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Mantle Sawing Method

Started by cblewis, February 06, 2025, 07:30:58 PM

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cblewis

New sawyer. 

Customer looking for a mantle from a red oak. Wants a 9"x5"x72"

Are mantels best sawn by boxing the pith in the center or taking the material from a face and eliminating as much sap wood as possible?

Thanks in advance. 

Wlmedley

There are plenty on here that have been sawing longer than I have but if it was me I would center the pith and use the center of the log. I believe you would have less movement doing it that way and if log is big enough no sapwood.
Bill Medley WM 126-14hp , Husky372xp ,MF1020 ,Homemade log arch,GMC2500,Oregon log splitter,Honda Pioneer 700,Kabota 1700

doc henderson

That is true.   If you take from the edge of a log, it may cup.  from the center, the pith may find its way to the surface on one of the flat sides (closest to the pith).  you can also pre saw to direct the crack.  best to saw and let it set and then trim it flat after some drying time.  selling a green plank for a mantle, they "get what they get and don't throw a fit". ffcheesy
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

YellowHammer

Also let him know the thicker you cut it, the more it's going to crack open like a rail road cross tie when it dries out.  
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

doc henderson

Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

123maxbars

I use to saw/build a lot of mantles. After years of frustration over thick mantles checking/cracking I went with a different method. I took 8/4 slabs that were kiln dried and ripped them down to the mantle thickness I wanted and laminated them together.  Resulted in a very stable piece with no cracks and you would only see the laminations if you walked over to the piece and looked on the face of it, which most people do not observe. 
Sawyer/Woodworker/Timber Harvester
Woodmizer LT70 Super Wide, Nyle L53 and 200 kiln, too many other machines to list.
outofthewoods
Youtube page
Out of the

123maxbars

Forgot to add the pic to my previous post. This was red oak that the customer wanted me to use some Cherry stain on, 
Sawyer/Woodworker/Timber Harvester
Woodmizer LT70 Super Wide, Nyle L53 and 200 kiln, too many other machines to list.
outofthewoods
Youtube page
Out of the

WV Sawmiller

   I went down to visit and stack wood for Poston one day a few years back and he had a customer come in to have a mantel sawed out of their log. I remember he also sawed a thin board off the log and gave to the customer and suggested they use it to test any stains they might want to try. I thought that was a simple thing to do but a very good idea.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

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