workinforwood
Member
Well in my opinion it's the best way. This peach tree died from last winters cold and has an amazing gnarly trunk section with a crotch intersecting several times and the ants bored into it for the entire year so it is definitely ready. After cutting all the branches off and chopping up the largest branches that you will then trade for ribs from a bbq smoking person :biggrin:, now you x cut the base while it is still attached to the stump in the ground. That will keep it from being able to move. A quick cut across the stump and the 4 sections fall away nice and easy. My bandsaw could handle the entire log but I certainly couldn't man handle it like that. These 4 sections are like 5x5 in size and will need to sit on the shelf a good 2 yrs before cutting them up and then another 3-4 months after that can be cast into blanks. It is best with super hard exotic wood like this to not cut it into boards because they will warp twist and crack guaranteed. The cracking doesn't matter but the twisting certainly does. So I dated the ends, labeled what they are and in a few years the investment will pay off.
To get some wood within a year, I cross cut some smaller crotch logs into 1" thick rounds too.
To get some wood within a year, I cross cut some smaller crotch logs into 1" thick rounds too.