Salvaged Timber

I think I may have started down one of those paths that are hard to get off of :)

Step one was when I ran a chunk of rough beech that was given to me through the band saw to get two flat sides so I can cut pieces for tool and jig making. It cut like butter and got me thinking that it would be easy to mill chunks of downed timber in sizes suitable for dulcimer building.

Step two, I ran some maple from a fallen limb in the yard through the saw and found that the wood was beautiful.

Step three, while out for my daily trail run I noticed that there is a lot of downed pieces of walnut, sycamore, sassafras, beech, various oaks, poplar, what is probably hemlock, and possibly some chestnut to name just some of what is there. Some of this has been standing dead for 50 years or more and one blows down now and then. Some of it had been down, but with most of it up off the ground. Some is completely rotten in the sapwood but still has solid heartwood and some is completely solid. There are also more recent blow downs. Additionally we have a wide variety of trees in the neighborhood that loose some largish branches now and then and the neighbors would undoubtedly be happy to see them hauled away.

Step four, It occurred to me that I can easily haul a 6-12" diameter by 3' long log on my mountain bike and that such a log could be cross cut by hand with a cheap bow saw and then milled on my band saw into dulcimer parts.

So am I past the point of no return?

Anyone else here thought about or actually salvaged downed timber for dulcimer building or general woodworking projects?