Fair question..........Too much curve, crook, wave in the boards. Lots of wane. By the time it all gets processed, there might not be much good usable wood left. I haven't written them off just yet though. It's a problem created by less than ideal milling of the log, and some is how it was stickered and dried.
Lipstick on the proverbial pig. Actually, the wood is very much clear for the most part.......it's the fact that I'm pretty sure this stuff could have prompted Lennon/McCartney to write "The Long and Winding Road". I'll try to get a pic of what I'm seeing.
papadave if you're gonna use any screws (countersunk of course) during the build, wouldn't those scraps be fine for boring out plugs?
The plan is to use pocket holes sparingly placed strategically......maybe. I could either make my own plugs using those or other scraps, or just leave 'em since they'd never be seen. Glue and clamps mostly though. The wood will fail before most glued joints, if done well.