Bob Flint wrote:I have a big red maple tree
that has a horizontal branch that is threatening
to rip the tree in half, so this spring
after the sap runs I'm going to cut it off. It is over 1 foot in diameter at
the tree, and extends straight out for
about 20 feet before bending up a bit and going another 20 or 30 feet. I cut
its twin off last year, and just an 8 foot
piece is too much weight for me to carry!

Shame to just cut it up and burn it, can it be used somehow for useful maple
wood?

Then the question - how do I process it?

Bandsaw, jointer, planer,
and tablesaw. Cut slabs on the bandsaw, let it dry for about a year per inch
thick, joint a face and an edge, plane the opposing face, and rip the opposing
edge. Good luck! Tom
Someday, it'll all be over....