A time to noodle — for the fun of it

[OldLumberKid]

Sometimes the saw sits — this time surgery kept me out of the game for a while. But last week I stacked and split, and this week it was time to make sure the thing still starts. — It did — first time.
(broken image removed)
I had a recalcitrant big, heavy ole round that didn't want to succumb to the axe (I'm sure it would have eventually) but, what the hey ... I just felt like noodling anyway! It's fun, it makes the saw happy and the engine warm in a hurry.

Plus I was bummed the Rangers lost to the Capitals, so it was time to hit the wood pile...
This one was a little tricky, being longer than my 16" (18") blade ... once I got about 2/3 of the way through, I took the fiskars to it to finish it off.

Darn lovely piece of tree--should be furniture not firewood, mostly almost as white as the driven snow, inside — very heavy, 100# in a 16x18" round. Smelled very nice and creamy too. Almost too nice to split!

Could have mixed the noodles with olive oil and garlic and eaten them almost they looked so fresh and appetizing, but of course, it's wood, so ... NOT! I guess I must have been hungry. So then I lit up the BBQ, but that's another story ...

 

[bogydave]

Nice picture
Pretty wood cut by a nice new saw.

Glad you're healed & back in the game

 

[OldLumberKid]

Why thanks much bogydave. I guess I'm in a couple of tanks or three at this point but can't help cleaning up after. It may never get really dirty!

I am curious though, anyone else out there do the occasional noodle for the fun of it?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Not me. Not sure why but I've never liked it so simply do not do it.

 

[Thistle]

I do quite often when roughing out turning blocks,chunks & slabs from logs 3 ft or less in length.Its much easier trimming any piece to finished size on bandsaw when they're no more than 30 lbs,so often the saw is used to break them down to a more manageable size.Anything longer the Alaskan mill gets set up.

I save 4-5 large birdseed/cat litter bags worth in the shed for firestarter,any extra is scattered around the processing area, as mulch between certain garden plants around the yard.Nice to walk on,makes a good weed barrier too.Sure dont take long to get a bushel or 3 accumulated.

 

[OldLumberKid]

I do quite often when roughing out turning blocks,chunks & slabs from logs 3 ft or less in length.Its much easier trimming any piece to finished size on bandsaw when they're no more than 30 lbs,so often the saw is used to break them down to a more manageable size.Anything longer the Alaskan mill gets set up.

I save 4-5 large birdseed/cat litter bags worth in the shed for firestarter,any extra is scattered around the processing area, as mulch between certain garden plants around the yard.Nice to walk on,makes a good weed barrier too.Sure dont take long to get a bushel or 3 accumulated.

I don't like it.
I love it.

Noodler's delight. Those blocks look pretty square, too.

Is it just me and my lickle 250 saw and safety chain, or does noodling a large piece of oak/maple take a bit longer to accomplish than a buck cut? (Not that I'm complaining; who isn't happy sawing?)

On another note, gonna cut up a stump or two for the wife for garden adornments, plant stands, etc. She's already picked out a few choice angle cuts and thick cookies from my woodpile ... gotta share the spoils.

 

[Woody Stover]

I had a recalcitrant big, heavy ole round that didn't want to succumb to the axe

What is that, Maple?

I do quite often when roughing out turning blocks,chunks & slabs

What is that in the first two pics, Sugar? Last pic with "Old Yeller" looks like Cheery...

 

[Thistle]

What is that in the first two pics, Sugar? Last pic with "Old Yeller" looks like Cheery...

First 2 pics are Honey Locust,3rd is White Pine

 

[OldLumberKid]

What is that, Maple?

I think, or white oak. Very very heavy, real thin and fine grained bark. Ieft it a few months, used it as a chopping block, and it did not want to split, like hittin' concrete. But once it had a partial noodle cut in it, it split nicely.
(broken image removed) <back when it was fresh ... check that very fine furrowing on the bark.
(the stuff in the background is just miscellaneaous bits and bobs)

 

[nrford]

Norway Maple

 

[Woody Stover]

Ieft it a few months, used it as a chopping block, and it did not want to split, like hittin' concrete.

I like taking a toughie that won't split easily and using it for a chopping block. I'll buck it to a nice, low 8" block. I like to keep the ax out of the ground.

 

[OldLumberKid]

I like taking a toughie that won't split easily and using it for a chopping block. I'll buck it to a nice, low 8" block. I like to keep the ax out of the ground.

The photo all the way at the very top of the thread is the same round post-noodled and split. (it was sacrificed after the NYRangers last loss to the Washington Capitals) It was a block for a while -- and yes, I hear you on keeping the axe out of the ground, because that's where it often ends up without a block. I'll be looking for a new block come next fall, if not before. *" and a slight angle sounds good.

I do have a temporary candidate, although unless the wife has other plans for it.

 

[OldLumberKid]

Norway Maple

Thanks. No way am I returning the pieces to the kingdom of Norway, though.
Finders keepers!

 

[Woody Stover]

I'll be looking for a new block come next fall, if not before. *" and a slight angle sounds good.

Yeah, then even if a round was cut with a slight angle, you can still get it set up the way you want it...

 

[fishingpol]

I had this posted in another thread. I noodle chunks for woodworking projects. It seems like about the only time I run the saw lately.

Spalted maple.





I will not ever noodle red cedar again. It looked like I butchered an animal in the snow. Kind of freaked people out for a few days.

 

[Thistle]

Is it just me and my lickle 250 saw and safety chain, or does noodling a large piece of oak/maple take a bit longer to accomplish than a buck cut? (Not that I'm complaining; who isn't happy sawing?)

They can & usually do take a bit longer,yes.Even with a big saw,skip tooth chain & slightly lowered rakers.It also depends on wood species,grain direction (knots/crotches and or irregular grain will slow it down as well)

 

[TimJ]

don't you have to lay the round on its side to get the stringy noodles instead of the round sitting upright and going through the face ?

 

[Woody Stover]

don't you have to lay the round on its side to get the stringy noodles instead of the round sitting upright and going through the face ?

Ya.

 

[OldLumberKid]

don't you have to lay the round on its side to get the stringy noodles instead of the round sitting upright and going through the face ?

Yes, my first time, a while back, it took only one very, very short attempt end-on to discover it had to be done length-wise. It was kinda embarassing. I only got a quarter of an inch in before I realized something was very wrong: one way yields sawdust, the other yields noodles.

They can & usually do take a bit longer,yes.Even with a big saw,skip tooth chain & slightly lowered rakers.It also depends on wood species,grain direction (knots/crotches and or irregular grain will slow it down as well)

There I am wondering as I saw -- "ah, this takes some time I wonder if those big saws with full chisel chains make short work of this?" -- Question answered.

 

[OldLumberKid]

I will not ever noodle red cedar again. It looked like I butchered an animal in the snow. Kind of freaked people out for a few days.

View attachment 101460

That is indeed so very freaky. But the color makes a nice change. Red oak also yielded some nice colored noodles, but without the impression of bloodshed.

 

[fishingpol]

Spalting is fungus running through the wood. It is no good to breathe when cutting or working it up. Tiger or curly maple is my second favorite, along with quarter sawn white oak. Oh, the list goes on...

 

[OldLumberKid]

Spalting is fungus running through the wood. It is no good to breathe when cutting or working it up. Tiger or curly maple is my second favorite, along with quarter sawn white oak. Oh, the list goes on...

Ever come across any Alder ?... makes a good Fender guitar body. I'm curious though how long they need to season that (bird's eye?) Maple to get a good solid neck that won't warp.

But the spalted wood -- that would make a very nice natural guitar body.

 

[jdp1152]

I think, or white oak. Very very heavy, real thin and fine grained bark. Ieft it a few months, used it as a chopping block, and it did not want to split, like hittin' concrete. But once it had a partial noodle cut in it, it split nicely.
(broken image removed) <back when it was fresh ... check that very fine furrowing on the bark.
(the stuff in the background is just miscellaneaous bits and bobs)

100% Norway Maple. Invasive tree, cut it all down. I've got a cord of it that was cut last March, split in August and measuring 17% right now. Burned a few smaller splits last night just to check it out. Beautiful secondary burn after just a few minutes of charring.

 

[OldLumberKid]

100% Norway Maple. Invasive tree, cut it all down. I've got a cord of it that was cut last March, split in August and measuring 17% right now. Burned a few smaller splits last night just to check it out. Beautiful secondary burn after just a few minutes of charring.

(broken image removed)
Thanks for the ID.
This is what it looked like inside (in the shadows) after the round was part-noodled then split after about 6 months lying around (hence the discoloration on the end). In the sunlight it would have been blinding bright. 103# 16x18" round begged to be furniture.

I want more if I can find it. Don't see too many trees around here with bark that fine so should be easy to spot. Especially now I know what to look for in the leaf shape.

 

[ScotO]

I love noodling trees.....did these big white oaks in March up at our scout camp for benches around the campfire.

Ended up with around a 55 gallon drum of noodles. Saved them up, they make fantastic tinder and firestarters when dried out good.....