Am I crazy for wanting to do this?

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shortys7777

Minister of Fire
Nov 15, 2017
505
Smithfield, RI

I just stumbled on this video from a post I saw on reddit. I've been thinking of messing around with some wood working but never wanted to buy lumber. I have dead ash, cherry and maple I could do this with. I also may be getting a jointer soon. Tempted to find an electric saw on Facebook or Craigslist and try. If it doesn't work it won't set me back to much.
 
Could be built cheap, doesn't take up a ton of room, and if you can find projects for the lumber, I'd say go for it. I'll be watching to see how it turns out, keep us posted please.

I have a 25 year old electric Mac eager beaver that was American made, and is very, very well built for what it is. It never gets used, and it would be ideal for something like this.
 
My brother has been using a conventional Alaskan mill for many years. The kerf is quite wide so there is a lot of waste. If the wood is free maybe its not an issue but with his mill he is effectively throwing away ever third 1" board as waste.

Wood "cookies" are great when green but its an art to get them to dry without splitting a you are going against the grain. I think the trick that bowl turners do is soak them with polyethylene glycol to displace the water in the wood.
 
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My brother has been using a conventional Alaskan mill for many years. The kerf is quite wide so there is a lot of waste. If the wood is free maybe its not an issue but with his mill he is effectively throwing away ever third 1" board as waste.

Wood "cookies" are great when green but its an art to get them to dry without splitting a you are going against the grain. I think the trick that bowl turners do is soak them with polyethylene glycol to displace the water in the wood.
Wood cookies make a great interior wall decor but the shrinkage is a lot more than I would have expected. A local pub did it and everyone commented positive on it.
 
I've thought about the cracking as it dries. Not trying to make money on projects just something to mess around in my workshop with at night. Maybe use the pieces that crack as a live edge floating shelf and what not.