weather checked... still any good for milling?

[OhioBurner©]

Well I asked a little about this back this spring, but I didnt have any sealer and they just sat there all summer. Anyhow I had cut up this tree and didnt realize that it was curly maple until after it had been sitting in the backyard in rounds for a couple months. Once I realized it (when I tried splitting it the first time) I thought it might be valuable even if for only craft size pieces so I set most of the big rounds aside. I dont know how hard it would be to mill small (20-24") pieces but I do plan on getting a mini-mill. Originally I was going to see if anyone had a large bandsaw and cut em down with the Fiskars until they would fit in the bandsaw but never did find anyone with a saw much bigger than mine (dinky). Anyhow, I did just get some anchorseal... but by now the rounds are pretty weather checked. I dont know much about milling are they a waste now? Just cut em into firewood? Or can they still be milled as is or will it do any good to seal them now?

Here is a pic of one I split up today:

Its got a really good curly grain.

Here is what the rounds look like now:

What should I do?

 

[Danno77]

Wish I had some advice for you, but all I can tell you is that i've been only burning wood for about 6 years or so and in that time I've seen a lot of furniture quality wood get tossed into a fireplace or stove. There was a time when I would see something so beautiful or interesting that I would have to toss the split aside to save for the table saw. I could probably make a handful of picture frames with the wood that I have, but that's it.

That's a beautiful curly grain, and hard to come by. Realistically speaking, though, I've found that you really can't do much with it unless you mill it from the log.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Milling seems to be another one of those things you are either set up to do when the opportunity arises or you enjoy the grain for what it is while you are making firewood out of it. I have about 150 ft of straight 36" Oak sitting in the stacks right now that would have been milled had I been set up for it. Sure was pretty while I was splitting and stacking it.

 

[Battenkiller]

That's some pretty fancy fiddleback maple. Unfortunately, it's all spalted at this point, so no good for violins anymore. That's OK, plenty of other things you could make from it, like jewelry boxes, bowls, etc. I'd take the time to process it if it was mine.

 

[smokinj]

Those cracks are deep and run all the way through. Now with that said I would mill it. You just never know. Pistol gun stocks come to mind. Here is where a band saw to resaw the milled wood is big.

 

[OhioBurner©]

If I save it for milling, it wont be until winter at least as my wife said she'd buy me a mini mill for christmas. Will it do any good to put sealer on it now? BTW a couple of the rounds are much better than the one I posted, that one is cracked the most. Or is sealer only used after its been milled?

 

[smokinj]

If I save it for milling, it wont be until winter at least as my wife said she'd buy me a mini mill for christmas. Will it do any good to put sealer on it now? BTW a couple of the rounds are much better than the one I posted, that one is cracked the most. Or is sealer only used after its been milled?

Always a good idea to seal the ends. Now with the one in the pic will all be milled then all re-saw work. Someone with creative detail mind can really blow this out of the water. Best to look at it like making small blanks for all kind of stuff. Once milled and and broke down to blanks I would wax all edges. MMAUL and Thistle really good at this stuff.