A pal of mine is busy milling some windblown oak. Hopes to make a decent kitchen table out of it but is a bit lost as to whether to leave the sapwood on or not. He just assumed he'd be leaving the sapwood on and the table top would show the light colour of the sapwood with the dark heartwood but a local (fancy) woodworker has told him that he needs to cut off all the sapwood. Is this correct?
Mike
If your pal wants the light and dark, then he will need to get the wood dried in a chamber as the natural drying time will lead the sap wood going the same colour as the heartwood.
I processed some wych elm for bowl turning in the spring to obtain the same effect and find now that the blanks I rough turned and microwave dried have retained their two tone but the naturally drying wood is losing its white colour.
Rob
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