Help milling spalted maple (first time milling)

[mikebifolco]

Hi, I had a maple fall in my yard a few months ago and I'm finally getting around to cleaning up and hopefully milling it. I noticed that the base where it fell had extensive bug damage (**UPDATE** turns out it was/is carpenter ants) 


 

Once I started limbing it I noted it had spalting from white rot (i think)


 

After cleanup I now have 20'+ of trunk and some larger limbs, all else is disposed of.

I did some more exploratory cutting about 2.5' up from base and found more lovely spalting and lots of rot and insect evidence ( mostly all on one side).



 

 

I need some advice on how to save as much as I can and how to tackle milling this for best results. I'm using Alaskan chainsaw mill btw. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also have and can take more pictures if it helps.


Thanks.



 

[Nebraska]

Welcome, honestly it looks like a lot of work for not much gain.  I don't know how hard you have to work to get logs, but there are better ones to be found.  You might get a few useable boards off of the sides of the trunk, take a couple slabs and turn the log and see what you get.  You might be stuck at home itching for a project,  so go for it..... If you get nothing good enough take the milling attachment off of the chainsaw and make some  firewood for a back yard fire pit...have a beverage burn some marshmallows  and hotdogs.....enjoy an evening. Where are you located?  

[1ruralmailman]

that not only has spalt init,it has tap hole in it by the looks of it.if it were me,nd i had the tie i would cut it into 8 foot length and cut it around 2.5 thick.see what you have.if you get some nice figured,and tap hole stuff get it stickered and dried.people will pay good money for it as counter top,and table tops.also its warming up,so if your going to do it,it needs to happen fairly soon,as it will start to mold.

[mikebifolco]

Welcome, honestly it looks like a lot of work for not much gain.  I don't know how hard you have to work to get logs, but there are better ones to be found.  You might get a few useable boards off of the sides of the trunk, take a couple slabs and turn the log and see what you get.  You might be stuck at home itching for a project,  so go for it..... If you get nothing good enough take the milling attachment off of the chainsaw and make some  firewood for a back yard fire pit...have a beverage burn some marshmallows  and hotdogs.....enjoy an evening. Where are you located?  

It's not super easy to get logs, I'm in Westchester NY so I need to source from neighbors or local landscaping/tree services.  I guess at the very least this will give me some practice with the mill and/or some firewood.  I have some Walnut I was able to recover from a neighbor before it got tossed waiting to be milled (it's only in 2' - 3' sections but it's walnut so it'll get used).  I'll post some photos of what I end up with.

[mikebifolco]

that not only has spalt init,it has tap hole in it by the looks of it.if it were me,nd i had the tie i would cut it into 8 foot length and cut it around 2.5 thick.see what you have.if you get some nice figured,and tap hole stuff get it stickered and dried.people will pay good money for it as counter top,and table tops.also its warming up,so if your going to do it,it needs to happen fairly soon,as it will start to mold.

Thanks, I think that's what I'll do, not sure if those are tap holes or holes from bugs but then again this is the first time I've heard of tap hole maple lumber.  

[WDH]

Your log is what we call ambrosia maple.  Infestation by the ambrosia beetle and the tree's response to that infection causes the blue green streaks.  With every streak is an associated beetle hole.  This wood is very desirable.  Google ambrosia maple and you will find a lot of info about it. 

[mikebifolco]

Your log is what we call ambrosia maple.  Infestation by the ambrosia beetle and the tree's response to that infection causes the blue green streaks.  With every streak is an associated beetle hole.  This wood is very desirable.  Google ambrosia maple and you will find a lot of info about it.

Thanks. Great to know. I split it today, rolled the top half to find a lot of rot but the bottom looks real solid. Hope to mill some tomorrow.

[mapleack]

That's maple that's been tapped.  Makes neat lumber.

[miro]

In the early years of my milling with the Granberg  chainsaw mill, I got a couple of logs that had spalted - had fallen on their own, but were high and dry out of the dirt. I milled it into 2 inch slabs , 5 ft long, and dried it slowly in the basement of the house ( unheated).
I now have quite a few pieces of furniture that feature, the spalted maple as the panels in frame and panel doors - - book matched panels. The pattern makes a beautiful  pattern - each one unique.
I would not use it for anything that needs structural strength.
I still one slab waiting for that last project.
miro

[mikebifolco]

Finally milled this guy. Thanks for all the help. 



 



 



 

[WDH]

Fantastic results. 

[Wintergreen Mountain]

If that wood is hard and sound, you have thousands of dollars in value in that tree with that figure. I would even saw some of the limbs to see if you have the same figure. Saw it 1 1/2" slabs, dry it and get some buyers to look at it. 
  You Have a gem there,   Leon

[mikebifolco]

Thanks!  A lot of the tree was destroyed by the carpenter ants. I was able to save this section which is about 10.5' long 22" - 20" wide and one more section that is about 5' long 20" wide.  So far the wood seems to be in pretty good shape.  I haven't inspected every inch but the places I've poked seem solid.

Some of outer slabs

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