Water Guns

[Autocar]

Delivered a load of logs this afternoon and the mill was spraying water on the logs. So I sat there a minuite and timed the guns on there rotation. Shot though a opening and didn't get a drop on the truck, started unloading and one row shut down and another row started [ just out of reach ] got unloaded timed them again and started out. The row I had timed shut off and the center row started, just escaped from a drenching of acid brown water. Don't know whats in that water but it will rust the fram and hydrulic fittings like they were setting in a tank full of salt water.

[1270d]

Is it just used to rinse dust/dirt from the logs or is there another reason?   Do they recycle the water?

[lumberjack48]

They spray to keep moisture content up in the wood, and cut down fire danger.

[snowstorm]

here they water the pine to keep it from blue stain

[Ianab]

I imagine the brown is Tanins being washed from the bark. It's pretty acidic, hence the corrosion issues.

Keeping the logs wet seems to slow the sapstain fungus, stops the ends drying and checking, and keeps wood eating bugs away from the logs. But they probably recycle the water. All sorts of environmental hassles if they dump that acidic water into any natural waterway. Dead fish mostly.

Ian

[Autocar]

If they didn't spray them with water they would split in all directions from the hot sun and high sap from the summer time logs.

[1270d]

Have never visited a mill.  Must they be watered constantly in hot weather?

[WDH]

Yes, or sawn.

[grassfed]

I imagine that spraying them helps take some of the dirt from summer harvesting of of those logs too.

[Ford_man]

They are just trying to get them to grow bigger before they saw them. lol lol lol lol

[Phorester]

Have never visited a mill.  Must they be watered constantly in hot weather?

Years ago many of the larger sawmills stored their logs in ponds built for this purpose at the mill before sawing to forestall bluestain and insect damage.

[WDH]

Having a mill pond today is complicated with all the regulations, permits, and environmental regulations.

[Al_Smith]

  Don't know whats in that water but it will rust the fram and hydrulic fittings like they were setting in a tank full of salt water.

It most likely was the tannins from oak logs .I don't know what it would do watered down but oak saw dust will rust the spring shackles and frame right out of a bucket truck .I've welded several back together .The metal turns black from the action of the acidic chips .

[Phorester]

Wonder if beavers have the same problem?   ;D

[Al_Smith]

I don't think so mainly because beavers don't gnaw on oak trees .

Oak BTW will turn bars and chains black also .