# Weird BLM slab. How should I proceed?



## ButchC (Apr 15, 2014)

So, last year I picked up this BLM slab from a guy out on the Central Coast of Oregon. The piece spoke to me. I loved the shape, and had planned on sanding it up real nice, plunking some kinda legs on, topping it with a piece of glass and call it a table. Well, it has sat in the shed til about last week.



 

This is a cross section/cookie of what appears to be two trees, or from a very wide crotch. The pic below shows that this "cookie" is cut on a bias. 


 


Anyway, @Gdurfey and I were looking at this slab, and it's definitely changed since I acquired it. Its cracked all the way through (indicated in white below) and there's a through bark inclusion I hadn't noticed before also (indicated in black below) in the area of the "key hole," which I am assuming was a rotten area of the main trunk.





It has begun to spalt in several places (below, as indicated by arrows)








And this very nicely figured portion (below) is located right in between the two different areas of concentric growth rings delineating the two trees. I guess this would be smack dab in the middle of the crotch. (arrows again showing spalted areas).





So here's my question(s): How would you cut this for the best yield if it was in your shop? There are no punky areas and it's completely dry. It's 2 1/2" thick and about 10" wide at the crotch area. I've never dealt with trying to preserve spalting, so that's new to me.

I've not yet done any real milling of rough lumber from a tree like this, so any suggestions would be helpful.

I've scrapped the idea of a table. I don't think I'll be getting any bowl blanks. I'd like to section this up to get some call and pen blanks, and learn a little in the process.

Maybe I should have posted this in the classroom!!!

Thanks, Butch

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## ButchC (Apr 15, 2014)

If one of the mods could rotate those first two pics, I'd really appreciate it.


----------



## Blueglass (Apr 15, 2014)

Maybe some splines on the cracks and proceed with your plan. Maybe wrap in plastic wrap wet and spalt further? I know that is not what your looking for but...

Also it would look cool and be useful to have a bowl in the hole.


----------



## ButchC (Apr 15, 2014)

Blueglass said:


> Maybe some splines on the cracks and proceed with your plan. Maybe wrap in plastic wrap wet and spalt further? I know that is not what your looking for but...
> 
> Also it would look cool and be useful to have a bowl in the hole.



I Thought about that. Even went so far as to place a plant in the hole and it looked kinda cool.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## woodtickgreg (Apr 16, 2014)

Kevin, can you rotate the pics, I don't think I have the tools to do that. If I do please explain that to me. Thanks, Greg


----------



## ButchC (Apr 16, 2014)

Woodchipper? @Kevin any chance you can rotate those pics at the top?


----------



## Kevin (Apr 16, 2014)

Okay - trying to figure out what's going on give me a minute and don't try to edit anything while I am in there flipping switches . . .


----------



## Kevin (Apr 16, 2014)

Looks like I got it.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## ButchC (Apr 16, 2014)

Kevin said:


> Looks like I got it.


Thank you sir!

Any suggestions on processing this chunk??


----------



## Kevin (Apr 16, 2014)

ButchC said:


> Any suggestions on processing this chunk??



I have a curly spalted walnut slab almost exaclty like it that I logged years ago and have the legs worked out but have been all over the map on what to do with the hole in mine, and I had "made up my mind" about a dozen times. So I am gonna watch how this turns out.


----------



## Kevin (Apr 16, 2014)

Oh I just read where you have scrapped the idea of a table - mine is defintely still going to be a table so to try and answer your questions I would rip yours into call blanks and pen blanks - that's what I would do unless you can also get a few boards for some boxes.


----------



## ripjack13 (Apr 16, 2014)

You could measure out the blank for a call and cut it out of cardboard or paper. Then place it around the board measuring it up to see how many will fit where. As a visual aid. Then when that is done, whatever is left over could be made into pen blanks.

Reactions: Informative 1 | Useful 1


----------



## ripjack13 (Apr 16, 2014)

Oh...don't forget bottle stopper blanks, and maybe some knife handle blanks. Those might work well for around the ring/hole....


----------

