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best way to mill 40'' oak logs

Started by bruce29, November 20, 2011, 04:34:48 PM

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bruce29

i have just picked up 2 40'' diameter 12' long logs. was wondering what would be best to mill them? I dont have any plans for them.

customsawyer

Two LT70s, Nyle L200 kiln, 4 head Pinheiro planer, 30" double surface Cantek planer, Lucas dedicated slabber, Slabmizer, and enough rolling stock and chainsaws to keep it all running.
www.thecustomsawyer.com

zopi

Find somebody with a WM 1000... lol
You did say "best"
Got Wood?
LT-15G GO chassis added.
WM sharpener and setter
And lots of junk.

logboy

My Lucas would slab or saw them no problem with no equipment needed to move them.
I like Lucas Mills and big wood.  www.logboy.com

den

Homelite SuperXL, 360, Super2, Stihl MS251CB-E, Sotz M-20 20lb. Monster Maul, Wallenstein BXM-42

Banjo picker

Take them to Meridian Miss....Fishfarmer can cut them up for you...Banjo
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

T Welsh

bruce29,Depends on your use or cut list,if they where mine! the size of them will give up some great quarter sawn boards which are the best grade you can get out of a log. you will have to cut them down into manageable pieces and then load them unto the mill and cut away,its the easy way to do it, mostly you will find a person with a woodmizer or timber king close to you,often they will not have a machine that can pick these logs up,if you break them down and take the pieces and have someone come to you it will be easier on your pocket book if you already have them ready to load and cut,but until you decide what you want out of them listen to all the suggestions that come in and pick the best that suits your needs. when a customer calls the first thing I ask is what do you have and what do you want me to cut out of it,that tells me a lot right off the bat as to what I am up against and of course the customer ask,s what it going to cost me,on all custom sawing jobs of site, my charges turn to per hour on site,so if you can do anything to lessen the time the the mill is there its less money from your pocket. hope this helps,Tim

Full Circle

I milled a 39" recently and this was the first step:





I used a 32" bar on the chainsaw.  Customer wanted live edge slabs for building a dining room table, so it wasn't quarter sawn, but I would have done the same thing if quarter sawing.  I mill with an LT40.  Your approach may vary depending on your mill and what you're looking to get from the log.

One thing I can say is I was very happy to have an excavator with a thumb.....and this one was only 8 feet long.
-Roy



fullcirclefarmandforest.com

Cardius

I have done the same as Full Circle, also have whittled enough off two opposite sides to fit between my guides.

scsmith42

Quote from: bruce29 on November 20, 2011, 04:34:48 PM
i have just picked up 2 40'' diameter 12' long logs. was wondering what would be best to mill them? I dont have any plans for them.

Bruce, the "best" way to mill large oak logs is to have them quartersawn.  40" logs should yield at max QS boards around 16" wide with no pith wood, and a log of 12" - 14" boards as well.

Large logs are most easily milled using a swing-blade mill, such as a Peterson or Lucas.  You can also choose to split them with a chainsaw and mill them with a standard band mill.

If you choose to split them, I would recommend against splitting them through the center, as you end up losing the highest quality QS boards.  Instead, split them into thirds, and then cut the center out of the middle third, and trim th corners off of the top and bottom third in order to be able to get them onto the band mill.
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

customsawyer

Two LT70s, Nyle L200 kiln, 4 head Pinheiro planer, 30" double surface Cantek planer, Lucas dedicated slabber, Slabmizer, and enough rolling stock and chainsaws to keep it all running.
www.thecustomsawyer.com

bruce29

Thanks for all the replies & info . I think I am going to try to trim the large end some & try to 1/4 saw them on my homebuilt bandmill. It will be a real test for it. I will be sure to post pictures.

mometal77

I dont know but I am in love already.  Makes me want to go square file my chainsaw :D  I do love this time of year and all the windstorms.  I just acquired a few bull growth logs from the neighbors after they fell over the road.  I told myself after seeing the county cut up and chip 110+ yr black walnut trees. I said never again will I let that happen without it going somewhere special.  More wind is expected by the weekend.  :)
Too many Assholes... not enough bullets..."I might have become a millionaire, but I chose to become a tramp!

DR_Buck

Quote from: den on November 20, 2011, 08:27:53 PM
EZ Boardwalk mill

This is a joke, right?    Or did I miss something at the EZ Boardwalk display at Paul Bunyon this year? 
Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

Magicman

No, I do not think so.  EZ Boardwalk makes a wide throat sawmill.  I believe that Paul Case has one, at least I have seen him post some wide dimensions.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

sgschwend

Definitely Qtr Sawn,

I would love to run those on my mill, wouldn't need to do anything to the log, my mill can handle that size and it cuts Qtr Sawn directly.
Steve Gschwend

sjgschwend@gmail.com

DR_Buck

I stand corrected.   :-[      EX Boardwalk has a 40" machine on their web site.
Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

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