andreas Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 I was letting my imagination run wild during a long drive today and started thinking about the maple trees in my neighbourhood. It would be really interesting to dry out some straight branches, strip the bark and use them as table legs for rustic furniture. Not only are they free, but I think this could lead to some really beautiful designs. I might try making a shop stool as an experiment. Has anyone tried this? What are the pitfalls of working with sap wood like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 Branches will be reaction wood, meaning that they grew horizontally and developed "muscle" to resist the pull of gravity. If you rip them, they will bow and probably twist. I don't know what will happen if you leave them as is, but I wouldn't be surprised if they moved on you as they dried, and later as the seasons changed. You'll need to let them dry: one year per inch of thickness. Kiln drying will take less time. Since they are free, grab a few and put them aside to dry, and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppadook Posted April 25, 2011 Report Share Posted April 25, 2011 greetings i have used maple and birch branches to make myself a cane. i let them dry behind my woodstove for about a year they were a bit crooked but worked really well. good luck they should be nice but let them dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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