Hello when sawing grade lumber does it have to be in in like 4" or 6" or 8" widths variables or can the boards be in what ever widths that they can edge ? also can they be in random lengths ?thanks
crowfarm, some of your answer depends on what grade you are cutting for. for instance FAS requires a minimum of 6" wide by 8' long boards, selects will allow you to go down to 4" wide and 6' long. Generally, you can saw random width random length boards as long as you meet the minimum width and length requirements.
This should get you started.
http://www.nhla.com/assets/1603/rules_card9.pdf
Its a random width in hardwoods. Length goes by the foot. Grade is dependent on defect and placement. Your goal in grade sawing is to get the longest and widest piece of clear face cuttings in a board. The smaller the size of those cuttings, the lower the grade. Log placement and defect alignment is what the sawyer is trying to do. How you place the log on the carriage will affect the grade through the log.
Grade requirements are different in walnut than they are in other woods.
Thanks for the replys and thanks for the link the the grading rules I saved it and will print it later to reread it several times Iam sure.
Looks like I will be only sawing my logs that are under 13" and anything above that with only one clear face. The rest of them I can sell to a broker for export for more than I can sell the finished product for. I believe the saying goes "Sell the best and saw the rest "
What can I do with my logs that measure between 3.5" and up to 6" on the small end ? I had thought of sawing them on a scragg mill then onto my Baker resaw for pallet stock. I cant chip them for the paper mills my debarker wont go that small and the plants wont accept anything with more than 2 percent bark. I also thought of putting them through a mulcher and sell it to the landscape suppliers for mulch but I dont know much about that market. I may also try to sell them as firewood with the trees that are onsound or frost split etc. What do you all think?
Trees that small are a killer no matter what you try to do in sawing them as they are all skin and bones and very little meat.
Yes I agree very labor intensive and probably not much profit.
But I intend to use all of the tree that I cut down if at all possible even the branches for mulch or firewood if I can find a way that is economically possible. We will have a family run sawmill and be able to spend the extra time required to process the small stuff. Time will tell I will keep you all posted as to what happens
You can chip small logs or put them into firewood. Putting them into a mill is a profit killer. You will lose money. Wanting to go with very high utilization is admirable, but you have to figure out when it costs less to leave it lay than when to take it out. I don't like to see a log much smaller than 12" on the headblocks.
I guess I should let you all know that we will be timbering are own place where the mill will be set up and hope to be able to set up a kiln in the spring or early summer. As you all know things dont generaly work as you would like them or want them to. I plan on using a outdoor wood boiler as my heat source for the kiln I should say a bifuel boiler Nat Gas or wood.
As I have cut a bunch of logs off my property, my proclivities have been toward maximum utilization. However, I have spent a bunch of time cutting really sorry low grade lumber that I wind up wondering why I spent all this time and work to produce :).
I am becoming more of a log quality snob...With the little, cooked, knotty logs, there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
You can not make chicken pie out of chicken mess. Some logs are only good for firewood, and some are better left to rot. Termites and bugs gotta eat too.
Choosing the better logs for lumber is only smart.
I know for certain that I am snobbish, because I will only burn Red Oak for firewood. What is hard for others to grasp is the absolute abundance of hardwood that we have. That is not saying that I am wasteful, not at all. It's just that I can only burn so much wood, so why not burn the best. I also cut, split, and give away many trailer loads of firewood each year. There are older and husbandless families that simply can not cut or afford to buy firewood.
It will take me a couple of years to burn the tops from Meadows Miller's log.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/3609/Image0294.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/3609/Image0300.jpg)
There is a buncha firewood in those tops.
Me too Danny, those kinds of logs need to be firewood. Or you can do like I did and saw them into 4/4 firewood. :D
Magicman, sawing, splitting, loading, and unloading firewood is a lot of work to give away!
You will surely have a jewel in your crown for actions like this when you get to heaven.
Carry on......you're a good man!
:) Thanks, what's time to a pig ??? I would simply much rather give a $100 load of firewood away to keep a family warm than to sell it. BUT, I am very choosy about the recipient.
BUT, I am very choosy about the recipient.
[/quote from MAGICMAN
I hate that you are choosy. I am husbandless and need a load of firewood! :D
MM, I could use a few more loads too. Do you ship UPS? I'd go through that top in your photo in a week.
Paula,
I see why you are husbandless. You might try getting your hair re-done :).