Guitarguy

Every jig is a tool. Is it cheating to use a bench vise as opposed to holding your work between you legs. Woodworking purists are generally a pain in the ass. They are like reformed smokers or drinkers. Since they don't do it it can't be right. And they feel a need to give unsolicited and often unwanted opinions about how non-traditional woodworking is not the "Real" thing. Compare high quality work using both methods and you will not be able to tell the difference.

This is not new. I have been doing this without incident for years. I do recommend this technique.

It's like on of my children. It would never hurt me.

I have a large dead silver maple tree in my back yard. The top has been cut out of it up to the third fork. It has been dead for about a year and is starting to grow various fungi on it's bark. I am hoping that this is creating spalted maple. My concern is how long should I wait before I cut it down and mill it? I am trying to get in between the spalting process and unusable rotted wood. I live in south Texas, hot and humid.