A friend here in New York recently had a moderately large Norway maple break apart in a storm. The crotch where three trunks met was deeply rotted, and two fell leaving one standing.
It looks to me as if there is a nice figure to the wood. Although the base of the tree is 3' or more in diameter, the clear wood looks to be in about 8' of trunk, and about 16" diameter.
I'm thinking of crosscutting that portion and splitting it into billets for mandolin or violin backs - and salvaging other interesting bits for bowl turning. It's been down long enough with bark on that there may be some staining, but since I'm not selling this stuff, I'm not too worried about perfection.
Any suggestions would be welcome - encouraging or otherwise. I have a basic cabinetmaker's knowledge of wood, and know to sticker, seal ends, and keep air moving. But aside from that, I'll be learning as I go.
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