I've heard this wood likes to crack I think. Its heavy stuff but cuts easy. I hope it doesn't twist 
Milled a small madrone trunk today
- Thread starter motolife313
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Looks like lots of stress maybe already there, Get those ends sealed.
Finding a truly straight grained madrone is hard enough. It's dense but brittle.
I know nothing of its milling qualities, only it's holding/tension qualities in falling.
Many of them warp or twist nearly around themselves, similar to some manzanita.
I know nothing of its milling qualities, only it's holding/tension qualities in falling.
Many of them warp or twist nearly around themselves, similar to some manzanita.
SCMtnHaul
ArboristSite Lurker
A buddy of mine milled some Madrone for a table top and it pretty much did everything you DON'T want it to do. I spent some time reading on the various techniques used to try and keep Madrone straight and you might want to try something rather than just hope. Maybe just sandwich it between some straight boards with stickers and ratchet strap the lot? I had read about large scale operations doing something similar but with industrial banding machines. We have some Madrone flooring in our house and it looks great, but we did have to look for a while before finding an installer willing to work with it--still not sure why exactly. Anyways, that's a beautiful piece you milled and I hope it stays that way.
That's what I remember reading about it. I was thinking about cutting it in half too and probably sandwich it to keep it tensioned down
I believe quarter sawing & then stacking well weighted is the most preferable way to manage the stuff that wants to twist... doesn't help if it's not straight to start with though
9x9x16. 55 3/4 pounds at right at 3/4 of a cubic foot
Got couple nice cut offs from making the block also. And got some set aside for cooking with also and that will be my first time with the madrone
and I did cut the first piece in half since it was pretty narrow for how long it was and has a lot of bow and probably tension to it already. Thinking about ratched strapping the slabs or metal band so get the most out of it in the future
TheLaundryMan
ArboristSite Member
I want that cookie in the middle right with the dumb looking face in it haha
I thought the same thing. 
both of these are 6" thick 
both of these are 6" thick
TheLaundryMan
ArboristSite Member
That’s some really cool looking wood
this stuff dries fast. I can tell the little cookies i did have lightened up a lot
