Whatcha Sawin' 2019 ???

[Downstream]

I also use the u-shaped pipe clamps around the rung and screwed directly to the log.  Works great and just have to make sure first cut is deeper than screws.  I also milled for a couple of years with the exact same setup 660 with 36" bar and did not need aux oiler.  Have not chainsaw milled since getting ezjr but may have to break it out for some bigger logs at a local spot.

[Downstream]

I finally found a nice cedar log at one of my haunts.  I have been milling for a number of years but never got my hands on one of these.  They were about 15 minutes away from being rolled into the burn pile.  Tough decision is how many cookies to cut off the fat end before live edge slabbing the rest.  



 



 

[doc henderson]

depends on what you have planned for the lumber.  the lobulations will split some of the wood so depends on what length and width you want.  study the bark inclusions and get the most out of what you got.

[Magicman]

Tough decision is how many cookies to cut off the fat end before live edge slabbing the rest.

I would not decrease the log's yield by shortening it too much.  You are going to get a few cookies from the limb stubs which may be less prone to split.  Anyway, good find and enjoy the sawing.  Deciding what you want the logs to be is just as important as the actual sawing.

[WDH]

Perfect for cookies!  The way that I charge for cookies is to calculate the square feet in the circular shape of the cookies and then multiple that by the thickness.  Essentially this calculates board feet.  For example:

Say you have a cedar cookie that is 20" in diameter and 3" thick.  Take the 20", square it, and multiply that by  .005454.  Same as figuring basal area in a tree.  This gives the square feet in the circle.  Multiply that by 3 and you have a measure of bf in the cookie.

20 x 20 = 400.    400 x .005454 = 2.2.    2.2 x 3 = 6.6.   So 6.6 bf equivalent in that cookie.  If I am selling 4/4 cedar at $3.75/ bf, then that cookie would be worth $25.  But the cookie is 3" thick, not 1" thick, so if the thicker cedar price was higher, say it is $5.00, then the cookie would be worth $33.  

This is the way that I can take a high value wood like walnut and cut cookies and make as much as if I cut that same amount of wood into lumber. 

[Darrel]

Also, cutting lumber you have a good amount of waste that you can't sell, cutting cookies and slabs you have very little. 

[Downstream]

Good comments on losing some slabs to inclusions.  I will need to look the logs over again from that perspective.  My business is primarily making furniture and accessories so I rarely sell lumber or larger cookies since I can make a lot more money selling the bench or table, plus it is what I love to do.  I sell smaller cookies 10-12in for wedding pieces  but 20" and bigger usually end up in an end or coffee table.  I usually slice large cookies at about 3" thick for table tops.  I will ponder this one for a little while longer since when I take the first slab I can't undo that cut.  I will post pictures after done.

[Barney67]

Sawing 8x8's and 2x6's for my son in law's pole barn. With my 6' extension I can cut 22' with no fuss.

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Unfortunately, we need 24' 8x8's.









Only 8 more to go.  

[tule peak timber]

Also, cutting lumber you have a good amount of waste that you can't sell, cutting cookies and slabs you have very little.

I pleased a customer this morning with a car full of cookies----al of them waste limb trim.$

[ronaldwf]

I have an 8 foot long 2 and a half foot wide monterey cypress slab (2 inches thick) that has been drying outside for one year here in California near Monterey of course.   I'm trying to make a long desk for two of my kids and this is my first slab project.   I used a planar to flatten the slab and it worked fairly well although it is not perfectly flat, but it is fairly flat.  I then sanded with 60 grit and then 120 grit to smoothen.

My issue is that that there are some thin cracks (less than a 1/16 of an inch).  One crack is about 2 feet long and the rest are 4 to 6 inches long.  There are some think checks as well at the end of the wood.  The wood is very light colored.  I'm looking for suggestions about what to do about the cracks.

thanks in advance for replying

[Ianab]

My issue is that that there are some thin cracks (less than a 1/16 of an inch).  One crack is about 2 feet long and the rest are 4 to 6 inches long.  There are some think checks as well at the end of the wood.

My suggestion would be to break out the masking tape and epoxy. Triple tape any crack you can see on the back side, and the ends, then pour epoxy resin over the cracks, letting it soak in. Might needs a couple of pours if all sinks into the crack.

This is a slab of Macrocarpa that's now our dining table. Knot holes and any checks are filled with West System epoxy, and it has various holiday coins and trinkets embedded in the bigger knot holes.



BTW, I live in New Zealand, but Monterey Cypress is common here, and I've worked with it quite a lot.

[ronaldwf]

Do you recommend using tinted black epoxy or just clear epoxy.

As a total newbie, what generally confuses me is that there seem to be a lot of ways to "finish" the wood.  But I'm not really sure what goes on first and what are the pros and cons of various coverings.

After that do you use a clear shellac, amber shellac, or an oil, or  miniwax product, or a polyurethane or or something else.  And what order do these things go on, and how many layers of each

thanks again, love your table

ronald

[ronaldwf]

I read that some folks like to add sawdust to the epoxy and I guess with the intention that the color will be similar while others like a black streak (although for light colored cypress I would think that a dark line would seem unnatural)

Any tips for preventing cracking on my other 9 slabs.  They are just drying in the air stickered with a tarp thrown over the top.

Ronald

[doc henderson]

there is a ton of stuff on you tube and pinterest.  it is to personal taste, but prob. best to start out slow until you get the hang of it.  the epoxy can be planed and sanded.  do not us a planer if you put rocks in it.  it will nick your blades.  i have put urethane finish over the top as epoxy is somewhat of a plastic as well.  if the crack goes out the end of the board it would be best to stabilize it so the movement does not pop the epoxy out like ice from a ice tray.  like a bow-tie.  again lots of ideas online.  If one in 10 is cracking out the end, could be the board or a crack started early.  if they are all doing it, may need better end sealing of the log.  meaning sooner. better product, more of it ect.

[doc henderson]

 

 

clear epoxy with real turquoise.



 

after spar urethane finish



 

epoxy with lamp black pigment and turquoise inlay.  Made by friend Jimmy

[PAmizerman]

Just did a custom job Friday morning. He brought in 4 red oak logs and just wanted them sawn 4/4 live edge. He scheduled for two hours and I did it in one. When I shut the mill off he looked at me and said
Dang (family version :D) you are fast.



And 1/4 of the time was taken up just getting them off the trailer.

[Jeff]

the lobulations .

Is that a converted medical term? I'd never heard it related to wood but i like it!

[busenitzcww]

 

 

 

Opened up an elm tree(not sure what kind) and found this inside! These were flitches from the top before I got to slabbing. Got some 2 1/2"x 30"x13' slabs with this stuff in them. 

[Magicman]

Maybe more "lobulations" !!  8)

[Ljohnsaw]

the lobulations .

Is that a converted medical term? I'd never heard it related to wood but i like it!

I like it.  Maybe put it in the FF Dictionary :P

[PA_Walnut]

Haven't posted in a while, but been busy. This HUGE rainbow poplar is kinda mind-blowing material.
Slabs are 42-48" wide! Single board bar tops, tables, or islands  

Have another one, almost 20" larger !  Oh, my aching back!  :-\ :'(

[tule peak timber]

Yahoo++++!

[Southside]

Cha Ching! $$ 

[Ianab]

As a total newbie, what generally confuses me is that there seem to be a lot of ways to "finish" the wood.  But I'm not really sure what goes on first and what are the pros and cons of various coverings.

For small cracks I just use clear epoxy. Because the crack is narrow and deep, it ends up looking black anyway. For the bigger holes I inserted a wood plug, and epoxied around it with darkened resin. Leaving a 1/2" depression on the top. The wood plug just saves on epoxy, if you can 3/4 fill the hole with wood, you only use 1/4 the resin, and because it's tinted, you can't tell what's inside. Then it had some coins and shells placed in clear epoxy over top. Sand back the excess and finish sanding the top. Then I use several coats of epoxy, with a light sand between coats. There are other methods that probably look better, but this is an everyday table with kids, so I wanted durable, and the epoxy helps harden the surface  a bit, plus waterproof and easy clean.

[Ianab]

Still putzing with the garden trees. This weekend I can home with some small bits of Chinaberry, some Wild cherry (mostly sapwood from a ~12" log), and a few more deodar cedar boards, 

And interesting mix, even if a lot of it is random short pieces.