The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Sawmills and Milling => Topic started by: kcbarnes on November 09, 2001, 07:13:28 PM

Title: lap siding
Post by: kcbarnes on November 09, 2001, 07:13:28 PM
I may be building a garage this spring and would like to cut  my own lap siding for it from tulip popular.can anybody give me some milling and installation tips?
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Kevin on November 09, 2001, 08:13:12 PM
I`m going with Wood-Mizers lap siding jig  ...
(https://forestryforum.com/board/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.woodmizer.com%2Fdomino%2Fhtml%2Fwoodmizer%2FWoodmizerImages.nsf%2Fobjects%2Flapsider%2F%24File%2Flapsider.jpg&hash=97fbea3b9242bb40896e31d75f308bd3ae5ff8f3)
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: woodmills1 on November 10, 2001, 05:51:02 AM
one of my friends is a really handy guy, he fixes diesels, helps run a circle mill, has a nice woodshop set up in a trailer body outside his repair garage.  he is re-siding his ranch with planed, square edge 1x8 pine installed like lap siding.  it looks good with a six or so inch exposure and his grizzly planer makes short work of the finishing. he is using edge boards that are thick enough to leave a small reveal and caulking like usual. ;D ;D
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Tom on November 10, 2001, 06:01:52 AM
Thats how cypress is installed down here too.  looks and works good.
Look out for your new tree woodmills1
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: woodmills1 on November 10, 2001, 06:05:58 AM
i get another tree!   :) i can't wait till i get tree tree's  :D :D  ha ha that would be tree of a kind.  or maybe trip trees.  or one two tree ;D ;D
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: timberbeast on November 10, 2001, 06:18:33 AM
All I can add is use aluminum nails.  Not galvanized,  aluminum.  And if you're not painting,  the best clear finish I've ever used is called RYMAR.  Costs about 30 bucks a gallon,  but I did the siding on my first house with it,  drove past about 2 months ago,  and it still hasn't turned grey.  We moved out of that house over 10 years ago,  and the siding was about 3 years old at the time.  I am talking six coats,  though......
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Tom on November 10, 2001, 07:21:37 AM
Hey timberbeast,
Woodmills is growing a forest.

Oh, you mention that your siding never turned grey.  The fellows who build with cypress down here (and some pine) look forward to the even colored silver-grey of the weathered wood. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  They run a risk of black streaks from the mildew under the eaves and residue from the tar-based shingle roofs when they don't seal though.
Title: Tilted re-saw
Post by: Bibbyman on November 10, 2001, 04:34:48 PM
We had a real wheeler-dealer type approach us late last winter wanting us to saw lap siding out of aromatic red cedar.  He was to furnish the logs.  It was going to be quite a lot of siding as he was going to use it on the inside and out.  Did a lot of work figuring out how many logs of what size it would take and such.  Met with him a couple of times to discuss the project.  Then he never showed back up with the logs.   ::)

Anyway,  instead of a lap siding attachment,  we were going to use a re-saw attachment for our Wood-Mizer.  We were going to saw the boards 4/4,  air dry,  plane,  and then re-saw two lap siding boards out of each board by tilting the bed of the re-saw.  If you have a lot to do or going to make a business of it,  this may be a better way to go.  
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Ron Wenrich on November 10, 2001, 05:29:22 PM
I have some older siding that I have recycled.  It is quarter sawn spruce (I think).  It was dried and resawn from 6" quarter sawn 4/4 boards.  That seems to be the ticket, but has to be pretty clear stock.  Here's what it looks like.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/YaBBImages/userpics/she.jpg)
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Tom on November 10, 2001, 06:10:50 PM
Hey Ron,

You need to tell The Rest of the Story

What's inside of that little pump hours?
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Kevin on November 10, 2001, 06:19:54 PM
That looks like Blue Spruce, Ron. ;D
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: kcbarnes on November 10, 2001, 07:06:40 PM
Thanks Bibbyman, I like the idea of cutting the stock 4/4 to dry then resawing it. I will also look into aluminum or stainless steel nails
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: woodmills1 on November 10, 2001, 07:28:16 PM
i guess then you will be cutting that little blue spruce for christmas :D :D :D
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: timberbeast on November 11, 2001, 02:54:26 AM
Hey,  Tom,  your forest is bigger than mine! :D
Actually,  I like the silver-grey,  but my wife thinks white cedar is so pretty,  she wants if to look like fresh cut!  White cedar is the sought-after wood for the "cape cod" houses on the northern east coast,  and they love it because it stands up to the weather,  yet turns that pretty silver-grey.  My current house is board and batten,  rough white cedar,  and I stalled and stalled on the finish,  and it is greying nicely.  Cypress must be a very similar wood,  as I know that red cedar turns brown,  black,  and sorta ugly without a coating out in the weather.  It is more rot-resistant,  though.  My wife loves the "goofy" boards that come off the mill,  too,  and so do I.  A lot of our interior paneling has wane,  some bark,  and even carpenter ant tunnels.  Looks nicely rustic.  But everyone who sees it falls in love. I even have an outbuilding sided with slabs.  Looks great to me!
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: woodmills1 on November 11, 2001, 06:06:41 AM
My previous house was red cedar clapboards.  I got so tired of trying to keep a finish on it that I would just use deck wash every couple of years to keep it fresh looking.  Just brush it on and hose it off.  Came out almost like when it was new :D
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Ron Wenrich on November 11, 2001, 07:31:48 AM
Here's the rest of the story.  I had this old shed that the kids stored their toys.  I figured it would be a great place for a hot tub.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/YaBBImages/userpics/hottub1ronw.jpg)



The lap siding was salvaged off of my old summerhouse when I converted that into my bedroom and attached it to the house.

For the cooler months, I close the sides with panels.  Right now the water temp is 95 degrees.  I figure I have another month until it gets too cold to walk from the house to the shed.

Next year I hope to add solar heat to conserve on electric.
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Jeff on November 11, 2001, 07:54:45 AM
What the heck does a sawyer need with a hot tub? Those are for relaxing over worked muscles, like right, we get that?

You need a pool like mine. That way there is room to paddle around in your combination floating lounge/beer caddy.
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Tom on November 11, 2001, 08:17:55 AM
Jeff,

Ron's got it all!

That hot tub in the neat, blue, little ol' pump house has a combination, floating, lounge/beer caddy.  Ya' see, little is it known but Ron isn't but two feet tall.  A little Leprechaun he is, and lives in the prettiest little dollhouse you would ever want to see.  The trees came from Walmart and are miniatures meant for hedges, planted in the yard and still in their pots.  Quite enterprising, Ron is. That's the summer house to the left.  The Hot Tub/pool with the floating lounge/beer caddy is just outside of the picture to the left.  Pretty neat.
(https://forestryforum.com/images/YaBBImages/userpics/ron6.jpg)
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Ron Wenrich on November 11, 2001, 02:31:54 PM
There's more to do in a hot tub then relax aching muscles.   ;D

Besides, it is supposed to relieve stress, and we get our share of that.  
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Gordon on November 11, 2001, 02:41:32 PM
Ron that is the best use of lap siding that I could ever come up with. You have a very pretty place. Bet you've put a ton of work into it. But in the end worth it.

Oh to keep with the thread on lap siding. I sure do think it's pretty if put on correctly. :D
Also slab siding is very nice in the correct setting. Then again I like the rustic look. So that goes without saying.

Can't say much because the house I own now has---gulp---vinyl siding.
Gordon
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: kcbarnes on November 11, 2001, 04:44:33 PM
Ok this is my plan, feel free to make suggestions. I will start by milling 4/4 tulip popular 10" wide and air dry it for a year. I will then resaw it on a tilted jig so I get some taper (I won't plane it because I like rough siding) and get 2 pieces from one 4/4 board. next I will treat the back of the board just before I install it with aluminum or stainless nails with a 5" reveal and then put a transparent wood preservative on the outside. If anybody has any other ideas please respond .
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Tom on November 11, 2001, 05:05:48 PM
That sounds like the ticket to me.  I've never done it before but would consider cutting the original board a little thicker than 4/4 to account for the kerf when I split it.   I guess splitting a 10" board expecting a 5" reveal would take care of the ultra thin top.

You ask for another idea.  How about sawing a 3/4 or 7/8 board, drying it and either cut a dado on the top to form a shiplap or a rounded groove to make novelty siding.  A joiner would make the shiplap and a router or shaper would make the novelty siding.

Woodmizers' shingle/siding jig will cut siding green or you could just tilt the cant back and forth with spacers under first one side and then the other.

Hmmmm how many cats have we skinned so far?
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: kcbarnes on November 11, 2001, 05:24:23 PM
Thanks Tom, I like the idea of the shiplap/novelty siding and do plan on doing that on some future projects. but I like the idea of a rough lap siding because it will be on my garage that won't be far from our log home. And before anybody asks, yes I will price the 8" half-log siding but I know it will be pricey and I wouldn't have the pride of milling my own.
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Tom on November 11, 2001, 05:32:56 PM
Ah yes, pride.  The bane of the custom sawmiller.  I know exactly what you are talking about.  I've been known to make my own even when somebody else may do it cheaper.

My wife says I'm stubborn but I like to think it is pride. :D
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: kcbarnes on November 11, 2001, 05:42:50 PM
It's nice to be understood. I'm among my own kind here.
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Tom on November 11, 2001, 05:52:39 PM
Kc,
Here's some pride and he's not even a sawyer.  He's a junk dealer that retired from the Marine dock building business.
This link was a little before you came and is a reason to peruse some of the old links.
https://forestryforum.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?board=general&action=display&num=996670313
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: kcbarnes on November 11, 2001, 06:09:45 PM
Good link Tom, as I get time I am going though all the old post. A lot of good info in them.
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Ron Wenrich on November 12, 2001, 02:52:08 PM
Here's my 2 cents on tulip poplar.

Cutting 1x10's for a 5" reveal seems like overkill.  I have a 4 1/4" reveal on 6" boards.  It seems that you could get away with 8" boards.  Just take some scraps and play with it before hand.

Not planing the boards may be a problem.  You will have some cupping and warping.  If your boards aren't good before you resaw, they won't be afterwards.

You might want to consider cutting your thickness to 5/4.  

You will still have a rough side from the saw you used to split the board.

Another option may be to split green and then dry.  It'll dry a lot quicker and you may skip the planing.
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Don P on November 12, 2001, 06:52:26 PM
Hi Guys,
We just got back home and are glad to reach out and not hit a wall..in any direction! stayed in the shower till I got bored! :D :D
Oh, the thread ;D
The old homeplace here was done in flat poplar about 1/2" thick with a watertable shim to start the first course tip. My house is "dolly varden" cedar, a bevel pattern with a rabbeted back bottom edge (hey didja know, rabbet from the french rebate: to remove). Oh maybe it was rebatir (I sucked at french ::) ) It was planed then resawn. I made a tipped trough out of plywood and 2x4's 16" widex 16'long. Plopped a board in face down rolled stain up that side, turned it over rolled the face, tipped on edge, step aside for refreshment as it drains a sec then off to drying racks of 2x's on horses. The drain off ran to a tray at the lower end of the trough to be recycled back to the roller tray.
Neighbor used 4/4 EWPine boards lapped, we had to pad the trims to account for the buildup thickness.
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: woodmills1 on November 12, 2001, 06:54:16 PM
lord knows up here the poplar we cut is really quaking aspen but it cups real bad most of the time. :)
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: Eggsander on November 13, 2001, 05:34:58 PM
In the case of beveled siding with a rabbet for the overlap, what about the relief cuts on the backside? I believe they are there to relieve cupping stress to help the siding stay flat to the wall. But are they really necessary if your sawing the siding out of dry wood? I wonder if maybe they're just used on the production side to provide consistant performance out of the stuff for the discount lumber marts.
The Peterson has a different setup for sawing beveled siding, but I haven't gotten a chance to play with that part yet. Soon, maybe.  :)
Pride, whoa man lookout. Hey my justification for buying the mill was that I could use to saw most of what I need for the addition we've been planning for our house. Timber frame, interior walls and ceiling, hardwood floors, siding, ..... heck maybe even the front door!
To be able to build something that people can appreciate is a great feeling, be it a chair, a boat, a house, a toy, or a piece of furniture that borders on art. But take it step further and know that you could walk into the woods with your tools and your knowledge and be able produce those things with what you find there, now that is cool.  8)
.....Besides, I'm too tight to spend what they want for the crap they sell in the stores.  ::)
Title: Re: lap siding
Post by: kcbarnes on November 13, 2001, 06:58:35 PM
Ok this is my NEW plan, all else is the same except that maybe I will cut my boards 4/4 or so and then put them in a taper jig right away to cut the bevel and then I could stack them nested with the two pieces overlapped only about a 1/2" on the narrow side so I would still have air flow all around them and also have a top and bottom side parallel for easy stickering.