Milling sappy Eastern White Pine?

Daburner87 · May 05, 2021, 06:49:13 AM

Im new to milling, and I dont even have my saw yet, but we have a lot of EWP in my area, and it is very sappy. The amount of sap worries me, is it going to effect the saw negatively? More so than other woods? Should I stay away from it or just cut it up like anything else?

My neighbor just took one down, and gave me the wood, but it has been like hell splitting it with my maul(very knotty) and very sappy. If it was oak I probably would have had it all split, but this stuff has taken me 3 hard sessions and probably two more.

bannerd · May 05, 2021, 07:07:19 AM

EWP makes some fine lumber, just keep it clean and well lubed.

Old Greenhorn · May 05, 2021, 07:14:38 AM

Certainly the sap is an issue. Do some searching and reading here on the forum and you will find numerous ways of dealing with the sap issues. There are lots of good ideas out there that work well. EWP makes nice lumber, knots and all. For sure you will go through a lot of gloves and clothes, but that's just part of the job. For myself, I am allergic to the sap or dust (not quite sure yet which on or both) so I need to be extra careful, but I still mill and cut it. Diesel fuel cuts it really well, put some in your lube tank if you like. WD40 softens it up too. There are lots of tricks, I don't think I would avoid pine for that reason alone.
Good luck with that new mill!

Old Greenhorn · May 05, 2021, 07:20:04 AM

BTW Daburner, where are you in NY? I'm in the Hudson Valley west of Kingston.

thecfarm · May 05, 2021, 07:40:37 AM

Do not let the splitting part give you any worries about sawing. Splitting and sawing is 2 different things. And I do both. I do find using a wood splitter on EWP is much easier than doing it with a maul.
I use diesel for a lube. Just a drip once every few seconds. Did you get the drip once every few seconds part? ;) Maybe even 5 seconds. Some say diesel will affect belt life and you can smell it on the lumber. I built a Women Cave for the wife. If anyone could smell diesel on lumber, she could. My belt life is doing fine. Now I suppose if I was sawing 8 hours a day, 5 days a week than the diesel might matter.

cutterboy · May 05, 2021, 07:54:32 AM

Deburner, don't be afraid of white pine. Old Greenhorn talked of tricks...here is one that has worked well for me. After cutting the trees leave the logs for 6-8 weeks before sawing them. However, you must be careful to keep the logs up off the ground or the pine borers will get to them. Also, you don't want grass or brush to grow up and touch them. The last two summers I have laid down 6x6s and 4x4s on top of them and stacked the pine logs on the 4x4s. I did this on a gravely area where the grass doesn't grow much.

The sap will dry out for the most part and will not give you much problem sawing them. When that yellow ring of sap at the end of the log turns white, you are good to go.

Good luck to you Daburner and happy sawing.....Cutter

Gere Flewelling · May 05, 2021, 08:00:59 AM

Daburner87, I have sawn quite a bit of white pine that is very sappy. I use a mix of "on road" diesel and type "f" transmission fluid exclusively on my mill. I have solid steel wheels that aren't affected by the diesel. I have no problem with build up on bands or wheels. I also have not noticed any diesel smell in the lumber. Not that my sniffer is very refined being old and all. This has been my experience. It is sawing white ash that gives me build up troubles. It is not sap, but fine dust that builds up on my wheels. But even that has a solution. I run a wire brush against the wheels with light pressure. Good luck with your new mill. Remember we like to see pictures of new sawmill toys. GF

WV Sawmiller · May 05, 2021, 08:51:37 AM

I saw it and as OGH says it makes some good lumber but take steps to combat the sap. I generally clean up with a rag soaked in WD40. I sawed into a fork on a local WP that literally dripped the sap. It looked like I had sawed into bee tree or something.

Cutterboy's comment about keeping the logs off the ground to keep the worms out is a new one to me. I sawed into some where the logs were 4' - 5' off the ground and still full of worms. I had heard of debarking them to keep the worms out but the normal practice seems to be to cut it in cooler weather or saw it before the worms can hatch and do damage.

Chuck White · May 05, 2021, 09:20:01 AM

When there is a lot of sap (as in late spring/early summer) the logs will peel easily!

With the bark gone, there's no worry about worms!

Bruno of NH · May 05, 2021, 09:20:08 AM

I'm like Cutter
I let them sit if I can.

moodnacreek · May 05, 2021, 12:35:30 PM

I try not to let pine sit in the late spring and summer as that is blue stain time.

tmarch · May 05, 2021, 01:14:04 PM

Quote from: moodnacreek on May 05, 2021, 12:35:30 PM
I try not to let pine sit in the late spring and summer as that is blue stain time.

But then you miss out on the highly valuable "denim pine". :D

Chuck White · May 05, 2021, 05:58:35 PM

About 10 years ago, I sawed two really nice 12' White Pine logs that had been down between 3 & 4 years, all went into inch boards!

They were peeled, and about a foot and a half up off the ground, and about a foot of space between them!

These logs were the butt log (40") and the next one up!

Sawed them into the widest possible, so he got a lot of 24 inch lumber!

Don't really understand, none of it was "denim", must have came from "no bark"!