Sugar Maple Heartwood Rot?

[Natty Bumppo]

Had a nice old Sugar Maple (24" DBH) snap off about 20' up last winter. When I had a chance to buck up the crown for firewood I noticed that there was a lot of dead wood and rot at the source of the break. Today I dropped the rest of the tree to get it out of the woods and to a local sawyer...was planning to have it sawed up for a butcher block counter top. When the tree was on the ground I noticed the heartwood is heavily discolored. The cross section shown in the pics was about 10" off the ground, so obviously this tree had something going on from the base up to the crown.

Just wondering if anybody knows 1) what is the cause of this and 2) will this discolored heartwood be any good to have milled into lumber for a butcher block countertop? Or is this just firewood?

Thanks in advance.

 

[b116757]

I wouldn’t have that one milled waste of time and money it’s just firewood. I’ve owned a sawmill and probably have 5000 bdft at least in my garage right now. I also still own a pole skidder. I most certainly don’t know everything but I’ve got pretty good handle on lumber and logs and I wouldn’t waste my time on that one.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I wouldn’t have that one milled waste of time and money it’s just firewood. I’ve owned a sawmill and probably have 5000 bdft at least in my garage right now. I also still own a pole skidder. I most certainly don’t know everything but I’ve got pretty good handle on lumber and logs and I wouldn’t waste my time on that one.

Thanks man. Appreciate that. I was hoping a logger, sawyer, or forester would chime in.

 

[chucker66]

That's too bad. I bet that discoloration with the maple would have looked pretty cool in a butcher block. But at least it will heat you up a couple of times haha.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

That's too bad. I bet that discoloration with the maple would have looked pretty cool in a butcher block. But at least it will heat you up a couple of times haha.

I agree. I think it would have looked cool. It's not real easy to get to, so yes, it's going to take some effort getting it out of the woods and bucked up.