salvaging a favorite tree
 

Hello folks

I am writing with some questions on salvaging some wood from a portion of an
old box elder in my parents backyard. This tree was one that I used to
climb all the time. It also held the family tire swing. It is now slowly
dying and today it dropped a rather large limb on the neighbors fence. I'll
have to get the limb off the fence and clean up the mess this weekend. If
possible I would like to salvage as much as I can to use in some small
projects. The limb is not very large, the diameter in the largest areas is
probably 9 or 10 inches, and it is rather gnarly lacking long sections of
straight wood.

I realize a lot of the answers to the following questions could be best
answered if I mentioned some specific intent regarding the use of this wood.
Some possibilities I am contemplating include turned bowls, and small
(unturned) boxes with hinged lids. However, at this time I am not sure what
I would like to make from it, and would like to keep as many options
available as possible.

That said, please answer the following questions as best you can. I will be
very grateful to anyone willing to spare some time to help me successfully
use this wood.

1. What diameter limb would be reasonable to expect to use, and what
diameter limb should I simply discard?

2. What size lengths do you think I should cut?

3. What would be the proper way to cure and store this wood? Indoors?
Outdoors? In a shed? I am in the NE US.

Any other information you think might be useful to me will be seriously
appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

J.H.