White Pine Cants for log homes

[rooster 58]

     I may have access to 30 or more white pines. I thought about sawing them into cants and stickering them to be made into a log home or log siding at a future time.
     Should I do this, and How long can i store them, if at all? And how should I saw them to make the most stable wood?  I would probably saw them into 6x8 cants

[Ron Wenrich]

Saw about 1/4" over to allow for drying and milling.  We've sawed some and had them around for several years before we sent them to be milled.  You need to get them on sticks and up off the ground.  Let air around all pieces.  Boxed heart is usually the best. 

[Dodgy Loner]

The best way to store them is to build the home with the green timbers and let them dry in place.

[rooster 58]

    I certainly gotya on boxing the hearts, however is there a way I should turn the log to remove the cants from the outside

[Jay C. White Cloud]

Hi R58,

If you are unable to build with them at this time, as DL suggested as that is best, then "skin cant" them till you are ready to use them, and re-mill at that time to your desired dimension.  In most cases it does not matter how you role the bolt to skin them out.  Good luck

jay

[AdamT]

I agree with Ron. Saw oversize, then saw to final dimension when ready for use. If defects occurred during the storage/drying process, they could be "cleaned up" with a sharp blade making fresh sawdust!

[Ron Wenrich]

Up here, we take our cants to a secondary processor that runs them through a profiling machine.  Each log looks the same, and they have a rounded front, a flat back, and tongue and groove on the top and bottom.  All the log cabin producers dry their logs before they process them or sell them to home buyers. 

How big of logs do you have that you want to "pull cants" off the side?  When I sawed pine, I would take off the good jacket boards in 4/4 to use for paneling.  The rest came off as 2" to be used as construction lumber.  You can also take a 2x8 and make log cabin siding with them. 

[rooster 58]

    Ron, some of these trees may be too large for my LT70. I estimate them as much as 36" dbh. They are very tall and reach easily 60 ft. of good wood. As a new sawyer, I'm not exactly sure how to saw them to get the most out of each log, but thought I could get multiple cants out of each log

[drobertson]

Scott, are you planing on making D-logs, or just square cants?

[rooster 58]

    Dave, eventually I plan on a D shape, although a 6x10 saddle notch is attractive to me. But for now I was thinking of just sawing cants and air drying for a year or so, which hopefully would give me less shrinkage or movement when I wanted to build. From a thread in the drying section I read that wp doesn't shrink much and is fairly stable ;)

[Ron Wenrich]

On large logs, you can take a 6x8 off the sides, and still box the heart.  But, sometimes they don't like to lay straight when you put them up.  I've sawn some like this, and they do fairly well.  But, I wouldn't do them in long lengths.  I would saw 8' & 10'. 

The worst thing is if these have any weevil damage and the logs aren't straight.  Those are always a bugger to get to lay straight.

Your problem will be if you want to cut a bunch of 6x8 and have to pull off heavy slabs to produce them. 

If you're just looking for a cabin look, you could saw 2x8 and get them processed into siding, and into interior flats.  It would be easier for sawing, and for construction. You would also have an improved R value over a solid log.  Use your boxed hearts for exposed beams. 

I helped build a couple of these.  Running electric is no fun, if you plan to put it inside the walls.  Getting them to seal really well can be a challenge, especially if the logs bow a little.  Good butt joints are also essential.  If you have the tools and the ability, go for it.

[rooster 58]

    Thanks Ron! I agree with you about making log siding. I built a full log home in 2000-2001. It was not pre-cut and was alot of work, especially the mechanicals. It was alot of fun at times though, especially since my teenage sons and I spent alot of time together. They sure got tired of hearing "your burnin daylight", and "it's a character building experience" ;D :D ;D :D
    Anyway, the second floor was built conventional style with siding in and out. The exterior siding did not check and held up better than solid logs. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment, I thought it would be awesome to do a project like this from scratch, including felling, skidding, sawing and construction.