A nice fir log to mill

[Happycamper]

 Have a few really nice fir logs to mill.


 



 



 

[WmFritz]

Nice is an understatement!   

Are these your logs or a customers?

[Magicman]

Looks like a utility pole  ???

[SwampDonkey]

Are they true fir or Douglas? I've seen some pretty large subalpine and amabilis fir in northern BC. Your in BC, but I'm not familiar with that town. Look like cabin logs. ;)

[Dave Shepard]

Nice stick! After sawing a nice log like that I always feel it makes up for sawing some of the nasty stuff you have to tackle once in a while.

[thecfarm]

Butt log? Not many knots.looks good.

[Happycamper]

WmFritz,
  They are my logs, nice is right no big knots or pitch pockets to deal with so far. As far as I know they are Douglas Fir being in the southern part of the province. They were to be veneer logs for plywood which was their original destination. They are sure heavy.
   Had one the other day which gave me real fits as the blade wanted to dive, changed blades, lubricant, speed nothing worked. Finally found a guide was loose from the factory, none of the four allen head blots and nuts were tight. The mill and I are happy again. Like MM says every day is a new experience with a mill.
                                   Jim

[tyb525]

...none of the four allen head blots and nuts were tight...

Yikes! I hope you checked everything else out!

[redbeard]

Happy camper the tight grain Doug fir makes some beautiful quarter sawn boards you could build you a nice front door with those peeler logs.

[Brucer]

Definitely Douglas-Fir.

If you look closely at the first picture, you'll see the sapwood is slightly lighter than the heartwood. That's characteristic of freshly-sawn Douglas-Fir. In the third picture the distinction is much easier to see. After a few minutes exposed to the air, the heartwood begins to darken. An hour or so after sawing the heartwood will take on a characteristic "brownish pink" colour.

The colour difference between heartwood and sapwood is easy to spot when you look at the end of the log (which will have been exposed to the air for some time).

The true firs have no obvious colour distinction between heartwood and sapwood.

With the bark off, in sunny or hot weather the surface dries quickly and you'll see that slight surface cracking that makes them look like a utility pole.

Douglas-Fir peelers make wonderful wood. The veneer plants want logs that have no shake, no large pitch pockets, no decay, and relatively small limbs. That's what they pay for.

I don't usually see D-F logs with so few knots. That one's extra special.

[SwampDonkey]

There's no debate on whether it is Douglas or not. It was an inquiry requiring an answer of "Douglas-fir" or "true fir", not an essay. :D ;)

[redbeard]

 

  

 top pic is a candidate for a peeler log you can see the color Bruce was describing these are fresh cut the other pics show what the sap wood can vary in thickness ideally you want the heart to be majority of the log. And you can see the pitch pocket  which is good firewood. t 

 

[Brucer]

.. It was an inquiry requiring an answer of "Douglas-fir" or "true fir", not an essay. :D ;)

Hey, read the first sentence: a two word answer to the question. If that's all you wanted you could have ignored the essay (but I bet you read it anyway :D :D ).

Seriously though, I figured someone might be interested in some of the characteristics of Douglas-Fir. I'm always interested in learning about the eastern hardwoods because I hardly ever get to see them in log form.

I've never encountered a D-Fir with anywhere near the amount of sapwood that you see in the 2nd & 3rd of redbeard's pictures. I wonder if that's more common on the coast.

[redbeard]

Yes Bruce the two bottom pics are some logs from west side of island that grow up with heavy wind. There  tough to saw. They do make good  firewood.

[SwampDonkey]

If that's all you wanted you could have ignored the essay (but I bet you read it anyway :D :D ).

My eyes did have to pass over it. ;D

Seriously though, I figured someone might be interested in some of the characteristics of Douglas-Fir.

I guess I'm up for a lesson on Douglas-Fir, all said and done. ;D I've never encountered Douglas-Fir up north or seen is sawed, however I worked Douglas Channel and near Stewart. Douglas-Fir has been discovered to grow in both places despite what the dendro books say. ;D I have seen it in plywood, but old plywood from 50+ years ago. ;)

[Magicman]

From what I read here, DF seems to have a love/hate following.  As with other species that I have not sawed, I would love to have an opportunity to tackle a few logs.

[Happycamper]

Brucer,
  Thanks for the explanation on the fir. Wish you lived closer, would like to spend a day sawing with you.
                                   Jim

[WDH]

The company that I worked for owns a whack of land in Washington and Oregon, and DF is the target species.  I have to say that some of the nicest logs that I have ever seen were DF.  The old growth logs are spectacular.

[Brucer]

From what I read here, DF seems to have a love/hate following.

Good quality, straight logs are great to saw. "Peelers" and "house logs" fall into that category. The biggest problem I have with it is the thick, fissured bark. It tends to collect mud and rocks during handling. A debarker is a "must".

Run-of-the-woods Douglas-Fir isn't always so nice. If the trees were growing in the open you can get some really big knots. If they grow in a windy area you'll get serious shake. The trees often have a lot of sweep at the butt as well.

I think a lot of the love-hate thing comes down to the type and quality of log you're cutting.

As with other species that I have not sawed, I would love to have an opportunity to tackle a few logs.

I'd send you a couple to play with (COD of course) but I'd need an export permit to do that :(.


Jim, I'd love to have you visit. I'm afraid the only time I get up your way is when I'm picking up something from Wood-Mizer. I haven't recovered yet from the last time I did that :D.

[Happycamper]

Had one 2 weeks ago that when I got to a big knot it clamped down on the blade and it took 2 hours with hammer and chisel to get free. Knot was like a rock. Another log had pitch literally running out of it and the blade did every thing but saw.
It was an 18" fir and when it all ended up I made firewood out of the log, probably could have gathered a pint of pitch. Tried to get a 6 x 6 and it ended up 6" on one end and 4" at the end of 8', more firewood.
                              Jim

[mad murdock]

From what I read here, DF seems to have a love/hate following.

Good quality, straight logs are great to saw. "Peelers" and "house logs" fall into that category. The biggest problem I have with it is the thick, fissured bark. It tends to collect mud and rocks during handling. A debarker is a "must".

That right there is precisely the reason I have stuck with the CSM.  I have 90 percent doug fir on my tree farm and plan on milling as much of it as I can.  The CSM handles the bark and debris nicely and I get a lot of bd footage out of a chain.

[Brucer]

I was 55 when I bought my Wood-Mizer, after 20 years of chainsaw milling ;D. The CSM did good work (sometimes better) but it sure got tough on my body after a while :(.

I have the luxury of being able to pick and choose the Douglas-Fir I saw. That makes a big difference.

[SwampDonkey]

I have the luxury of being able to pick and choose the Douglas-Fir I saw. That makes a big difference.

Every mill owner has that luxury, not just for fir. :D