Sawing through growth rings; how bad is it?

KcMatt · April 13, 2024, 11:01:26 PM

I tried uploading photos but they are too big and I'm too much of a dinosaur to resize them.

So I have 3 walnut logs that have been sitting in the yard for about 2 years in the shade and I'm finally cutting them up. Two of them have a good cup about 4" in 8' or so and the growth rings follow the bark. Problem is, I want to flat saw them and I'm not sure how that will work out. They are too big for my mill so today I cut them down with a csm to a size my neighbors Dingo 1000 can pick up.

To flat saw these will mean cutting through many growth rings. Should I just call them firewood from the start or what? They could be some good size boards rift or quarter sawn but that's kind of ugly in walnut. I do need firewood but walnut isn't great for that.

If I'm aiming for 4/4 should I cut them 5/4 or 6/4 and flatten them after drying?

fluidpowerpro · April 13, 2024, 11:29:39 PM

If the photo is on your phone I have found that if I email it to myself it compresses it so it's no longer as large.

KcMatt · April 14, 2024, 12:02:18 AM

Quote from: fluidpowerpro on April 13, 2024, 11:29:39 PMIf the photo is on your phone I have found that if I email it to myself it compresses it so it's no longer as large.

Thanks for your advice my dude. Unfortunately I'm about out of time as I'm cutting these up tomorrow. I guess I will slice the cants and if the boards bow toss them in the firewood pile and if they don't, hope for the best.

scsmith42 · April 14, 2024, 06:45:48 AM

I would flat saw them full width but somewhat over thickness. If the boards cup, the craftsperson can always rip them down the center of the cup and reglue them.

doc henderson · April 14, 2024, 06:57:41 AM

Walnut is great firewood, but its beauty makes it a sought-after wood for working. After all the talk about crook and sawing into cants for another mill, how wide will these be? I will barely throw a hand sized chunk of walnut in the burn barrel in my shop. My neighbor will make it part of a segmented bowl. what are the plans for the wood? Projects? Many feel it is good to saw walnut after it has set in the log a while. It may look greenish or purple off the mill but will darken to brown while drying. mill it and stack it with stickers well, and that will help as much as anything. If the log has some bow to it you can cut int in half and reduce the bow and get more boards. of course, they will be shorter, so it depends on the proposed use. jewelry boxes yes, wall panels no.

rusticretreater · April 14, 2024, 02:33:33 PM

What you call a cup in a log is called sweep in sawmilling circles. If you grade logs, you downgrade according to the amount of sweep.

4" of sweep in 8' is not all that much. Doc gives you good advice. If you want full slabs for tables, etc. Stack and sticker and weight it down good or strap it tight so that it won't move. Maybe Doc will point you to one of his obsessive, super neatnik stickered lumber stack pictures.

firefighter ontheside · April 14, 2024, 03:58:24 PM

I find walnut to be very forgiving and dries pretty straight even in those conditions. If you're afraid of the lumber bowing though, you can set it on the mill with the crown to the side. Then you will not be sawing through growth rings, but you will have bow shaped slabs, but they will be more likely to stay flat.