What to do with these logs ?

[Graham]

I have two Yew logs each about two foot long and one foot thick ( give or take ). The tree was blown down about nine months ago, the ends were painted and they have been stood on the floor of my workshop ever since. No sign of splitting so far.

They have to move now as they are next to the wood stove which will need lighting soon and the only place they can go is outside under the 5ft wide veranda that runs along the workshop. I guess that may be a good place for them though if we have a bad winter they may need protecting from frost ?

I don't really want to cut them up yet as I haven't decided what to do with them yet.

[Les Symonds]

It's almost a given fact that yew of that size is going to split, so I know what I'd do. I'd turn them into big, deep vases and let them split. Let the natural shapes and voids and spectacular colour of yew scream out of the pieces. If they fall apart, stitch 'em back together - Joe Public loves it!

Les

[Graham]

It's a thought Les.
I meant to attach a pic to the post.

[Rlewisrlou666]

You could always give them away.

I'm sure you will make something awesome once you have decided I'll keep my eye out for the results.

[Martin Lawrence]

  Turn them now and as long as you get an even thickness all round it should be ok as Yes is a wonderful timber to turn green as it has very little movement as it seasons. I have cut dow a Yew tree mid summer and turnes it within two weeks making hollow forms and never lost one to splitting. After turning leave in the work shop in a draft  free area for about a week and then into the coldest part of the house for another week before introducing the item into a centrally heated area and even then away from radiators and direct light.

Cheers Martin.

[bodrighywood]

When I moved from Cornwall to Wiltshire, a damp climate to a relatively dry one several pieces I brought with that I had turned in yew some years previously split due to the change.There is no hard and fast rule about what will split and what won't. Some like fruit woods are pretty much guaranteed to split but others such as yew it can vary depending on which part of the wood you use, how long the wood has been seasoned (or not) climate change etc etc etc.

Pete

[Bryan Milham]

I had a big one of them, I made this (and sold it) from half;

http://www.awgb.co.uk/awgbforum/index.php/topic,2132.0.html

and last weekend I just finished turning the other half.

[Graham]

I suppose I am going to have to get on and do something with them. Left like that I guess they won't dry out in my lifetime.