The grain, revealed
The first cut will show the potential quality of the wood. Further cuts will confirm it, as the mill cuts down into the heartwood and reveals intricate patterns in the grain. Waiting for the saw to finish, flipping the cut wood off the stump, hosing it down and admiring the grain are kind of like a potter opening his kiln to inspect his glaze, or perhaps a miner discovering a rich vein that he’d only suspected when inspecting the geology before digging. It’s a moment of discovery, where the wood reveals its character and everyone gathers around to imagine the things that can be created from this tree.