Hey Ranger. I got a couple logs that were maybe 6" diameter. They were sealed with the pith still in them, and were still pretty green. Unfortunately, the log had a few cracks in the pith. I cut off a piece from the main log to make a bowl, and by the time I was done with the bowl, that VERY NIGHT, the rest of that log that I cut from had a split about 6" deep. The darn thing nearly split right in half.
So, as with all wood, it has a tendency to crack from the middle out. When it happens, it's FAST and major. If you want, cut the log in half almost. Remove a middle "slice" with the pith. This would almost surely increase the likelihood of your wood's survival. Also, waxed wood is better than painted wood. Paint still allows the passage of water, just slower. Wax is a full barrier, and requires the moisture to leave through the long grain evenly. Having said this, I dont have any anchorseal or other wax onhand, so I just painted about 500 pounds of silver maple with KILZ primer.
The log should be cut like this:
As far as the wood itself, it is very blonde-yellow. Creamy, almost. The green wood turns like a dream, too. This square edge bowl I made was turned green to final thickness and allowed to dry and warp on purpose to give it a rustic/natural look. You can see the cracks in the pith, and one or two along the rim. This wood warps a LOT when it's this thin, as you can see.
