# How to Cut a Crotch



## ClintW

Was just wondering, for those who are sawyers, what would be the best figure in a crotch section? What would give the most yield?
I see two possible routes to cut a crotch. In plane, and perpendicular to the plane of the crotch. I see some advantages to the cutting in the plane of the crotch, as all three piths can be taking into one slab, and the rest of the wood would be pith free. But as far as figure in the crotch area, I am unsure of what is best.


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## woodtickgreg

In my experiences I always get the best figure cutting in the plane of the crotch.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 2


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## Kevin

The best figure is as Greg said parallel with Y. You may have seen a video of me standing a big crotch up on end and ripping slabs off of it, but that's not the best way. I did that a few times because it was easier to stand those monster up on end than to cradle them up each time but I don't do it that way anymore and haven't for years. For the ones too big to go on my mill I stand them on their side and make french fries - cuts much quicker quicker and cleaner and easier on the saw and operator.


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## HomeBody

In walnut, pith is the key. If you mill it perpendicular, you'll have pith in every piece. Done that once. Mill it by carefully putting all three piths on the same plane, then wipe them out with one pass. Gary


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## DKMD

If they're really big, you can get a nice hollowform block by noodling out that little section between the piths and above the trunk pith(upper right section of the illustration on the left)... It has to be a pretty big crotch to make that worthwhile. 

I generally cut in the plane of the three piths.


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## Kevin

Just in case I didn't explain very well this is how I meant by standing it up on its side and making french fries or "noodling" as Doc put it is a more popular term.


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## ClintW

Wow! That's a big ole' crotch! Maple?


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## Graybeard

I have some American Elm crotch wood that has been laying around for some time. I decided to try what David mentioned. I had to remove a lot of wood to get down to solid figure and am wondering about the two piths that are still in the wood. Not sure what I'll do with it but it at least shows what David was talking about.

Reactions: Way Cool 1


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## rocky1

Personally, I haven't milled a whole lot of anything, but in my humble opinion, for what little that's worth, I would think it's not altogether a black and white matter. Method of attack would be totally dependent upon the crotch itself and your intended use after the fact.

If you're hacking it into turning stock, Kevin and the rest would be absolutely correct. Noodle, french fry, slice and dice, whatever...carve that little chunk in the inside of the Y out, saving the opposite side, and above and below the Y for straight grained lumber. 

If you intend flat work with the lumber however, and want to carry the grain through the greatest number of pieces, you'd probably find attacking the cut from the other direction, (_laying the Y flat and slicing it horizontally_), more desirable, as it would allow the figure in the crotch to be displayed across the face of more boards. 

The configuration of the piece could be and would be a determining factor in that for me as well. A crotch as pictured in the original post would be more desirable to cutting for flat work than a crotch as Kevin has pictured. One as pictured in the OP, I'd remove the right fork and saw on the horizontal to Y, repeating the figure through several boards for say, table tops and furniture work. One like Kevin has pictured, the fork really wouldn't allow a lot of useful lumber in that manner, the crotch and all it's contained figure would all be end of the board. highly subject to check, split, twist, and warp over time, unless milled to a point of veneer. 

Or, am I thinking all wrong here guys?


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## Kevin

ClintW said:


> Wow! That's a big ole' crotch! Maple?



I don't know ... I grabbed it off Google. Looks sort of like Pecan.


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## Kevin

rocky1 said:


> Or, am I thinking all wrong here guys?



I don't know. When I read this......



rocky1 said:


> Personally, I haven't milled a whole lot of anything....



...... and saw 12 paragraphs of text from someone with addmitedly little or no experience I immediately skipped to the bottom. Sorry.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## JR Custom Calls

*How to Cut a Crotch? (see below)*

Reactions: Funny 6


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## Kevin

First time I saw that I thought wow that guy has a pair of brass ones, then I later heard he has no balls at all.

Reactions: Funny 3


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## JR Custom Calls

Kevin said:


> First time I saw that I thought wow that guy has a pair of brass ones, then I later heard he has no balls at all.


It's definitely over used, but it just felt perfect for this thread based on the title


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## Kevin

JR Custom Calls said:


> It's definitely over used,



Nah, with my memory I never hear a joke or see a movie twice. Everything is always new to me.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Tim Carter

Crotches can be turned whole to get all 3 piths in the wall of the hollow form and an unusual natural edge at the opening. The crotch is mounted on the lathe with the pith at 90 degrees to the bed of the lathe. The pith will frequently crack , providing opportunities to inlay with a contrasting stone/material.


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## Dennis Ford

As Rocky1 posted, the configuration of the wood is important. Wide open crotches give you options but when the branches grew close together (narrow angle between them), there will usually be some bark inclusion in the center of the crotch. Cutting through all the piths in that case may expose a bark inclusion that divides both sides and makes the wood almost worthless. For crotch sections where the limbs have a narrow angle between them, I cut perpendicular to the normal way and can get a figured platter blank from each side in big wood.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## F.W.von

I'm looking at this post before cutting up a 40 yr old pistachio tree that I took down yesterday.

I'm saving out crotches in ball shapes that I can see slitti g in half to yield two. Bowls or one of they are small.

I'm excited about the trunk and rootball that i excavated out. What was originally 3 trees grown close together in about a 24" inch cube/ ball....ended up breaking apart leaving me a wide 6" x 20" platter piece and a bowl block of maybe "16x 24"

Now I need to wash if all and find some anchor seal fast.

Meanwhile there's lots of limbs and trunks to process too
Crotches.,..pith? - not sure what that means yet


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## Kevin

F.W.von said:


> I'm looking at this post before cutting up a 40 yr old pistachio tree that I took down yesterday.
> 
> I'm saving out crotches in ball shapes that I can see slitti g in half to yield two. Bowls or one of they are small.
> 
> I'm excited about the trunk and rootball that i excavated out. What was originally 3 trees grown close together in about a 24" inch cube/ ball....ended up breaking apart leaving me a wide 6" x 20" platter piece and a bowl block of maybe "16x 24"
> 
> Now I need to wash if all and find some anchor seal fast.
> 
> Meanwhile there's lots of limbs and trunks to process too
> Crotches.,..pith? - not sure what that means yet



Pith wood is in the very center of the tree (or meanders thereabouts close to it)and the most unstable. It's easily identifiable because all the growth rings end there. You don't want pith wood in your blanks ESPECIALLY with any kind of fruit wood like postachio. Some species like ERC it doesn't matter but the general rule is cut oit the pith OR center it if you have to leave it but only for easier-to-dry species.

But unless the blanks are real small and you think you can dry them without the lith splitting apart you should cut blanks or boards that don't have it. For turning small logs perpendicular to the asis you might be able to leave pith wood if you rough it out before the log starts to split and seal it real well but don't take my advice on that, let an experienced turner guide you on that.

Reactions: Like 1


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## F.W.von

Yeah I can take the plank of pith out and enjoy it as a plank.
I'm all anchorsealed up on my cutout pieces now and soon I'll cut down my goods for some kilning.
I can use the grinder chainsaw carving bit to get stuff close


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## Caoimhin

Id love to see some photos of some pistachio projects 
Have you made anything yet?


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