Whatcha Sawin' 2020 ??

[Old Greenhorn]

Man Howard, that is a LONG day. Whatever you made, it should have been more, especially after the mayor visited. ;D
What's that old joke? "I don't often take sass, but when I do, I charge for it."

[DPatton]

I finally got around to sawing some of the big black oak logs I took down in January. The first log yielded two 29"-31" wide x10' long slabs taken from the center of the log, and some 5/4 boards. About half of which are flat sawn and half are quarter sawn.





The second log was a knotty upper log that was not fit for boards so it was all turned into a stack of 12' long wide slabs like these.









Three things I learned for sure.
#1, Oak is far to heavy to be turning into 12' long 2 5/8" thick slabs.
#2, I need a forklift or skidloader!
#3, as soon as I set the TimberKing up to do some sawing for myself clients start calling and want you to saw for them ASAP, (This is a good problem to have).


The client that called is a return customer who has previously purchased some of my slabs. He had stumbled onto some walnut trees that needed to be cleared for new construction and wanted me to saw them.
So yesterday the TimberKing and I traveled to Omaha to saw as many wide live edged walnut slabs as we could in a days time. The client had a skid loader and a sizable crew to handle all the heavy lifting. I only got a few pictures and unfortunately I didn't keep track of the quantity or number of logs sawn. I do know the crew loaded and unloaded the enclosed trailer use for moving the slabs from the saw site to where they are being stored 4 times yesterday.

Here's a picture of the first trailer load. This is only partially loaded.





One of the smaller logs of the day on the TimberKing. Also showing some of the larger logs behind the saw.





A fork load of slabs ready to be hand loaded into the trailer.





A log I named "The Devils Dinner Fork" ready to be placed on the loader arms. You can see that 2-3 of the slabs are going to end up looking like a two pronged fork.





And a sample slab with a little water on it to bring out the color and grain for the crew's viewing pleasure.





This was a fun and easy job. The client had a great group of workers and they all participated. They followed my safety procedures, and showed a great respect for safety around my mill. We sawed for 8 hrs while using up 6 blades because of the constant wide cuts and all of the logs having bark intact.


On Sunday I will work on replacing a section of energy chain that has been giving me some grief, then onto do a small custom sawing job in Lincoln where a client had a large red oak taken down on Friday.

[alan gage]

Took a little time this past few weeks to do some sawing before I start putting a new roof and siding on my house.

The first sawing project was a bunch of 2 year old knotty spruce logs for board and baton siding to put on the house. I was having too much fun sawing that to stop and take many pictures. :





Next up was my last couple cottonwood logs to saw into 2x framing lumber and also some 1x material for future projects. They were pretty good sized logs that were a tight fit on the mill and left a 21" cant once squared.









Some of the cottonwood was really pretty coming off the saw. Most of the 2x lumber was clear and straight grained.





Got a little over 400bf from one log and one blade. I was happy on both counts:





Then it was onto 3 hard maple logs I've been meaning to get at for the last 2-3 years. They're way past the point of being snow white maple but they were pretty nonetheless. A few boards showed spalting throughout but most showed only a little at one end or along an edge.

The first maple sawed up great. No issues and only 1 blade:









On the 2nd maple log I was hoping to get enough out of the blade for the 4 opening cuts through the bark but after the 2nd cut it was apparent this wasn't going to happen. I hit metal on the 3rd opening cut due to a piece that broke off my chain (chain turner) and stuck in the bark. After finally getting it squared into a cant I started getting extremely wavy cuts and my blade was diving like crazy.





I double and triple checked blade alignment and measured the set of my teeth. All looked fine. Thinking the log might be the problem I rotated it 180 degrees and took another cut with the same result. Even though the blade was fresh and still felt sharp I put on another one anyway and was still having problems:





Thinking the problem must still be in the log I rotated it 90 degrees and got perfectly flat cuts. So I finished up the log without problem by avoiding those two faces which were giving me trouble. This meant I had a lot of wide boards to edge when I was done.

I found the third maple log grinning at me when I cut off the fork:





After squaring it up and getting a couple boards off the sides with the crack running through them I placed the 21" cant with the crack running horizontal and just pulled 1x boards off those two faces until I reached the crack, at which point I cut it back to a 4' log to eliminate the defect and finished it off that way. When I was done with it I had a big stack of 21" boards to put back on the mill and edge.

Those last two maple logs were the only thing I sawed yesterday and they gave me a heck of a workout. I can only hope the lumber dries without too many defects to make it seem worthwhile.

The drying shed is starting to fill back up again:





Alan

[Magicman]

MM,

Did you saw the 4/4 at 1" or 1 1/8"?

[Crossroads]

Sunday afternoon I did something I typically don't do. I went to look at a potential milling job. It sounded interesting, I needed to meet the guy at a lakeside resort, where he would pick me up in his boat to take me across the lake to his 3 cabins. It was since day for a drive and a boat ride. There is a logging road that comes in to the back of the property. Thursday I will haul the excavator up to the property for moving the logs, then on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning I'll move the mill in and start making sawdust. Pretty cool place, I'll try to take some pictures to share. 

[cutterboy]

Well Magicman, at least at the new job the logs still have their bark. :D

[alan gage]

MM,

Did you saw the 4/4 at 1" or 1 1/8"?

Since your question immediately followed my post, and since I didn't see anyone posting above with the initials MM (other than you), and since I don't think you're crazy enough to be talking to yourself on internet forums I'll answer just in case it was addressed to me. ;)
I sawed the 1x lumber multiple thicknesses.
The spruce siding is 7/8" thick boards that will be put up rough.
Some of the cottonwood I'd like to use to build a couple strip canoes and knowing it will be planed down to 3/4" and since the boards are realtively narrow and seemed stable coming off the mill I cut them at 1" to save some extra planing later.
The rest was cut at 1 1/8", which is what I normally do.
Now, on the off chance you really were asking yourself that question I'm curious to hear the answer.
Alan

[SpaceBus]

Do you guys prefer bark on the log? So far I've only milled Balsam Fir and Red Spruce logs, and they have very thin bark, especially the Balsam Fir. Usually I have to skid the logs a bit before I have room to lift them with my tractor FEL. So far I'm usually able to clean up the logs where they have to drag in the dirt or just peel the bark off. 

[Banjo picker]

I prefer bark on. Yesterday I needed 6 boards to fill an order.  I had two blown down poplars in the back of my place.  Went and cut 3 logs.  Only needed one ....but it cut like butter.  If they are not gonna have bark, it's nice if it's all gone.  I just finished a half day clean up at the mill about half was slipped bark pine....what's left on the log comes off under the mill.  Tim

[Bruno of NH]

When the bark is slipping, l peal them because it makes a mess on the mill.
The bark clogs up the claw turner on my Lt40.
The time messing with the slipping bark on the log deck is well worth it for me.

[Old Greenhorn]

Do you guys prefer bark on the log? 

AT first I think I might have mis-read your question. If you are asking strictly from a milling point of view, I prefer the bark off because it carries all kinds of bad stuff likes rocks and dirt and can even hide metal pretty well. But it can be a lot of work to remove or at least clean the bark. I peel what I can especially for the opening cuts and if it is slipping I peel everything I can get off to make milling easier.I peeled a big Basswood log a couple of weeks ago and really worked up a sweat, but got all the bark off in one single sheet.
 However, if you are referring to the comment above "at least those logs still have the bark on" that was a reference to the age of the logs. Very old and poor logs will have the bark either rot off or have it just slip off when moved, and that is rarely good unless you are looking for spalting or some other special condition. These are not desirable logs to mill by me anyway, but you take what comes. Maybe somebody will chime in with a different point of view.
 As to Banjo's comment, yeah, that bark is a bear to get rid of and I spent most of my day today burning bark from firewood splitting and the mill. It never seems to end and it feels like I always have a fire going when the weather allows. I find it presents a huge trip hazard and I can't stand it. Constantly raking and piling it up for the next junk fire.
 BTW Banjo, what do you play? Are you a pre-war RB kind of guy, or perhaps an archtop fella? Maybe top tension? Not likely there aren't many of us fans of those left. My weapon of choice when I stopped was a Crafters, Tennessee model in Walnut.

[alan gage]

I don't have a debarker on my mill so if the bark is willing to come off easily I'll peel it off. Otherwise I leave it be and make sure there's not embedded dirt/rocks.

Alan

[SpaceBus]

Do any of you folks use a chainsaw powered tool like the "log wizard"? Unless these spruce or fir logs are cut right when the sap starts to run the bark is stuck on like glue. I have a draw knife, but that's not really worth it to me. Maybe a spud would be easier than the chainsaw powered debarking tools. 

Thanks for answering my noob questions. 

[doc henderson]

I have and have used one, but i consider it to a bit wild and potentially dangerous, and makes a mess.  I only use it when nothing else will work.  I have a 4k psi pressure washer that works well on many things, and if the bark does not fly off, it is at least cleaner.  I have a dedicated bar and chain for the LW and have it hanging and ready to go.  use face and eye protection.  i used mine to hollow out the bottom of a stump table to help it dry and be lighter, after chunking it out with a chainsaw.  

[WV Sawmiller]

 

 I used this very inexpensive spud/scraper from HF to peel 8 - poplar half poles last week and was happy with the results. The next time I use it I will sharpen it some more. It would have been easier with 2 people -1 pulling on the bark and one pushing/cutting it free with the spud.

[Banjo picker]

Here you go Old Greenhorn.   Just an old flat head.  The blond bomber.

 

 Here is my old head before it busted
 Got some miles on that one.  Tim
 

[Banjo picker]

The pit bull by the side was named Banjo. Tim

[Magicman]

Alan, I have no idea what happened with Reply #1478...??  I did not write that question nor do I know where the reply is that I did make.  I even went to my profile and my reply showing the logs that I started sawing today is not there.  cutterboy even commented about the logs having bark on them.  ??



Here is the picture that I posted last night that should have been in Reply #1478, but I have no idea where it or the reply is??

[Old Greenhorn]

Well Tim, looks like Gibson inlays for sure but I can't read the headstock or the 20th fret. Nice looking maple you got there, they can make a great sound. Pretty high class names on that head too! Geez, the last time I saw Ralph Stanley was just a couple of years ago, but it seems like forever now. Sonny is still kicking about, he is a close friend of a buddy of min in KY and they have lunch every month or two.
Keep on pickin'!

MM, I saw your post last night with eh same photo, I remember you said the log on the lower right was the longest in the bunch. You are not losing your mind, but maybe the rest of us are? :D

[cutterboy]

Magicman, that picture was up and I saw it....thus my comment.

[WDH]

The phantom comment was mine, I guess I screwed something up.  Sorry . 

[terrifictimbersllc]

Just found out that tomorrow's 3500 bf job isn't pine, but  "Christmas tree spruce".   :-[ :-[ :-[

Fortunately I have 3 boxes of Kasco 7/40 blades and a Richard Cutting Edge 4/40 wheel in my garage which I obtained for just this occasion.  Now to go out reshape (lightly)  5 of these 7/40 to 4/40.   055 1-1/2 195". My mill is 55HP.

I usually use WM turbo 7/39 055 1-1/2. Those do ok in spruce, but with a lot of fussing around re-trimming etc, to get a "just passing" result.  Cant fly with them like in pine.

Hoping the Kasco 4/40 will saw the spruce flat and faster.  :P

[SpaceBus]

Just found out that tomorrow's 3500 bf job isn't pine, but  "Christmas tree spruce".   :-[ :-[ :-[

Fortunately I have 3 boxes of Kasco 7/40 blades and a Richard Cutting Edge 4/40 wheel in my garage which I obtained for just this occasion.  Now to go out reshape (lightly)  5 of these 7/40 to 4/40.   055 1-1/2 195". My mill is 55HP.

I usually use WM turbo 7/39 055 1-1/2. Those do ok in spruce, but with a lot of fussing around re-trimming etc, to get a "just passing" result.  Cant fly with them like in pine.

Hoping the Kasco 4/40 will saw the spruce flat and faster.  :P

Would "Christmas Tree Spruce" be the same as red or black spruce? Suddenly all of my challenges learning to use my Logosol mill make more sense after reading your post. 

[terrifictimbersllc]

No idea.   It's either yellow or red corresponding to whether you want to saw it or not, the same color scheme as a traffic light.
:embarassed: :embarassed:

[tule peak timber]

Two loads of English walnut this morning. Large old growth orchard logs.