How would you approach this cut?

[Broncman]

I have 2 24" diameter walnut logs, each about 8 to 10 feet long. I really want to maximize the lumber I  get from these logs. They were storm trees from the hurricane and have the crack you see in the pic. I need 8/4 for some Maloof style chairs.

I really want to saw with the flats of the growth rings, but that will have the cracks running at angles. 

Should I work the cracks vertically and just cut those out after drying?

[fluidpowerpro]

Depends on what you plan to do with the wood. If your cutting construction lumber you would rather end up with bow. If your cutting for other uses you might rather end up with crook because you can edge it off later.

Sorry, I see now that you described what you want to do with it. Read it too fast....my bad.

[SawyerTed]

Capture the crack in as few boards as possible - crack horizontal.  Then edge out the juvenile wood/pith containing the crack.   

[YellowHammer]

I have made several videos on sawing flat, stress free high walnut, identifying stress, and you might check them out.  Basically, the very short version is take the sapwood off because it doesn't contain extractives and always causes bow in walnut, then position the cant with the stress crack vertical which puts the stress in the slip direction perpendicular to the crack, (that's why it's cracking) vs the face bow direction, and saw down from each of the two faces until you just hit the perpendicular vertical crack.  These boards should be very flat and only have stress causing curve which is edged off later or even taken off with a table saw.  At that point rotate 90 to put the crack in the horizontal plane and saw down from each face to the pith.  These boards will have face bow stress, as shown by the crack trying to open up, but with 8/4 sawn thick, you can face joint these boards after drying to flatten them.

These are guidelines and will allow you to get the widest, flattest boards crack free boards possible but watch for stress when you are sawing and take corrective action.  That's a nice log, you should get some very nice boards from it.  

[Broncman]

Thank you Yellow Hammer. I watch all your videos and this is the biggest walnut I have gotten to date and really want to get this one right. Thanks for taking the time to explain the how's and why's!
Ken.

[Larry]

Should I work the cracks vertically and just cut those out after drying?

I can't think of any case that I would want the crack vertical. Most of time I try to put the crack at 45 degrees to keep it on the edge of my boards. I get the most pleasing grain patterns with it at 45 also. I don't like vertical grain in walnut which is what you get with the crack horizontal. Sometimes the log will tell you horizontal is best.

I've built some chairs. My first consideration is the grain patterns for the seat. I want the most pleasing balanced patterns in the seat. This will be the biggest part. Maloof chairs normally have grain running front to back. That takes a big log to get a one piece seat so your 24" log is going to be borderline and will probably have sapwood on the seat edges. Easier to plan on book matched two piece seats and they look just as good, often better.

After getting the seat think about the crown as it also needs to look great. Next is legs, rockers, sticks, backs, and stretchers. The most important feature in the rest of the parts is grain run out. That needs to be kept at a minimum for strength.

Maloof chairs are a great project, take lots of pics and share with us.

[Broncman]

Larry,  that makes sense. I do plan on book matching the seat. I am.just not comfortable with a piece that wide being one piece of wood. I have been trying to study up as much as I can on the maloof design so I can make my cuts accordingly.  This will be one of my first Maloof chairs. My wife suggested I mull up some Tulip Poplar and do my first chair out of that fir practice.  Got lots of poplar. 

Thanks for all the advice guys!

[YellowHammer]

You should be able to mill this log up with zero face cracks in all the boards, all face sawn, if that's what the chair plans call for.  The only boards that may contain cracks would be the pith boards which are useless anyway.  Rotating would allow you to put your stress in one or the other direction, perpendicular or aligned with the face.  Sawing diagonal to the cracks would (could) put stress in both planes, and may result in wood that wants to twist, but with thick stock like 8/4, you can take that out if you leave enough meat.  

As you are sawing, read the stress, and put it in the planes that best serve the structure of the rocker.  I've never built a Maloof, wouldn't different pieces of the structure benefit from different grain orientations?  Flat swan for the seat, rift for the back structure, stuff like that?  

It would be fun to be able optimize the grain and look of each piece for a truly one of a kind Maloof.  Pretty cool.

 

[Larry]

Larry,  that makes sense. I do plan on book matching the seat.

That is the best choice. Your seat will probably be 22"+- wide so it should be easy to get two jacket boards off your best face for the seat. You can face joint with a 12" jointer and even do it on a 8".

I don't worry much about stress or twist as the finished thickness is 1-3/4" so 8/4 is plenty thick on chair parts to get flat.

[kkcomp]

With my limited knowledge I would not suggest how to mill those. However, First I am glad to see you did ok during the storm. Second I would say listen to the wife on this one. If this is your first build do it with the cheaper and more plentiful wood. Worst case is you end up with an extra chair or two. Best case you don't end up scrapping the better wood. Either way you are making dust and having fun so it's a win win. Please post progress and final pictures for us to enjoy your efforts as well. And as always remember your PPE and safety.

[NewYankeeSawmill]

Thanks for sharing guys.... It's interesting to hear the different ways each person looks at the log, and thinks about the boards. I've had a hard time wrapping my head around certain concepts or idea's, but hearing two different people describe it (with pictures!)is quite useful. Coming at the same problem from different angles, as it were...