How to cut up this log

[Raif Harik]

Hi, I have an other question about how best to cut up a piece of wood.
I have this log of Texas Madorne , which is very different from west coast madrone btw. As you can see in the pictures it's got a kinda weird inclusion at the end there. It's solid as a rock, no decay in there. I just can't figure out what would be the best way to cut this in hopes of getting at what I suspect to be the yummy good part around that inclusion. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I actually have some more of this and it too has similar strange parts.
Thanks,
Raif
Here is a little video of me rolling the log for a better sense of what it looks like
https://photos.app.goo.gl/133mF6WS9yg3sLMKA

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

Not sure what you want to try with that. The only thing I would consider doing with that branch, is a box. A small end grain vase would be another option. Or, some miniature side grain bowls. I tried to watch the video, but you do not roll it, the same view as the pictures...

 

[hockenbery]

like above
you can do a long shallow NE bowl 2 time longer than wide.
Trim one end, cut a length 2x the width, then cut in half though the pith on a line that gets the pith centered.
Might get two bowls..
Or. Mount the whole piece and turn the NE bowl with the pith in the bowl.

End grain possibilities are vase, goblet with NE rims
End grain hollow forms

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

That inclusion as you call it looks like it comes out on the other side and is heavily weathered so it is unlikely that the new wood grown around it ever bonded so any thing you try using both the new and old wood will probably fall apart. The opposite end may be the better choice but to better tell the condition make a clean cross cut near the ragged end so you can get an idea of the condition the wood such as does the separation ring still look separate.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Cut it into various sized pieces and mark each piece with the wood type and seal the end grain and add it to your wood inventory. You will always have a use for dried billets of wood when you are working on other woodturning projects besides bowls and hollow forms. When you have logs with voids and flaws you get creative or cut around the flaws and harvest the good and dispose of the bad. You can incorporate flaws in your work piece but this usually involves stabilizing the wood or encapsulating it in epoxy, a lot more work and equipment needed when you venture down that path.

 

[Raif Harik]

I guess I forgot to mention that this is a very rare and beautiful wood. It grows in only one country in Texas and nowhere else. Is is very slow growths taking decades to even look more than a shrub. The can be light to pink to dark purple. I'll take some pics of a couple small piece I have done in a bit. I'm not afraid to apply CA to stabilize sections or epoxy to fill them if the esthetic fits.
I'm really just worried that I'll make the cut and miss the pretty parts of the wood.
If found that at times I'll have a real twisted piece and the grain looks cool but by the time I've turned a bowl or whatever all the pretty grain is on the floor and all that is left is the more traditional straight grain. I don't want to make that mistake with this because I won't be coming across it again for a long time I suspect.

 

[JeffSmith]

From the pictures and the video, it doesn’t look very different from our coastal madrone. I’ve got a few branch sections laying out in front of the shop that look pretty much the same. They were going to become turning squares for the most part and firewood for the rest. If you want to turn it, plan to boil

 

[John Tisdale]

I would do a tall vase that would allow the outer wood to dominate - I'm guessing that is where the character resides. It appears it has natural anomalies which could remain a focal points.
If you have a good steady-rest and enough length, a 20"+ tall piece would have a "presence" in most settings.
Good luck and send pics as you progress.

 

[Raif Harik]

@JeffSmith
From Wildflower.org
Arbutus xalapensis
Usually multi-trunked, Texas madrone is a 20-30 ft., evergreen tree

From wikipedia
Arbutus menziesii
It is common to see madronas of about 10 to 25 metres (33 to 82 ft) in height, but with the right conditions trees may reach up to 30 metres (98 ft).

What exactly am I expecting to boil?

 

[JeffSmith]

@JeffSmith
From Wildflower.org
Arbutus xalapensis
Usually multi-trunked, Texas madrone is a 20-30 ft., evergreen tree

From wikipedia
Arbutus menziesii
It is common to see madronas of about 10 to 25 metres (33 to 82 ft) in height, but with the right conditions trees may reach up to 30 metres (98 ft).

What exactly am I expecting to boil?

Raif - Pacific Madrone is notorious for warping and cracking if not handled very quickly after cutting. The straight grain sections are less prone than the burl, but boiling after roughing helps relieve internal stresses. it is commonly done here in the northwest if you want a resultant bowl that is anywhere close to round. A couple hours per inch of wall thickness in a crab pot or turkey cooker will do the job.
The texas madrone I saw (google) looks very similar in general appearance, leaf shape, fruit, etc. Just smaller overall. I’d guess it may handle similarly. Don’t see a picture with multiple trunk sections from a common core, though as mentioned in the write up.
Madrone is a joy to turn - cuts very cleanly, especially when wet. Roughing our northwest version can result in quite a shower - visqueen is your friend. I understand the water content is among the highest of all species. Grain generally twists and turns on our native species.
I am in the middle of shooting sequential photos of a pacific madrone burl bowl ‘adjusting’ while drying - on day 15 or so. The plan was to make a stop motion video of the results...almost done. This is from burl - I roughed the pieces, boiled some and let a couple do their thing and dry into what they want.
If you plan to turn bowls, cut to avoid the pith. NE pieces can have dramatic edges.
Good luck, I’d be interested in seeing some shots of the results.
Have fun...