I spent a few hours over the weekend collecting some pieces of cut up orchard cherry trees from what was left of a very large burn pile. These are generally short (4′ – 6′), small in diameter (12″ or less), and crooked ( everything with at least a 6″ deflection). What occurred to me looking at these crooked little logs that trying to get straight lumber out of them was going to be futile. It also occurred to me that the natural shape the lumber from these logs was going to produce would lend itself to chair construction. So today I spent some time roughing out chair parts from reclaimed orchard cherry logs, freehand, with a chain saw. I first sawed the logs straight down the middle producing two curved halves resembling split bananas. Then I set the logs on end, clamped to a horse and let the saw follow the curve of the log down the center thus quartering the log. This work was very enjoyable for me. I then took these crooked quarters to the band saw cut the bark edges parallel to the two perpendicular faces created with the chain saw. Voila, the perfect raw material for the back legs of a chair, approx. 3″ x 3″ with two flat faces and two curved faces following the natural curve of the log. The color and grain of the wood, that pinkish orange with the dark streaks running through it, was a pleasant bonus. I cut some other shapes too for future arm rests, stretchers and seats. While I was at it I cut up some nectarine and apricot wood into boards and was real excited about the colors those produced also. So I now have cut up and stacked to dry, the rough material to build about four or five cherry wood chairs, the design of which will follow the natural grain of wood. My thinking is that by quartering the logs should minimize the checking and the following the natural grain of the wood will create a stronger part than cutting crooked parts from straight grained lumber. Such has been my communion with wood of the past two days. Comments and suggestions would be appreciated