Best to saw logs when?

[OlJarhead]

I've done a lot of reading but didn't see a thread that addressed this and I hope you don't mind my asking (being a noob and all)....

When is it best to saw the logs you cut down?

If you have something old laying off the ground is it good to saw if it's dry and not rotten?

Lastly:  If you saw an old dry log does the lumber still need to dry at all?

Thanks in advance!

[sigidi]

Jarhead, dunno if it's the same up there, but down here if it's hardwood it doesn't matter when you saw it and she'll never be 'dry'

Some of our softwoods have to be sliced really soon after cutting down(like within 2 weeks) or the timber gets a bluestain, which is the begining of fungus - really hard to get out of the timber, so makes it unappealling for some people.

Welcome to the forum!! 8)

[Jeff]

The sooner you can saw the log after its been cut the better and easier it will cut. Dry logs = increased friction and stress and that makes them more difficult to saw, but it certainly doesn't mean you can't.  In a large mill setting where you have large stock piles of logs to make sure you can meet production needs means invariably, you end up having to saw dry logs.  Over the years, its always been a treat for me when I could saw fresh cut timber.

  And as been stated, you can't dry lumber in log form, and you don't want to even try.

[OlJarhead]

Thanks guys.

I'll be sawing some older stuff that is dry to see if I can make something other then firewood out of it but I've got 5 or 6 Ponderosa's about 50-60 feet tall to remove (for my solar system to get better sunlight) and it sounds like I will saw those after felling them

It should be a great learning experience!

[Bibbyman]

You're question is one that many of my customers ask.  They are a bit shocked when I tell them, "Oh,  anywhere from 10-15 seconds from the time it hits the ground.".  A good many people think that logs should be aged.  I'll have some say, "I have these logs cut and they've been aged for 2 years.  They should be ready to saw now, don't you think?".  I think (to myself), "DanG!  Now I'm going to spend a lot more time sawing them and get less good lumber out of them."

If you have to collect them up for any length of time I'd suggest storing them on something like poles or 4x4s, out of the sun and piled up in a tight pile so they tend to shed water and can slow the rate of drying.

We have bought some white oak logs that had been brought into the landing by the logger and spread out for buyers to inspect and scale.  It was in the middle of the summer and they had been there a couple of weeks.  Sawing them was made more difficult than it needed to be because the ends, and top side were "cooked" dry.   Maybe this wouldn't be a problem with a circle mill with gobs of power but on a band mill, this causes a good deal of variability in the sawing rate and conditions.  The ends and one side saw like a dry log and the rest saw like a fresh log.

To add to the list of problems caused by aging logs is that the sap will first start to stain and then start to rot,  then they tend to crack open on the ends and check crack.  This results in a good deal of lost footage as you tend to slab heavy and edge heavy to get rid of the rotten sap.  And it tends to degrade the best outside boards as there are cracks and checks in them.  Plus, we don't have a whole log debarker so dry logs tend to lose their bark in the process of being milled.   This bark falls under and around the mill and causes more problems handling the log on them as the bark breaks loose and sometimes jams under the cant between the blocks and the back supports.

But yet,  even after years of drying,  there will still be too much moisture in the insides to just flat stack and forget.

[sigidi]

Like Jeff said, a nice freshly felled log is a dream to cut, chips just fly out, the saw just melts the timber, the lumber is much heavier, but that just keeps me fit  ;D 8)

Bibby, down here I know a guy who does a lot of chainsaw milling, he reckons he likes to dock off the first 6" on the entry face of the log, especially if it has sat for a time. He feels this helps keep the chain sharper longer and also, makes for better cuts. That's ok if the log is long.

Jarhead, good luck with it all and post us some pics of your fun  :D ;)

[bandmiller2]

Welcome,you cut what you got when you can.Pines are best handled in cooler weather which is when they should be cut and handled to avoid blue stain.I prefer to let them sit [in cool weather] until the pitch just starts to dry and turn white,alot less messy.If you have to hold pine a wile strip the bark and keep it well off the ground.Its harder to cut but I like to let oak age a year before cutting it its much more stable and dosen't twist as much.In all cases none of it will dry to a usable extent in the log you still have to sticker and dry for most uses. Frank C.

[Magicman]

Welcome.  I saw a lot of "dead" tree logs into dimensional framing lumber.  It gets sticker stacked just like "fresh" logs.

I like the cabin.

[gizmodust]

Welcome, jarhead.  I've told some of my customers "I like them to be at least horizontal" :D ;D.  I've cut some large (30+) red oak that had been down for  at least 4 years in a shady area covered with leaves.  The flitches were thick to get to the good wood, but the interior was deep red.  And still had a ton of moisture in it.  Have to agree that a log will rot long before it'll dry.  Have fun 8) 8)

[OlJarhead]

Thanks All -- I appreciate the time you've taken to educate me

These trees I hadn't looked at too closely before, I just cut them into firewood until I got tired.  I assumed they were pines because the place is crawling with pine but on second thought I think they might be firs instead -- too many branches for a big Ponderosa anyway.



I'm no arborist and had to look up my trees to know what they are (sad for a NW boy huh?) but I'm learning.

Anyway, what you see in this pic is pretty much what is left to either buck up or mill....that's why I was asking.  There are a LOT of trees that are off the ground (some on) that are 'hard' still which suggests to my uneducated mind that they aren't rotten yet - I hope.

Thoughts?

I have about 85% Ponderosa Pine most of which is 50+ years old and tall and straight (though I don't intend to cut it all down I only want to use 6 or 8 (live trees if it is enough) and a small amount of Fir and Tamarack.  I've heard the Tamarack is good for furnature etc but have no idea.

[Banjo picker]

I just cut some white oak that had been on the ground for at least 2 maybe 3 years....it was rotten or punky about and inch or so all the way around...inside that jusst a little ways it was good lumber...just had to cut SLOW ....The pine don't hold up as well down here with stain and all ..plus we get these big ole grubs that will bore holes in the log..Tim

[OlJarhead]

I just cut some white oak that had been on the ground for at least 2 maybe 3 years....it was rotten or punky about and inch or so all the way around...inside that jusst a little ways it was good lumber...just had to cut SLOW ....The pine don't hold up as well down here with stain and all ..plus we get these big ole grubs that will bore holes in the log..Tim

Thanks Tim,

Some of the dead-falls I've bucked up flew sawdust like no bodies business and were light as a feather...some were rotten and falling apart -- I have two wood piles:  camp fire wood (junk) and cabin firewood (green to dry or already dry piles).  These logs are pretty dry except the bark and just under it -- at least dry to me anyway ;)  I'm going to lay into them with the little saw to delimb them and then cut cants out of them and see what comes out...maybe I'll get lucky?   If not, it will be good practice right?

[sigidi]

That's the idea mate, if it is all crud at least you got experience, so either way it's worthwhile ;)