Fastest debarking of pine and can my wood be saved?

[future_vision]

Ok. Here is the situation. I cut down a good number of pine and some oak and maple trees and stacked the wood off the ground but didn't debark them. Didn't stop those boring bugs. I guess I didn't do enough reading before hand. Now I am in a situation where In have several logs being eaten. I figure I need to debark those ASAP and get them milled up if I want to save any of the wood. Bark pretty much falls off most of them.

1. Do I need to mill them completely in order to stop the bugs from destroying further?

Next, I have some really large pine we cut down going into the winter. That bark is still firmly attached from what I can tell. 

1. What's the fastest/best way to debark those? There is the elbow grease way with a spud and draw knife but I've also seen chainsaw attachments and even a blade that goes on an angle grinder. Any suggestions would be great. 

2. Once debarked should I cut them into the largest cants I can or leave them. I imagine cants would help with stacking.

Oak and maple (and some beach). Bugs don't seem to be an issue with these unless the carpenter ants find it. 

1. Anything special need to be done with these species or can they sit for awhile? I'm trying to prioritize what gets done first

[DanMc]

Here's what I know from my 6 years of milling as a hobby in New England, for what it's worth.

Oak and maple are OK to sit for a year or two.  Just be sure to put end-grain sealer on the logs to reduce/eliminate end-checking.  Or with no end-sealer, you'll have cracks in the outer 6-12" of your boards if the logs sit too long.  The end-sealer also protects the milled boards as they dry from end-checking.    

The pine, it will depend on the exact species of tree.  I've never debarked.  I've had pine logs that sat for up to a year and there are no bugs in them when I mill.  I've had others that are wormy after only 3 months.  So it looks like it depends on exactly what kind of pine.  Most of what I have is white pine (long needles), and this seems to be what the worms love.  Spruce (short needles) seem to stay clear.  

The stuff that I've milled that is wormy makes excellent flooring, if you are OK with the blue fungus staining that results from the worm holes, and filling the holes after installation.  Personally I love the wild coloration of the stained pine.  Most of the worm action stops if you mill the logs into 4/4 planks, because they get cut up, but there will be some that survive and continue to chomp away, as seen by little piles of sawdust under the holes when stickered.  Some will poke their heads out of the holes, and you can pull them out.  They are disgusting little beasts.  But I think the worms die fairly quickly, as pine also dries quickly when milled and stickered with good ventilation.  Of course, kiln drying with kill them immediately.  How satisfying is that!!

Now people that know better can correct anything that I've said that's wrong. I welcome the correction.

[future_vision]

I'm fine with holes in my wood I guess. I was thinking of doing exactly what you said and use it for flooring. Possibly for some platforms for drying wood on and maybe a solar kiln although I don't know how big of deal that would be. Kilns tend to be pretty tight other than the exhaust fans.

[moodnacreek]

In New England live trees for lumber are to be cut in the fall and sawed and put on sticks before May. During this time you want the bark on and it won't slip anyhow. Regardless of what you or I do this is the proper way. The bark helps keep the wood cool. You will notice blue stain on pine first where the bark has been damaged and the wood has been allowed to warm. Heat is the enemy. Also removing bark and not sawing the logs allows the drying to start on the shell and cause deep cracks. Cut logs that can not be sawn should be left in the coldest and darkest place possible.  You mention maple. Hard maple stains as soon as the weather warms up therefore destroying it's color. Sawing old logs is a salvage operation.

[Andries]

It sounds like the logging got way ahead of the milling and building. Happens to all of us, sometimes the timing doesn't line up perfectly.
Moodna has advice that runs identical to mine.
If you intend to use the logs in the round, that angle grinder disc which you mentioned earlier looks like a fast way to get to a smooth log, with the least swear sweat equity. Warning: the $ticker shock will be severe. 
If you are using timbers/cants, don't bother peeling. Open the logs up, spray with borate based bug killer, then sticker and stack in a cool shady place. 
.
Chip, burn, or bury the slabs asap, as they're candy for the bugs.

[tawilson]

The borers don't usually go too deep.

[Magicman]

Knock the bark off of the Pine as soon as it loosens.  You may be able to stop the borers while they are still under the bark and before they start boring.  I believe that you can.

[DanMc]

I have a pine log that was sitting for a while.  If you get real close to it, on a quiet day, you can actually hear the worms crunching on the wood!

[Sixacresand]

I use a flat blade shovel to knock bark off pine logs that have been setting awhile.  

[jpassardi]

I also peel the bark off with an ice chipper once it loosens. I have sawn pine logs that are years old without bark with no bug damage. Often it will be limited to the sap wood if there are bugs. Stack the logs off the ground ASAP if they aren't already.

[future_vision]

I also peel the bark off with an ice chipper once it loosens. I have sawn pine logs that are years old without bark with no bug damage. Often it will be limited to the sap wood if there are bugs. Stack the logs off the ground ASAP if they aren't already.

Logs off the ground. That's probably the one thing I did right. At least with most of them. Some sat around for a bit though.

[future_vision]

I have a pine log that was sitting for a while.  If you get real close to it, on a quiet day, you can actually hear the worms crunching on the wood!

I can hear them several feet away. Lol! It's like thy are taunting me.

[future_vision]

It sounds like the logging got way ahead of the milling and building. Happens to all of us, sometimes the timing doesn't line up perfectly.
Moodna has advice that runs identical to mine.
If you intend to use the logs in the round, that angle grinder disc which you mentioned earlier looks like a fast way to get to a smooth log, with the least swear sweat equity. Warning: the $ticker shock will be severe.
If you are using timbers/cants, don't bother peeling. Open the logs up, spray with borate based bug killer, then sticker and stack in a cool shady place.
.
Chip, burn, or bury the slabs asap, as they're candy for the bugs.

The intent for the wood is many-fold. With the condition the older logs are in (bug holes) I think that is going to end of being flooring, siding or in some other non-structural endeavor. Many of them have been sitting around for a year or so and I should finally be getting around to mill those soon. Just not sure what to mill them into. Might just go with 1 inch slab and trim them down later for the flooring or siding (holes and all). That bark falls right off with a little coaxing. 
With the new logs, that came down this winter, that bark is still firmly on. These are probably stock for my timber frame barn. These are the ones that bark removal is more of a challenge.
. 

[Andries]

If they're stock for timberframing, mill them down to a standard oversize, and then sticker and stack.
.
No de-barking needed. Use the mill.'
.
Borate as you pile, cover with salvage metal roofing and in the shade. you'll have semi-dried sticks that are ready to go when you are. 

[KenMac]

It sounds like the logging got way ahead of the milling and building. Happens to all of us, sometimes the timing doesn't line up perfectly.
Moodna has advice that runs identical to mine.
If you intend to use the logs in the round, that angle grinder disc which you mentioned earlier looks like a fast way to get to a smooth log, with the least swear sweat equity. Warning: the $ticker shock will be severe.
If you are using timbers/cants, don't bother peeling. Open the logs up, spray with borate based bug killer, then sticker and stack in a cool shady place.
.
Chip, burn, or bury the slabs asap, as they're candy for the bugs.

The intent for the wood is many-fold. With the condition the older logs are in (bug holes) I think that is going to end of being flooring, siding or in some other non-structural endeavor. Many of them have been sitting around for a year or so and I should finally be getting around to mill those soon. Just not sure what to mill them into. Might just go with 1 inch slab and trim them down later for the flooring or siding (holes and all). That bark falls right off with a little coaxing.
With the new logs, that came down this winter, that bark is still firmly on. These are probably stock for my timber frame barn. These are the ones that bark removal is more of a challenge.
.

The holes will only be in the outer 2 or 3 inches so thr rest will be as good as ever.

[Stephen1]

I deal with EWP all the time , old and new. Within 24 hrs of EWP being logged in off winter season, the Pine bore lay their eggs on the bark and the process begins. The pine bore will travel all the way through the logs and leave the 3/8" holes given enough time. 
Why spend time debarking with a chainsaw if you can saw them on your mill.  As Andries says , maybe cants and cover with tin in the shade, or the cants will start to check as they dry.
I tell all my customers to peel any wane bark as they stack the wood. 

[future_vision]

If they're stock for timberframing, mill them down to a standard oversize, and then sticker and stack.
.
No de-barking needed. Use the mill.'
.
Borate as you pile, cover with salvage metal roofing and in the shade. you'll have semi-dried sticks that are ready to go when you are.

What borate product would I use?

[future_vision]

I deal with EWP all the time , old and new. Within 24 hrs of EWP being logged in off winter season, the Pine bore lay their eggs on the bark and the process begins. The pine bore will travel all the way through the logs and leave the 3/8" holes given enough time.
Why spend time debarking with a chainsaw if you can saw them on your mill.  As Andries says , maybe cants and cover with tin in the shade, or the cants will start to check as they dry.
I tell all my customers to peel any wane bark as they stack the wood.

I was thinking debarking or just cutting into the largest cant possible, simply because I am not sure exactly what size timbers I will need. I can always take off wood but can't put it back on is my thought. Is there a better way?

[Andries]

Available borate products vary with location.
New England is far from Manitoba.
Google or Amazon borate for wood and products like Timbor will show up.
Mine showed up two days after placing the order on Amazon.
Follow the provided instructions, but soak the living daylights out of the wood on all sides for best protection.

[future_vision]

Available borate products vary with location.
New England is far from Manitoba.
Google or Amazon borate for wood and products like Timbor will show up.
Mine showed up two days after placing the order on Amazon.
Follow the provided instructions, but soak the living daylights out of the wood on all sides for best protection.

Soaking will be interesting considering there is no source of water where I am milling other than some water barrels I need to fill. Is borate really necessary? I've seen a lot of mill and sticker videos and none of them used borate.

[future_vision]

It sounds like the logging got way ahead of the milling and building. Happens to all of us, sometimes the timing doesn’t line up perfectly.
Moodna has advice that runs identical to mine.
If you intend to use the logs in the round, that angle grinder disc which you mentioned earlier looks like a fast way to get to a smooth log, with the least swear sweat equity. Warning: the $ticker shock will be severe.
If you are using timbers/cants, don’t bother peeling. Open the logs up, spray with borate based bug killer, then sticker and stack in a cool shady place.
.
Chip, burn, or bury the slabs asap, as they’re candy for the bugs.

The intent for the wood is many-fold. With the condition the older logs are in (bug holes) I think that is going to end of being flooring, siding or in some other non-structural endeavor. Many of them have been sitting around for a year or so and I should finally be getting around to mill those soon. Just not sure what to mill them into. Might just go with 1 inch slab and trim them down later for the flooring or siding (holes and all). That bark falls right off with a little coaxing.
With the new logs, that came down this winter, that bark is still firmly on. These are probably stock for my timber frame barn. These are the ones that bark removal is more of a challenge.
.

The holes will only be in the outer 2 or 3 inches so thr rest will be as good as ever.

So a smaller log is doomed if you have beetles coming from all sides. You double that 2-3 inches if they are coming in from both side.

[future_vision]

This might be ludicrous but shou sugi ban is used to treat wood to make it fire and bug resistant. I wonder what affect charring the bark would have. Of course you would need to be careful to not set the log on full fire but I imagine it would pretty much kill anything in the bark.

[mapleveneer]

We just finished sawing a bunch of EWP that reported was cut 2-3 years ago.  Not much bark left on the logs.  It was not removed, it fell off.  Smaller logs, probably anything under 10 in diameter, were junk and a waste of time.  However, we had lots of logs in the 20-30 in category that sawed beautiful lumber from the interior.  We slabbed them heavy, then sawed 8 in or 12 in boards.  The holes and stain were pretty much limited to the outer 2-3 in.  In fact, some logs were sold to a neighboring WM mill and he came back looking for more.  Worminess also depends on the time of year the logs were cut.  Logs cut in the winter don't suffer the damage that those cut in the warmer weather do.



 

 

 

 

[Stephen1]

The pine weevil show up when they smell fresh sawn pine. they are not so lively in the winter. 

[moodnacreek]

Just one aspect of sawing old pine logs is the heavy worthless slabs and sticks off the edger. All this must be handled. If the logs where fresh and better yet straight you can saw lumber just under the bark and have just feathers for slabs. I would much rather handle lumber than waste.

[Ventryjr]

I just built a chicken coop from white pine that was wormy.  Sitting for about a year. Used that for interior framing. Seemed solid enough.  And the chicken will enjoy any bugs that poke their head out.   I sided it with hemlock that has been stacked for about 3 years now. Had some discoloration inside and the end 4" of the log were a little soft. But made nice siding. I didn't find any bugs in the hemlock.   All the logs were stacked together. All of it bark on.