Slabbing the Bigger Maple Crotch (Big Logs #5)

Last spring, I saw a firewood posting on craigslist for some really large logs. The trees were removed as part of a street widening project. I was able to get 5 of them starting from the smallest. The biggest logs I was unable to get due to their size. This crotch section was just one part of a much larger silver maple tree. This was the last log that I picked up and is now the last log from the group to go onto the mill.
Picking Up the Log Vlog: • A Bigger, Crotchier Ad...
More on the log trailer: • My Trailer with Log Lo...
Bandsaw Mill Build: • Wide Cutting Bandsaw M...
Slabbing the Smaller Ash Log: • Slabbing the Smaller A...
Lumber Stack Bases: • Lumber Stack Levelers
Products Used
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Peavey: amzn.to/2m3Wple
[Amazon links are affiliate links]
Thank you to Triton Tools for sponsoring my work: www.tritontools...
Support What I Do: www.mattcremona...
Check out Wood Talk, a podcast about woodworking that I co-host:
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Website: mattcremona.com
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[@krtwood]

Matt can do anything. Except pour water from a bucket.

[@KSFWG]

I beg to differ -- he pours water from a bucket into his shoes very well !! ;) (just kidding, Matt)

[@cryptoscalpers9603]

or finish painting his mill!

[@locohombre79]

krtwood the yelp when it went in his shoe was priceless

[@samuelluria4744]

If you guys keep criticizing Matt, something bad might happen to you....😐

[@Altcapball]

Top KEK M8, I always wrote it off like he had decided for some reason he needed to consistently miss half the surface for .. comparison?

[@lindasmith5633]

I remembered watching u build your saw from scratch and what an amazing thing when u set your mind to doing. No one could tell you that u have never built a saw mill so u cant do it.

[@buckeyewoodshop]

Run with it Matt. Take full advantage of your youth and opportunities. I wish KZbin had been around in my younger years to take advantage of the millions of ideas and techniques and opportunities that were out there but unknown to me.

[@waynekeeler1442]

You love what you do!! And it is nice to watch someone that does. I have learned a lot from you so thank you for that.

[@CammiesGarage]

You can take pride in what you have done. You make wonderful things. It is great following along your journey. I look forward to seeing more. Keep up the great work.

[@mcremona]

+Cammie's Garage thank you!

[@ao235]

I just finished a serving tray out of that silver maple you sold me. It had a lot of the same color/figure as these slabs, the recipient really loves it!

[@danjeffrey1531]

I like the shots from the carriage-cam. Congratulations on this whole thing. What a huge project -- and what a great result.

[@jnsfrahm]

Everybody needs a friend like Jim!

[@mercoid]

I hope he gets a slab and a hot meal for helping.

[@Wolf-xi4if]

SOLD! I will be by to pick them up in about a year! WOW! Some serious firewood!

[@TheRedhawke]

Great video and thanks for sharing this adventure with us Matt.

[@mcremona]

thanks!

[@mhaz49]

Really like your excitement when you discover what the grain looks like. I've met many sawyers and none of them have that level of happiness. Keep the videos coming.

[@gabrielsorzano7240]

I have seen this six or seven times and i am hipnotized by the grain. Thank you Mat.

[@srip63]

That mill is a beast! Great job 👏 👍 👌 🙌 😀 💪

[@josephbrauer2573]

Matt , you are an inspiration , I want to mill lumber/logs , even more now. :) God bless .

[@mcremona]

thank you!

[@ezfly5680]

Beautiful wood! Thank you for rescuing it from the fire. How awesome to cut a long and find the treasure inside😍 (curly maple is my favorite)

[@BoDogg]

Matt you are the only person that gets excited as i do about wood grain everybody thinks im nuts they dont get the fact there is not another piece of wood like in the world and only nature can do that

[@mcremona]

truth!

[@samuelluria4744]

I can do it...

[@alanr745]

Add me to the list of nuts people then. I'm brainwashing my wife with Matt's videos so she'll let me build a slab trestle dining table at some point in the near future.

[@ellenl.5581]

@Alan R, This is almost like a soap opera.

[@jefflaporte2598]

I definitely appreciate the beauty in the grain as well.. Here's a video from Japan. This guy cuts some big stuff and this one was pretty sweet as well. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iICxinWcgtRkrMU&frags=pl%2Cwn

[@NathanHarrison7]

Wow! I was very impressed watching your videos and your "mobile" lumber mill setup. And even more impressed now that I learned you MADE that yourself. Wow! Skills.

[@mcremona]

Thank you!!

[@pipercub45]

I never get tired of watching the saw mill work!

[@BruceAUlrich]

So cool to see all of those milled up. Crazy the journey to create this mill.

[@mcremona]

Thanks Bruce!

[@108hindu]

Matt, you are a very determined and persistent individual....👏

[@salmonhunter7414]

That is some of your best wood yet!

[@mcremona]

I have to agree!

[@kiwe50]

It's amazing how quiet the bandsaw mill is, no need to lower the volume when your milling. Have really enjoyed the build.Can't wait to see it finished and painted. The upgrades to your trailer were also fun to watch.

[@blackfender100]

Some really cool looking slabs Matt !

[@mcremona]

Thanks Joe!

[@normjacques6853]

Solid body (or even hollow body) guitar makers would die for some of the figured hardwood slabs you've got there!!

[@WoodByWright]

SO sweet! just happiness all around!

[@marionrobertson3895]

Matthew the slabbing was super nice the wood grain was soo pretty such character all the different pattern and color beautiful.Thanks for the video be blessed.

[@jordananderson5739]

That maple is absolutely beautiful. If you ever want local help with milling or loading, I'd be happy help!

[@marceaton3128]

I wish Maryland was not so far away, I would love one of them to build a table. Very cool Matt.

[@mcremona]

You have time to plan your road trip :)

[@marceaton3128]

I am seriously thinking about it Matt.

[@darrannewman7113]

The journey has only just begun.

[@thomastieffenbacherdocsava1549]

Matt, What an adventure and you can pay for the kids college. LOL! You were talking at one point about an auto feed but it looks like you have it down. Jim is such a great friend to be there when you need him. It's amazing that the saw has the power to slice through when there is a stack of five heavy Mutha's on top. I'm back in the stone age with my milling and it's a different point for me in time. Had the idea and fantasy and the excitement of seeing spaulted maple and the undulations in walnut. You have to move or sell off some wood pretty soon. LOL! And there is a lifetime of material for anything you want to create. You did it! Congratulations. the end is the beginning!

[@suziqbrown7073]

so enjoy your videos

[@adamcroker_hg]

Why, oh why, do I find this so interesting and entertaining? I may never know, but at least I am not alone. Great work and thanks, as always, for sharing.

[@mcremona]

No idea. I've just come to accept it :) Thanks Adam!

[@danieldowning4583]

Such a treasure almost lost. Good save on this one. Great work Matt. Love the channel.

[@thomasarussellsr]

The figure in that beast is beautiful. As an aspiring wood turner I hated to see those burls left on. However, they do add some extra character to the slabs.

[@jhamilton4173]

Matt - A lot of great videos....a tremendous amount of work...an incredible accomplishment....we are all in awe and hoping to see you compete on American Ninja Warrior Soon...I think you're in good enough shape!

[@mcremona]

haha!! Thank you!!!

[@tsmith235]

Matthew Cremona i think sawmills are really hard work. not for most. theres plenty laying around in wisconsin. harbor freight has one.

[@Thom4123]

Wow this is some of the best coolest looking slabs you've milled and that's saying a lot considering all of your slabs are so sweet. Take care buddy.

[@johnpargeter6060]

Thank you for such an interesting video.

[@scottc6537]

I like the new camera angles. I think I got saw dust in my eye.

[@mcremona]

might want to pick up some goggles for next time :D

[@marthalofton1848]

Just finished watching this on our TV you tube. those are very nice boards. we )my husband and I _ love watching your videos . he and his son has a Wood Mizer mill . and they have cut plenty of logs. we did our den in pine blards and did a basement apartment out of different types of wood. I don't go on his cutting of logs. but I have plained plenty with him.

[@clydedecker765]

Beautiful ... Years to dry .. Hope you NEVER have to move like so many have been doing lately.

[@mcremona]

+Clyde Decker I plan to move. This is our starter home. Already outgrown it :)

[@clydedecker765]

Kinda figured that. But you will have a gargantuan task to move all the wood. An act of love I'm sure ...

[@MarkShepard]

love the different camera angles and shots! rock on!

[@jan-roarbernhardsen7626]

Looks amazing. This will be some beautiful tables

[@hotrodhog2170]

What an amazing journey you have made! These logs turned into awesome slabs, I don't know how you are going to be able to part with any of them. Each is so unique and beautiful! When your friend John was blowing off the sawdust towards the camera, I found myself squinting so I didn't get sawdust in my eyes LOL

[@daki222000]

great journey. here in the netherlands, the saw would have paid for itsself already. cheers.

[@LutherBuilds]

Man, that's some gorgeous maple! I wouldn't know what to do with one of those slabs even if I had the room for something that big in my house.

[@bobleeswoodshop7919]

Thanks Matt for sharing , this past year has been fun for me as well getting to me you !!! Also just being on KZbin myself and having fun with it !! Learning how to do things with videos and cameras and the list goes on ! Talk to you later Best Regards BobLee!!!!👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@WilliamAlanPhoto]

I love how much you love wood! It's a joy to see, and hear your joy! Thanks for sharing all of this!

[@OldNew45]

Ooooooooooo. Really liked the saw blade POV!!!

[@bquade70]

another great video Mr C!! been loving the new 7" power hand planer.. 😉👍👊

[@mcremona]

do work!

[@TheAussiePirate]

I saw some beautiful guitar bodies in there.

[@williamjarman7466]

best log yet

[@tarz9386]

JUST WOW. I NEED ONE

[@nordyfamily]

When you say curl, is that what guitarists call Tiger Maple

[@mikearmstrong7830]

When you said wall art, I think you were joking but any of those would make a wall sing.

[@mcremona]

Half joking :)

[@tom99840]

You must have great neighbors?!?😃👍🏽

[@trav_adventures]

male yourself a gravity feed water drip for cooling and get some studs welded with wing nuts using metal-rubber washers to hold the band covers in place. easy and cheap to do. Will make sawing easier and maintenance down.

[@mcremona]

+DaddyTemp2010 I have a drip system that I haven't installed. It's not a big issue for my to do it manually since I'm standing there anyways and I don't have to worry about forgetting to close the valve. The guards still need a bit of finesse work before paint which includes adding some clasps. They haven't been much hassle either though since I've only changed the blade 7 times in the 6 months I've had this thing running.

[@riedelllewis6352]

Grand Rapids Mn ..,.would love to have a mill like that here.

[@mikethompson6713]

My fireplace is seldom used any more because I can't stand to burn my beautiful firewood. The emerald ash borer came thru here and killed all the ash. I thought I'd have an endless supply of firewood, but when I started cutting it up, it went from firewood to beautiful spalted ash.

[@athiker7209]

It has been an awesome journey. I wished we lived closer to each other. I would love to participate in a slab cutting day. Maybe someday, when I visit my Aunt and Uncle up in Corcoran, I can get in touch with you.

[@mcremona]

Let me know when you do. Thanks Ron!

[@MichaelKieweg]

Nice video! I liked the downward shots a lot. Now, I'm asking myself, what it would take, to get one of that slabs (or maybe two) to Germany.

[@paulbuckeljr8870]

I love firewood! lol

[@markrothenberg9867]

I love your channel Matthew. How do you protect uncut lumber from insects and Mother Nature before you cut slabs? And what do you do to protect the wood while It is drying after you have slabs? Thanks

[@arkansas1336]

Very nice slabs! Put the word "SAWMILL" in your video title and pick up more viewers! ....13

[@Mrfreezeee1]

So are you going to have a slab giveaway now ????,

[@RussellTurman]

I love your wife's response. she seemed a little less impressed with the wood grain

[@mcremona]

+Russell Turman she's "seen it all before"

[@ngpillsbury]

Man, changing that blade made some pretty sounds. when can we expect the album?

[@mcremona]

I need to set up my recording studio

[@runningray]

Would love to see some final products from some of your cuts.

[@TJSWOODWORKINGSHOP]

Hey my brother you're the wood whisperer The Teacher Of Lumber in Spanish (El Maestro De Madera) ha ha ha you the man :)

[@mcremona]

haha! I like that! Thanks TJ!

[@TJSWOODWORKINGSHOP]

No problem MAESTRO lol your are awesome my brother much love to you and your family God Is Good :)

[@krn14242]

Matt, how about a video where you explain all the terms you speak about when it refers to grain? Quilting, figuring, how trees grow to make the different grain types...

[@mcremona]

yes, I can do that. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@naplesbeachfan]

Logs come in. Saw comes out. He can talk about a curly crotch to his family, no problem!

[@yummboy2]

I have watched some incredibly beautiful slabs come off this mill, but I think these win first place. Did you record the process of getting that log on the mill bed?

[@mcremona]

Thanks! just getting it up onto the trailer to take it over to the mill. It was the same process as all the others

[@coololdtimer]

i am really looking forward to seeing what you do with a log this big i have 3 silver maple trees 4 foot wide 3 foot wide and 2 foot wide i am looking to cut down in a year or two

[@doubledarefan]

Matt, there is no such thing as a log too big for your mill or trailer. Bring along a chainsaw with an extra-long bar and cut them monsters to fit! Next video: Matt mills a 6'x6' (1.8m x 1.8m) block of wood!

[@mcremona]

hahaha well not that I have my 090 and 66" bar, I could do that :)

[@billystray7007]

that's awesome bro I'm thinking your gonna need a skid steere with forks soon And perhaps a bigger yard lol 😉

[@mcremona]

+William Strahan bigger yard is high on the list 😁

[@stanrescigno5093]

Beautiful slabs! How bout showing some finished products?

[@mcremona]

Projects kzbin.info/aero/PL0dX5redvVZQM7tAx_Jze5fZA4Ao2nN-b

[@treefrogfurniture]

Will you be putting any of these on pallets and shipping them off to a lucky woodworker or is everything going to be local sales?

[@wrgnstjnblgnwrn6162]

Do you photograph the slabs and catalogue them. If some presumed buyer wants a slab with a specific feature?

[@emeltea33]

wrgnstjn blgnwrn - I was going to suggest the same.

[@christopheleblanc9175]

after seeing the grain in these 5 , i would of found a way to go get the others you left behind, lol

[@williamschlecht1611]

Nice!

[@zephdog1]

Did anyone catch the heart carved into the bark?C heck out 10:40 on the ground, left side.

[@guisteh11]

J rod He kicked that stump around in one of his other videos

[@mcremona]

I picked up that tree in Minneapolis probably 4 years ago or so. I've been saving that for something special. Seemed wrong to just cut up someone's memory like that

[@Belg1970]

So how long b4 we see any of the wood You've cut will turn into some projects we get to see?? Getting antsy!

[@pearsc5d]

Hello Matthew Enjoy your videos. I am curious about stickers and sticker stain. What should I be using as stickers ? What size of sticker gives me good results in drying . How or can I avoid the sticker staining? Thanks for all the information you share . Bob

[@brenthagen3049]

ive never turned silver maple burl before. i get several big leaf maple burl from the west coast. i would love to compare the two different species. if it was easier to get into canada, i would be contacting you for sure. have you ever cut any ironwood that grows in your region?

[@73bluebelly]

I know that you would like to keep those slabs as such, but some of them would make high end gun stocks.

[@moverholt311]

Well done sir! Can't wait to see what you do with those in a year or two. What's the next project?

[@Dqrnan]

Time for a bigger trailer...I'm sure the wife will understand. Lol

[@bobleeswoodshop7919]

Dustin O and a Bigger Truck and bigger shop , and bigger house. I can see where this is going!!!!😜😜😜😜😜😜

[@mcremona]

she is incredibly understanding...

[@Dqrnan]

Sweet! Let's draw up the plans...maybe a fifth-wheel... lol!

[@bobleeswoodshop7919]

Dustin O 👍👍👍👍👍

[@cdubondrums]

Dustin O 18 wheeler and flat bed, trailer welded personally by Matt

[@chanborinsan8583]

i love your band sawmill how can i do in my country have a lot of tree cutting

[@lisajanecraig6472]

Your poor neighbours! Lol. The mill is amazing though 👍🏻

[@johnfithian-franks8276]

Hi Matt,All the other milling videos I have watched included sealing the ends with latex to slow down the drying process. I notice none of your slabs have this treatment on them?. Is it because of where you live or how you dry your wood, or something else.

[@mcremona]

I use anchorseal on the ends of the logs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYnXequVZpVsorcm18s It dries clear.

[@wolfgangclassics]

It would be awesome to help you mill some lumber!

[@Vintauri]

Love that curly maple figure! I don't need a slab that big but I'm hoping to find some nice stuff like that for some custom music stands I plan to build for my son and others. If you ever have some smaller cutoffs let me know and I'll be happy to put them to use! Congrats on the culmination of the journey.

[@chriscunicelli7070]

Matt. Very very cool. There are so many guys out there who just don't have the skill or drive to do this. But I'm glad someone in the woodworking community has done what it takes to save this special material. Thanks.

[@mikescncshop]

Are you resharpening your blades yourself, sending them out, or not resharpening?

[@mcremona]

+Mike Higgins I'll be sending them out

[@act.13.41]

Just one word Matt. Guitars.

[@mcremona]

You better believe it

[@tbernardi001]

Have any guitar builders contacted you about purchasing some of those slabs? I could see something like a Tele with that sunburst burl .

[@mcremona]

Not these ones in particular but I have some others that are going to become instrument bodies

[@ibnhashim]

I make mandolins that would make good use of some of that maple.

[@samuelluria4744]

Nobody makes mandolins. Who are you kidding?? They come from Outer Space....👽👽👽👽

[@gslope1]

Congratulations on the journey. I've enjoyed watching it. I had a question about the drying. Air drying, how do you deal with the problem of powder post beetles? I have an uncle who air dries. He soaks slabs in some sort of solution before drying (I think he told me), but I have seen the damage those things can do. Thanks.

[@barryfields2964]

I really think you should have taken that burl off I but there are a lot of wood turning that would have loved it

[@RobertGSolomon]

How old would you say that maple was and any pictures before it was cut down?

[@bsnoonan]

How much would you be willing to spend to buy those logs off someone before you mill them?

[@tangle70]

Do you sharpen the the blades yourself?

[@perryingto]

I could just see one of those slabs as a desktop. Thanks for allowing us to go on this adventure with you

[@mcremona]

Thanks Perry!