little help for a rookie please

[Ronnie]

I have a 19" cant on the mill that I am going to turn into 1"1/4 X 6"1/4 boards for a customer.  So my plan was to cut it into 3 equal pieces then flip it 90 degress then cut the whole thing into 1"1/4 boards. I did this with the top half of the log and it worked great I didnt have to handle the boards and after I got them all cut I picked the whole bundle off the mill and set it on a trailer. My only concern is how will I know how the wood is reacting with it all stacked up? Will I  know if its lifting on the ends or in the middle with all the weight from the other boards on top of it? Is this a bad method? Should I be cutting them and then removing them before I make the next cut. It sure works well this way especially with my computer setworks. Just concerned I wont be able to tell how things are reacting.

Ronnie

[Bogue Chitto]

Welcome Ronnie,  you will find a lot of help and info. here.  I work by myself and that is how I do it most of the time.  I leave it stacked, raise it up with the rollers and lift it with my forks on the tractor then place it on a trailer.  It depends on what kind of wood you are cutting or if the tree was under stress if it is going to move on.  A lot of times you will see your lumber take off one way or the other right after the blade passes through it. 

[Magicman]

Saw it Ronnie.  Keep close watch and if one cant starts to lift up from the sawmill bed, then stop clear all of the lumber off and flip that cant.  Many times only one or two of the three will misbehave.

If they all stay flat, then there was not much else you could do whether the lumber stays on top or not.  The actual dimension of the lumber that you are sawing really doesn't matter, and splitting the cant three times is your best sawing procedure.  I like to always avoid splitting a cant through the pith. 

[red oaks lumber]

i guess i'm more anal about wood movement, i always flip the cant every 2 cuts, thqat way if it moves its minium.
doesnt it take alot longer raising up every cut? why not just off bear every cut?

[customsawyer]

Keep a close eye on the last board you are cutting. If there is movement in the board it will show you which way it wants to go. You also need to keep a eye on the timbers that are left as they will move some if you need to turn them. I guess what I am saying is watch the lumber and the log as they will tell you what they need. 

[Migal]

 :D Rookie  8) once it leaves your location you have no control over it .   On the other hand I've dried wood the way it grows and stored wood with stickers and all that I like the way it looks either way I seem to see something in the wood and go for it :-\ If you make wood for a project be sure to know what the cut list is :P Lord Migal

[Ga Mtn Man]

Hey Ronnie,

For the benefit of someone who is way more of a rookie than you, please do a followup post and let us know how it turns out.  And when are you gonna take a new picture of you and that new TK2000? 8) 8)

[Ronnie]

Thanks for everyone's help!! and GMM I got a few pics I was going to post I will post them on a new thread!!

[Chuck White]

Other than watching to see if the cant is moving while cutting, I take a look down the sides of the cant to see if the blade is doing any ducking or diving.