Well, it really didn’t look like much.  This was the top of an old Hornbeam log that had sat under my carport all summer – along with a good selection of other timber that I had collected over recent months.  Anyway, I thought it was about time I did something with the ever-increasing pile of timber so picked up this rather uninteresting looking log.  I thought if I pick the ‘least likely to be useful’ log, then I could cut it up for firewood and quickly generate some space.  But part of the joy of this work, is that you never know what you might find inside an old log!  The log as seen in this first picture certainly would fill anyone with enthusiasm for making anything from it, but once cut…

The second picture shows what I found after the first cut.  Beautifully spalted, and the figuring goes the full length of the log – about 1.5 metres.  Fortunately, the crack doesnt!  And having been under the carport all summer, it’s well on the way to being dry.  Should have some bowls ready for Christmas…