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?

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....

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

Better to cut it off now, *before* the sap runs.

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

Yes and no. At 1' diameter, you're not going to get much lumber out of it
under the best of circumstances. It's also branch wood. I'm going to
guess that the pith is off-center, and the wood is much more dense on one
side of it than the other. This will almost certainly spell trouble when
you try to dry and subsequently use the wood, because it will be fairly
teeming with stress.

If it were me, I wouldn't even try to make lumber out of it. Then again, I
have a lathe, so it's a no brainer what *I* would do with it. It sounds
like perfect turning wood.

If you don't want to see it go to waste, and you don't want to fool with
trying to make lumber out of it, then why not find a woodturner in your
area and make a friend?

Where do you live, BTW?

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/

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?

Why would you wait for the sap to run? Better off cutting it when it
is dormant.
If you don't want to do much processing, then cut it in blocks and cut
the blocks for various uses, e.g., bird houses, bird feeders, walkway
lights, rustic furniture, etc.

"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?

Branch wood contains tension and compression wood, making it unstable, even
when dried.

It might be welcomed by a woodcarver.

Jeff G

--
Jeff Gorman, West Yorkshire, UK
Email address is username@ISP
username is amgron
ISP is clara.co.uk
Website www.amgron.clara.net

Bob Flint wrote:


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


You can always smoke some meats with it.
--
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

There's usually a reason why some things are not done, just as there are
reasons why some are.

The reason branch wood is not harvested as boards is that it makes horrible
boards. A nice beam, perhaps, or as Mike and George C.said, some nicely
figured bowls or other smallwork pieces. Prepare it in resawable short
slabs, occlusive coat on the ends for minimum loss to checks and let it warp
as desired.

In my experience, it is also important to resaw such wood oversize, give it
a few days to work out newly unbalanced stresses, then process for use.

For lumber, cut before the sap's up, certainly. For the health of the tree,
you might want to wait so it can muster healing prior to mold gaining the
upper hand. I'd ask a tree surgeon.

"Bob Flint" wrote in message
news

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?

On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 23:59:39 -0500, 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?

It is better for the tree to cut it off while the tree is dormant. Of
course you can use it! A lot of woodworkers process fallen trees.
Drying it without splitting is the trick !

A tree trunk grows under gravitational pressure running down the
grain. If that pressure is "relieved", there is no natural tendency
to warp. A horizontal tree branch grows with pressure running across
the grain, and thus the tendency to warp once that stress is relieved.

Joe



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?

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?

First my apologies for all the uninformed answers.
A lot of people here are eager to be helpful, but
the information can have a tendency toward
being inaccurate.
1. Cut before the sap rises.
2.Branches contain "reaction wood". This can
cause severe movement during drying. If reaction
wood is used for woodworking projects it is
often best to keep the pieceds small.
3.Processing a branch is the same as for a bole
from the trunk.
A. Fell
B. quarter. This is simply using a maul and wedges
to split the log into four sections. Always best to
split as the split will follow the grain line. The
grain line will be convoluted in a branch so be
prepared to use short sections. A branch should be quartered since "through &
through milling will
only exacerbate the problems caused by reaction
wood.
C. Have the quarters cut by a sawyer.
D. Stack the wood on a flat platform, sticker
(horizontal spacer sticks laid down on the boards
to keep air movement between the boards) and
spacer (same as stickers but are placed on the
vertical between the boards).
E. Band or bind the stack. Banding is a steel
strap that is pulled around the stack, binding is
chain, cable or rope tightened around the stack.
F.Cut a small section of a board and weigh it.
Continue to weigh this section during the drying
process. When the piece has stopped losing weight, it is as dry as you will
get by air drying.
Keep dates, and weight records.
G. Kiln dry if necessary.

Best to keep the wood in a dark place when
drying, and always keep the binders as tight
as possible during the drying process. You will
need to tighten periodically.
This was a quick "Readers Digest" version of
how to process, but you get the idea.

-Rick

On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 05:59:29 GMT, "Michael Daly" wrote:

On 11-Feb-2004, Bob Flint wrote:

so this spring after the sap runs I'm going to cut it off.

I thought it's better to cut back a tree _before_ the sap runs,
while it's dormant?

Mike

I'm not sure... maybe I should check with an expert... I cut a branch off another maple a few years back, in the winter,
and in the spring the amount of sap that came out of the 'wound' was astonishing! I thought the tree would bleed to
death... so I figure if I cut after the sap is up, it will heal in the summer, and the sap won't be lost. Thats what I
did last time to this tree...

On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 01:39:53 -0500, Silvan wrote:

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

Better to cut it off now, *before* the sap runs.

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

Yes and no. At 1' diameter, you're not going to get much lumber out of it
under the best of circumstances. It's also branch wood. I'm going to
guess that the pith is off-center, and the wood is much more dense on one
side of it than the other. This will almost certainly spell trouble when
you try to dry and subsequently use the wood, because it will be fairly
teeming with stress.

If it were me, I wouldn't even try to make lumber out of it. Then again, I
have a lathe, so it's a no brainer what *I* would do with it. It sounds
like perfect turning wood.

If you don't want to see it go to waste, and you don't want to fool with
trying to make lumber out of it, then why not find a woodturner in your
area and make a friend?

Where do you live, BTW?

Thats an interesting idea... I've always wanted to get a lathe and play with turning... I'm in Montreal, Canada...

Hey could I get some veneer out of it?

On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 07:31:35 GMT, "George E. Cawthon" wrote:



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?

Why would you wait for the sap to run? Better off cutting it when it
is dormant.

As I said in another post, I've cut big branches off of maples in both winter and summer, and the winter cut caused more
sap to be lost in the spring. The summer cut lost almost no sap. It's also been my experiance that maples are F&^%$&
hard to kill!! At least the seedlings growing in the flowers are.... I once sprayed one with laundry bleach I was so
frustrated with it... the damn leaves turned white but it just kept on growing!! Had to dig down 4 feet to extract it...

If you don't want to do much processing, then cut it in blocks and cut
the blocks for various uses, e.g., bird houses, bird feeders, walkway
lights, rustic furniture, etc.

Hey another good idea!! I could even make little speakers....

On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 11:17:27 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:

Bob Flint wrote:


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


You can always smoke some meats with it.

mmmmmmmmmmmm I can taste it.... but thats illegal in the city limits... pity...

On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 16:28:33 GMT, Phisherman wrote:

On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 23:59:39 -0500, 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?

It is better for the tree to cut it off while the tree is dormant. Of
course you can use it! A lot of woodworkers process fallen trees.
Drying it without splitting is the trick !

Ya... tell me!! I installed a de-humidifier in my shop (basement) and have the level down to 35%. I usually have to
bundle together the wood I buy with these big steel double angle irons, and 1/2" x 12" bolts... and wait a few months
before I use it... still get some twisters...

On 12 Feb 2004 08:47:46 -0800, (BIG JOE) wrote:

A tree trunk grows under gravitational pressure running down the
grain. If that pressure is "relieved", there is no natural tendency
to warp. A horizontal tree branch grows with pressure running across
the grain, and thus the tendency to warp once that stress is relieved.

Joe

So I've heard.... so either a full piece to retain the stress, or a veneer to eliminate stress...

On 12 Feb 2004 17:27:00 GMT, ojunk (Sbtypesetter) 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?

First my apologies for all the uninformed answers.
A lot of people here are eager to be helpful, but
the information can have a tendency toward
being inaccurate.
1. Cut before the sap rises.

Did you read my other answer to this? I've found the sap is lost out of the wound. That tree is still alive, however, so
I guess there is no real harm.

2.Branches contain "reaction wood". This can
cause severe movement during drying. If reaction
wood is used for woodworking projects it is
often best to keep the pieceds small.
3.Processing a branch is the same as for a bole
from the trunk.
A. Fell
B. quarter. This is simply using a maul and wedges
to split the log into four sections. Always best to
split as the split will follow the grain line. The
grain line will be convoluted in a branch so be
prepared to use short sections.

Since a lot of my projects are small furniture and stuff, I could limit pieces to 4 feet or even less. If I made a small
cabinet, even 2 foot pieces are good, no?

A branch should be quartered since "through &
through milling will
only exacerbate the problems caused by reaction
wood.

I imagine. I once ripped a board into 2 propellers! Lots of stress in there.


C. Have the quarters cut by a sawyer.

Was hoping to keep this in my own hobby world... I've had very bad luck with the 'pros' around here screwing up my
projects...

D. Stack the wood on a flat platform, sticker
(horizontal spacer sticks laid down on the boards
to keep air movement between the boards) and
spacer (same as stickers but are placed on the
vertical between the boards).
E. Band or bind the stack. Banding is a steel
strap that is pulled around the stack, binding is
chain, cable or rope tightened around the stack.

I already have a system of heavy steel double angles and bolts...

F.Cut a small section of a board and weigh it.
Continue to weigh this section during the drying
process. When the piece has stopped losing weight, it is as dry as you will
get by air drying.
Keep dates, and weight records.
G. Kiln dry if necessary.

Best to keep the wood in a dark place when
drying, and always keep the binders as tight
as possible during the drying process. You will
need to tighten periodically.
This was a quick "Readers Digest" version of
how to process, but you get the idea.

-Rick

Thanks a lot!

Bob Flint writes:
On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 05:59:29 GMT, "Michael Daly" wrote:

On 11-Feb-2004, Bob Flint wrote:

so this spring after the sap runs I'm going to cut it off.

I thought it's better to cut back a tree _before_ the sap runs,
while it's dormant?

Mike

I'm not sure... maybe I should check with an expert... I cut a branch off another maple a few years back, in the winter,
and in the spring the amount of sap that came out of the 'wound' was astonishing! I thought the tree would bleed to
death... so I figure if I cut after the sap is up, it will heal in the summer, and the sap won't be lost. Thats what I
did last time to this tree...


Collect the sap and boil it down into maple suger. It's been done
for centuries and doesn't harm the tree.

scott

Bob Flint wrote:
I'm not sure... maybe I should check with an expert... I cut a branch off another maple a few years back, in the winter,
and in the spring the amount of sap that came out of the 'wound' was astonishing! I thought the tree would bleed to
death... so I figure if I cut after the sap is up, it will heal in the summer, and the sap won't be lost. Thats what I did last time to this tree...

Maples put out a lot of sap, think maple syrup. The trick is to cut it
at a joint and then paint the end with a latex paint to seal it. Should
take care ofd the problem. If it leaks, save the sap and pour it over
snowballs. Memory lane.
Dave in Fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/

Bob Flint wrote:

On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 07:31:35 GMT, "George E. Cawthon" wrote:



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?

Why would you wait for the sap to run? Better off cutting it when it
is dormant.

As I said in another post, I've cut big branches off of maples in both winter and summer, and the winter cut caused more
sap to be lost in the spring. The summer cut lost almost no sap. It's also been my experiance that maples are F&^%$&
hard to kill!! At least the seedlings growing in the flowers are.... I once sprayed one with laundry bleach I was so
frustrated with it... the damn leaves turned white but it just kept on growing!! Had to dig down 4 feet to extract it...

If you don't want to do much processing, then cut it in blocks and cut
the blocks for various uses, e.g., bird houses, bird feeders, walkway
lights, rustic furniture, etc.

Hey another good idea!! I could even make little speakers....

Cool, never thought of speakers.

If it works for you ok, but the wood will be better if you don't let
the sap rise. In the cold winter, the wound won't heal, so that is
what you are seeing. Wood ashes spread on the wound will quickly stop
the leaking sap at the wound, at least it does on my trees.

"Sbtypesetter" wrote in message
...



First my apologies for all the uninformed answers.
A lot of people here are eager to be helpful, but
the information can have a tendency toward
being inaccurate.

'Scuse me.
a) Uninformed answers is all some of us have.
2) Thought every1 knew if You ask a question on Usenet, you get *advice* and
*opinions*.

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!

My understanding is branches are loaded with "reaction wood." They've been
growing against gravity for umpty-ump years, and there is no way you can
make straight boards out of them.

Nonetheless, I have a walnut tree in my backyard with a branch that is too
low and gets in the way of mowing etc. I'd like to cut off that branch, dry
it for a year or two and use it.

The scar on my left hand from a table saw kickback accident with oak plywood
makes me pause every time I plug one of my power tools in. Had things gone
worse I'd have a much harder time playing piano or guitar. ;-)

Since my walnut branch is reaction wood I've given up on the idea of long
boards out of it. However, I do think I could make a number of really neat
small boxes (1' or smaller) from it after it is properly dried.

I'm thinking that a maple limb can be made into smaller pieces that are
stable enough. If anyone else has better ideas I'm all ears.

-- Mark

The other part must not have posted.
"Some will be offended at this. They shouldn't
it's just an observation and to be aware that
much of the information offered is from the
position of opinion, not experience."

mttt wrote:

'Scuse me.
a) Uninformed answers is all some of us have.
2) Thought every1 knew if You ask a question on Usenet, you get *advice* and
*opinions*.

III. Some have questions.

I've been dying all day to ask: "Is there any alternative?"

:-)

--
Morris Dovey
West Des Moines, Iowa USA
C links at http://www.iedu.com/c
Read my lips: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

The wood will be at it's driest after the sap has run at about mid to
late summer. Wood cut during the heat of summer and left with the
leaves on a few weeks before being worked up (till the leaves wilt and
dry) will be ready or almost ready to burn that winter. It's a trick
that people who heat exclusively with wood in New Hampshire use.

My new compound miter saw doe not kick back. It is a LN crosscut carcass
saw. :-)

I have table saw scars also, but I still possess all my digits.


"Mark Jerde" wrote in message
...
Bob Flint wrote:

The scar on my left hand from a table saw kickback accident with oak
plywood
makes me pause every time I plug one of my power tools in. Had things
gone
worse I'd have a much harder time playing piano or guitar. ;-)


-- Mark

Then the question - how do I process it?

It is better for the tree to cut it off while the tree is dormant. Of
course you can use it! A lot of woodworkers process fallen trees.
Drying it without splitting is the trick !

Once dried Sitka spruce by covering it with sawdust for about 6
months. Kept the sawdust less moist over time with water.

First my apologies for all the uninformed answers.

I must admit, I kept my answer simple, but I fail to see how it was
innacurate, or much different than yours in conclusion. I also don't
see why you would apologize for other people's answers, other than if
you are trying to sound patronizing. If not, my apologies as well.

Joe

On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 23:39:29 GMT, (Scott Lurndal) wrote:

Bob Flint writes:
On Thu, 12 Feb 2004 05:59:29 GMT, "Michael Daly" wrote:

On 11-Feb-2004, Bob Flint wrote:

so this spring after the sap runs I'm going to cut it off.

I thought it's better to cut back a tree _before_ the sap runs,
while it's dormant?

Mike

I'm not sure... maybe I should check with an expert... I cut a branch off another maple a few years back, in the winter,
and in the spring the amount of sap that came out of the 'wound' was astonishing! I thought the tree would bleed to
death... so I figure if I cut after the sap is up, it will heal in the summer, and the sap won't be lost. Thats what I
did last time to this tree...


Collect the sap and boil it down into maple suger. It's been done
for centuries and doesn't harm the tree.

scott

Actually, you can kill a tree by taking too much sap... but I don't think this is a sugar maple... anyway, at 40/1 I
wouldn't get enough for a pankake!!

On Fri, 13 Feb 2004 01:18:59 GMT, "Mark Jerde" wrote:

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!

My understanding is branches are loaded with "reaction wood." They've been
growing against gravity for umpty-ump years, and there is no way you can
make straight boards out of them.

Nonetheless, I have a walnut tree in my backyard with a branch that is too
low and gets in the way of mowing etc. I'd like to cut off that branch, dry
it for a year or two and use it.

The scar on my left hand from a table saw kickback accident with oak plywood
makes me pause every time I plug one of my power tools in. Had things gone
worse I'd have a much harder time playing piano or guitar. ;-)

I got whacked by a piece of thin poplar plywood that got away from my radial arm saw while ripping,,, I saw it coming
and shielded myself with my left forearm, which got cut from elbow to wrist, and smashed my right thumb... but I only
got one cut on my chest... Hurt for a few months after that... Now I test the grabber very carefully and if it don't
grab the work, I don't cut it!! At least the corner of my thumb eventually grew back!

Since my walnut branch is reaction wood I've given up on the idea of long
boards out of it. However, I do think I could make a number of really neat
small boxes (1' or smaller) from it after it is properly dried.

I'm thinking that a maple limb can be made into smaller pieces that are
stable enough. If anyone else has better ideas I'm all ears.

-- Mark

Bob Flint wrote:

I got whacked by a piece of thin poplar plywood that got away from my
radial arm saw while ripping,,, I saw it coming and shielded myself
with my left forearm, which got cut from elbow to wrist, and smashed
my right thumb... but I only got one cut on my chest... Hurt for a
few months after that... Now I test the grabber very carefully and
if it don't grab the work, I don't cut it!! At least the corner of
my thumb eventually grew back!

[Shudders] Glad it wasn't any worse.

If I hit the lottery I'll do ripping with something like this:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/item...emnumber=G0524

-- Mark

wrote:

take care ofd the problem. If it leaks, save the sap and pour it over
snowballs. Memory lane.

Memories of a time before Chernoble. Don't eat the snow, it'll make you
glow...

Incidentally, for the OP, I have a dogwood tree that someone pruned probably
several years before we bought the house. Every spring the old wounds drip
tons of sap.

I think it's because they were cut long. I've never had this happen for
more than a year on a branch that was properly pruned, just ahead of the
branch collar.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/

Bob Flint wrote:

Thats an interesting idea... I've always wanted to get a lathe and play
with turning... I'm in Montreal, Canada...

Hey could I get some veneer out of it?

I reckon it's possible, but I have no idea how you'd peel it. You'd need
some kind of wide blade and some way to feed it in a controlled way, I'd
expect. Probably not a job you could do on a typical lathe, but I'm only
just starting out in turning, and there's a lot I haven't heard of yet.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/

"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?

I've never done this with Maple. Works fine with Black Walnut,
Cedar, & Locust. I don't make anything with limb cuttings longer than
12". Most is marquetry-- a few boxes. After cutting to length-Paint
the ends of your wood with Latex paint, oil paint, glue-- anything to
seal the ends. If the tree is dead--As soon as you can, debark, so
the bugs living under the bark can be removed. All I need is
powderpost beetles in my heated space. I usually let the wood set for
a year or so & then resaw, sticker and wait another year per inch of
thickness. Then I trim off the ends ( my planer doesn't like paint ),
Joint one side & plane to thickness & use. I just got my new issue of
FWW & there is a really neat article in it about using angle rounder
cuts from limbs for 'oysters' in marquetry.
just my 2Cents