12" wide scrap through the planer (picture stinks bubble gum machine camera)











Gene Howe said:


> Daren. Did your try any stain or finish on that QSWO? What happened?


Well Gene what happened was that got put on the back burner...like too many other things :blush:


EDIT: Something did come out of that rotten old crotch. http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f13/dad-dug-through-my-junk-wood-again-19268/






.


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

SWEET! :yes:


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

Daren, If I had wood to mill like that church Maple, I wouldn't feel the need to stain any QSWO either!
That is some pretty stuff, fer shor!


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## Chad (May 10, 2009)

Very sweet, keep the pics a coming.


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## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

Nice curly maple Daren :thumbsup:. When you said you were digging up an old thread I figured it was something you head been watching out for or maybe a little redbud burl maybe. I got my eye on one now, same situation. Monster burled elm on an undeveloped lot I pass every day, gonna have to get pics because it is just cool looking. It is one of the few places I actually want someone to develop.


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## Old Skhool (Oct 31, 2009)

*Daren, something different to try:*

Google "fumed oak" and it should give you ideas & processes. (A respirator should be worn to protect you from the ammonia fumes)... the results can be quite good. Might even give you a new appreciation for oak.:smile: If you're not familiar, it may be worth a look. What was once a rather common process has almost disappeared. 

If interested, Rick Mosher may have some valuable tips in addition to what you find on google, or in books. For those that haven't seen Rick's posts, he seems to be our finishing guru on this site.

Bil


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Old Skhool said:


> Might even give you a new appreciation for oak.:smile:


I don't want to appreciate oak, you can't make me :tt2: I am familiar with fuming. It was not what I was trying to achieve with the ebonizing (wanted black, but still visible ray fleck). Fumed oak is ok. But this sorta goes to my point, if a guy likes messing with changing the natural beauty of wood in finishing techniques some good old cheap oak will work. I personally don't like to stain/change much and am lucky I have dozens and dozens of species of hardwood to work with that suit me just the way they are.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

*Milled it*

For those of you who don't sawmill, those aren't blade/teeth marks that is the curl standing up rough sawn...dried and planed :icon_smile:




























 Oopsie, yard tree...whatcha gonna do. One nail, one hit...I've done worse.









I just flitch sawed it and am keeping it in boule form.


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

Daren, you must start warning us before post pics like that!
I didn't have a towel handy to wipe the drool off my keyboard.
That is shore purty stuff there,:thumbsup:


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Yep I could stand it if we had some of that stuff around here.


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## Chad (May 10, 2009)

Very sweet! I love this section of the forum....


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

Very nice save Daren. Beautiful wood. Can you tell me what you meant by Boule form please? Thanks!


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Boule form just means I stacked it back in the order it was sawn apart. I do that on some logs so I can bookmatch the lumber later.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

He also does it because he figures if it was Nakashima's favorite way to have his logs sawn, then it's good enough for us hacks. :icon_cheesygrin:


I remember how beautiful this one turned out I just can't remember where it ended up going. Funny how you get to think of them as more than just a stack of wood. I don't share GN's philosophy that every tree has a soul, but I can understand how a person might adopt such a belief.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

TexasTimbers said:


> He also does it because he figures if it was Nakashima's favorite way to have his logs sawn, then it's good enough for us hacks. :icon_cheesygrin:


You know me too well. One of my favorite pictures of George Nakashima (and of course I could not find it on a quick internet search) was him standing in his "woodshed" surrounded by upright flitches and stacked boules. Most of the flitches had notes scrawled on them in chalk. He could look at the wood and it would tell him what it wanted to be, or so he said. So he would basically draw a quick sketch on the timber of what it was to be made into, then come back to it later and make it.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Daren said:


> One of my favorite pictures of George Nakashima . . . .


Yeah I could see the picture in my minds eye right away. I am not 100% sure but I think he also had a pipe hanging out of his pie hole. 

I have no doubt that he could hear the trees speaking to him. He was the Tree Whisperer I reckon. A Woodworking Wizard. :sorcerer:

When I get back out to the shop I'll crack _The Soul of a Tree_ open and see if that pic is in there. Can't remember if it is but maybe. I think it was Woodshop News that did an article a couple years back about how Mira had revived his legacy. Hired some of his former employees and had orders stacked up and was not at that time taking any more. She's quite the artisan all in her own right. 



.


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## Mizer (Mar 11, 2010)

Darren, was that log curly all the way through?


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

:yes: Pretty consistent and tight curl the whole length and on all sides. It has a little darker heart/more heart than many will like. And the ambrosia is just in the sap, mainly on the butt end (bottom 4' or so). It's a 9' log though so with some cutting a guy can get many different types of projects from it. It did have some taper too. While not a "perfect" log (that is so weird to hear me say, imperfection is what I look for) I am pretty pleased with what I got out of it. Nice stack IMO...for an old yard tree I have been eyeballin' for over a year.


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## junkhound (Nov 6, 2009)

From the looks of that lumber, you have a good nose :yes:.

junkhound


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