Board stencils

[jeepcj779]

WV,
 I thought the conversation had evolved a bit from internal cuts to the main cant (4x6, 8x10, 10x10, 10x12, 12x12, etc.). I was thinking along the lines of having a template you could trace for the max sized cant of the specific log size. You would need several in sizes you most commonly encounter. You could score the templates or mark them with permanent marker in the size lumber you want from any given cant size.
 I think you could also cut smaller templates of common lumber sizes to trace smaller cuts within the cant like 2x4, 4x4, 2x6 or 8 if you wanted to go that far. Then you could fit them in the main cant you traced, kind of like playing Tetris. Seems like most guys just eyeball it or use the diameter of the log for what it will give them, then cut what they can get based on what they need.
 A template or set of templates might help less seasoned sawyers to visualize what they should be able to get from the log. You may even be able to template/mark a whole whack of logs all at once to get a fair estimate of what you might end up with if you can't estimate based on experience.

[doc henderson]

I think it is worth a try.  each person learns how they like to do it, and it may organize your thoughts to the point that it is not needed.  sometimes with a tape measure I think I can, but turns out the two dimensions looked good, but the corners reached farther than I thought.  no harm in doing it.  I will try to picture what I am doing to help level a log and or center a pith in am.  every time you move a toe board, if the other end overhangs a crossmember, you have to recheck the other end.  good discussion by everyone!   :P 8)

[longtime lurker]

That's the downside of this. Yanno I might put a stencil on a log end to see if I can do the impossible but it's not really effective as a way to saw.

Logs are logs... They have knots and holes and cracks and move being sawn... You can scratch all the marks you like on an end but ultimately you get what the log gives you.

The problem with working out a cut pattern and then trying to make the log cut it is that it ignores that reality. It's why I can beat any scanner/optimiser setup ever made on recovery averaged over a long run...  I might start with the same general plan but I toss it out the window pretty quickly a lot of the time too.

[stavebuyer]

I had a buddy that used one for cutting 7x9 ties. Pretty helpful especially in logs just large enough to squeeze a tie out of. More than a few potential ties have been ruined by taking too much off the 2 opening faces or trying to get a board that leaves you short on the opposite face. Also can help you to orient which side to get 9" dimension.

[kelLOGg]

I used to use them but found that the temptation was too great to maximize the number of stencil patterns I could fit into the log end without regard to the pith location :(. Generally, if you let the pith dominate the location of the stencil array it would be a good idea.

[D6c]

I don't always know what I'm going to saw out of a log but if you have a couple of patterns you cut a lot it could help.
For example, if you cut a lot of 4x4s with 4/4 side lumber, you could make a template out of plexiglass.  Cut slots representing the 4x4 and then parallel slots outside that for 4/4 side boards.  Drill a center hole to center the pith.
Mark it out with a sharpie through the slots.
Not suitable for high production but may be helpful in orienting the log and setting opening cut depths.

[Tom the Sawyer]

I have a couple of them around the shop, they come in handy for illustrating potential cuts to a client who can't visualize them.  I made a set that comes in very handy for those who want live-edge slabs - 3"x12" Plexiglas strips with spaced grooves at 5/4, 6/4, 7/4, 8/4, etc.  

Over the years I have had a couple of clients who marked the end of the logs with the cuts they wanted, every board drawn out with a pencil or marker.  Can't think of a one who allowed for kerf, shrinkage, sweep, pith, etc. 

[WV Sawmiller]

Jeep,

   Thanks for the clarification. The squares inside of squares is an interesting thought and should work but looks to me like it would be too time consuming for normal sawing.

Tom,

   Sounds good about showing the client. As I mentioned they would be real handy for demos with school groups or such.

[jeepcj779]

  I like D6c's version. You could put your slots every inch around the square to your maximum size. Then you can pretty much trace any square or rectangle cant size up to the maximum.

SawyerTed,
HDPE is tough stuff, but a thick piece of plexiglass (>1/4 inch) is pretty durable too. Plexiglass has the additional benefit of being transparent, so you can still see the growth rings and the pith for placement.

[Kwill]

This is more what I was thinking. This template or stencil would work for both 6x6 and 4x4 . The lines I would make wouldnt be 100% where I cut but would be a starting point. I think they would be very handy.

[RAYAR]

This is more what I was thinking. This template or stencil would work for both 6x6 and 4x4 . The lines I would make wouldnt be 100% where I cut but would be a starting point. I think they would be very handy.

Pretty much what I was thinking when I finally got to this post.

My thoughts are to use one inch strips of sheet metal and to cut and tack together different sized squares. You can even do rectangles if you wanted to. Then could also use one and a half inch for the larger sizes.