New Sawyer Revelations...

[Tree Feller]

My little piece of East Texas isn't exactly the Isle of Patmos but I've had a few things about sawing reveal themselves to me this week.

1.  Big logs (25") on a manual mill are a lot of work.
2.  Dull blades and low blade tension will render wavy saw cuts.
3.  2" x 12" x 10' wet Pine planks are heavy.
4.  Sawing lumber produces prodigious amounts of sawdust.
5.  One can never have too many stickers.
6.  The Logrite cant hook is a superior tool.
7.  Sawing is a vortex similar to turning. There's always something else to build or buy.
8.  There is immense satisfaction in watching a stack of lumber grow from a whack of logs.
9.  Wide boards are mesmerizing.
10.  There is no such thing as a trash tree. (even sweetgum, MM.)   ;)

[Magicman]

I love your list but I hates Sweetgum.   ;D

[Riggs]

Nice list Tree Feller I agree on all counts.

[Dave Tarheels]

is that your 10 saw commandments  ;D

[Okrafarmer]

His ten Revelations.  ;) Good observations. Sweetgum is very useful, especially for practicing things you're not sure will work. I like to mill it into 4x4's to put things on. POSTONlt40 likes to use it for shed siding.

[fat olde elf]

I think MM's mother was frightened by a sweet gum tree.  The list is most excellent. We are always on a learning curve with this addiction.  William Glasser wrote a book "Positive Addictions" which led me to believe that there are some good addictions.This is one of them. Say your prayaers

[rlahaise]

Amen!!

[tcsmpsi]

My little piece of East Texas isn't exactly the Isle of Patmos but I've had a few things about sawing reveal themselves to me this week.

1.  Big logs (25") on a manual mill are a lot of work.
2.  Dull blades and low blade tension will render wavy saw cuts.
3.  2" x 12" x 10' wet Pine planks are heavy.
4.  Sawing lumber produces prodigious amounts of sawdust.
5.  One can never have too many stickers.
6.  The Logrite cant hook is a superior tool.
7.  Sawing is a vortex similar to turning. There's always something else to build or buy.
8.  There is immense satisfaction in watching a stack of lumber grow from a whack of logs.
9.  Wide boards are mesmerizing.
10.  There is no such thing as a trash tree. (even sweetgum, MM.)   ;)

[bandmiller2]

My friend you have seen the burning bush,just don't let it get too close to the slab pile. Frank C.

[Magicman]

I was recently asked in a PM about Sweetgum lumber which was probably generated because of my dislike for Sweetgum.  Here is my response:

"   I have sawed Sweetgum for customers but really have no idea how it actually behaved as it dried.  It has a very pleasing color texture with dark streaks, etc., so to me it is pretty.   I do know that a couple of customers used it for wall paneling so it must have dried OK.  I am told that it holds up well as an outdoor building siding as long as it does no have ground contact.

My dislike for Sweetgum comes from it's ability to seed itself and generate sprouts everywhere.  Chop it down, and it quickly resprouts, so any control is ongoing.  It grows to about 6" and then seemingly stops growing.

"I hates Sweetgum" is real, but it is also a joke.  MM"

[Okrafarmer]

Around here it doesn't stop growing at 6". It seems like it gets to 6" the second year, and adds 3 inches per year after that and doesn't stop until at least 24-30". I exaggerate slightly about the rate, but not by a whole lot. The end result is a 24-30" mature tree in a minimal amount of time. That's wonderful if you like pulpwood.....

Seriously, if you find new profitable uses for sweetgum, you could get filthy rich.  ;D

[wwsjr]

The crosstie buyers in my area like to buy sweetgum, one guy told me it would accept cresote better than other species. When I retired and moved back to my old homeplace I had sweetgum growing around the borders of pasture land. They had not been cut for about 30 years. There were clusters of trees in the 12-14" diameter range. I was selling a 7X9X9'2" tie for $24.00 and 1X4X51" boards for pallet slats for .51 cents. Cleared brush around the pastures and got a little money for what I cut. Burned the tops and slabs. I have since been able to brushhog and keep the sprouts from growing.

[Magicman]

These 2"-6" trees are about 10 years old.


 


 
After I "Hack-N-Sqirted" them.


 
And then went through and planted Cherrybark Red Oak trees which are now 4' to 8' tall.      

[Banjo picker]

My dad hated sweetgum almost as much as MM... Told me to cut any one I found...alais I was a tad lazy and didn't do a very good job in the sweetgum eradication program....I found as Butch just said that sweetgum ties bring a good price...same as oak a couple of years ago.....I probably made more off those gums that I didn't kill as anything in my woods....  I have some more in waiting...I have to get 3 or 4 ties out of one before I will cut it....I will retire in 5 1/2 years ,,,,the sweetgum will go down.....Banjo

[Taylortractornut]

WHen I ran a crane alot my mentors  in the world of cranes swore that sweet gum blocks and timerbs were the  most split resistant   wood for boom Cribbing and   mats.     Also  assembly and disassembly  cribbing to.      I never saw a sweet gum   block shear  or break but saw  oak  blocks  split and break.

[eastberkshirecustoms]

Magicman, could you go into further detail about your "Hack-N-Squirt" tree eradication method? I don't have sweetgum so I can't hates it, but I have some other trash trees that are high on my list.

[Magicman]

I will, but first you need to do a search on hack-n-squirt.  You will be reading for a while.

My last treatment worked the best using Arsenal.  I understand that other chemicals work as well or better, but I have not used them.

[eastberkshirecustoms]

I will, but first you need to do a search on hack-n-squirt.  You will be reading for a while.

My last treatment worked the best using Arsenal.  I understand that other chemicals work as well or better, but I have not used them.

OK, I searched and understand now. I have heard of the 'frill treatment' but wasn't aware that it was the same as the 'hack-n-squirt'. As the old adage states "you learn something new everyday". Thank you.

[Okrafarmer]

WHen I ran a crane alot my mentors  in the world of cranes swore that sweet gum blocks and timerbs were the  most split resistant   wood for boom Cribbing and   mats.     Also  assembly and disassembly  cribbing to.      I never saw a sweet gum   block shear  or break but saw  oak  blocks  split and break.

Sweetgum does have some good qualities about it. It is tough and flexible (although I have seen trees sheared right off by wind before).

[Bogue Chitto]

I have been sawing S. G. for a customer and I can go through a load of logs  with one blade.  Wood is very easy to saw. 

[Magicman]

Sweetgum and Poplar are probably the softest and easiest of all of our species to saw.

[Okrafarmer]

Sweetgum and Poplar are probably the softest and easiest of all of our species to saw.

:D Even you found something good to say about Liquidambar!

[WDH]

To MM, that is Liqui-DAM-bar :D.

[Magicman]

When I hack-n-squirt, fell, or saw Sweetgum, it is dead.......Good.   

[Bogue Chitto]

I used to hack and squirt when I was in High School, but we used a 5 foot pipe with the injector on one end.  It weighed about 20 lbs. full of chemical and made you know what real work is all about. :-\