A Sawmill & Woodwork

03/12/2026

Pulled these low hanging hornet nests for a wood turner to cast in resin within a hollow tree for turning. A very unique piece of work.

03/04/2026

Almost done with this large spalted water oak bowl. I just need to let the clear varnish dry overnight and sign the bottom. It's a beaut. I plan to take to the wood turning club tomorrow night for "show and tell." It will make a nice salad serving bowl.

02/14/2026

Ok, the huge cedar log wasn't the only large log that I took to Brock's sawmill. I also had a very large black cherry log and took it too. It was 32" in diameter and had a large crotch so it was too big for me to saw for live edge slabs. Wow, that figure in the cherry was outstanding. The cedar was nice but a hardwood log has much better figure especially the feather figure in a large crotch. Because I wasn't on my mill, and on the clock, I didn't wet down the log to make the figure pop so you'll have to use your imagination when you see the photos. I didn't get as many photos because I had to leave to go get the cedar log and bring it for sawing. What a day! I sent out some photos to some woodworkers who make large tables and some of the cherry is already claimed too. I think that there are seven live edge slabs at 2.25" with some extra 1" boards and pieces that will be good for turning platters.

02/14/2026

That huge cedar log... I took it to Brock's sawmill this morning (my sawmill only goes to 32" in diameter). Terry Brock has an extra wide WoodMizer sawmill but it's a pain to get a huge log set up and level from heart end to heart end and this log had a big crotch with double heart on one end. Plus it had a oak tree growing down the center. I didn't have much time to take pictures because I was busy helping Terry get the log set up and getting the 12' x 30" x 2.25" slabs off the mill. But I did get a few photos. Next comes the kiln. A number of the slabs are claimed already for epoxy pour around the oak in the center hollow of the log.

02/13/2026

02/13/2026

Received a red cedar tree from Ryan this week. The butt is 32" in diameter. I counted growth rings showing that it was 276 years old. the main trunk is 12' long with a fork. It's the largest red cedar that I've ever received. Interestingly, there was a white oak about 3-4" growing out of the crotch of the fork. I checked the butt and sure enough there was a small hollow of about 3" with the roots of the white oak in the center. You'll see in the photos attached. I plan to take the main trunk to Terry Brock tomorrow because I can only saw a live edge to live edge at 23" and he has an extra wide sawmill that will handle the 32" live edge slabs with this big cedar.

01/25/2026

I cut 2.5 cords of firewood in the past few days to prepare for the winter ice/sleet storm, cleaned the gutters so they would not break off the house, cleaned the gutters at the sawmill, got the diesel heater up and going, charged all the batteries and went early to the grocery store to get the last of the milk and bread so we could have the essential milk sandwiches required to survive a disaster ... and ... there was barely enough sleet and ice to make the tree tips sparkle. What am I to do with all the firewood and milk sandwiches. sandwiches?

12/28/2025

These three 5 + year old logs were going to be cut into firewood for new year's eve. I changed my mind. I think the crotch figure is going to be beautiful when I mill these old red maple logs into blanks. I hope to post again when I have on the sawmill.

12/27/2025

I was getting ready for a campfire on new year's eve by cutting some 5+ year old logs for firewood. Three big logs had wood too beautiful to burn. You all will see some nice bowls, knife handle blanks and perhaps pew pew stock blanks from this wood

12/03/2025