Cutting stacking sticks at the mill.

[firefighter ontheside]

How do you guys cut stickers on the mill?  Do you mill boards all the same size and then stand them all up together and make cuts at 3/4?  It seems like it will be unsafe as I get down toward the bottom.

[Rougespear]

I always cut the thickness of the sticker first - usually I cut them at an even 1" as I'm opening new log faces.  I'll save these boards until I have several and then I'll stand them up on the saw deck vertically and cut down through them all on 1.5" increments.  This produces even-thickness stickers.  I have found cutting the 1.5" dimension first and then vertically sawing down every 1" is not the way to do it because it's harder to produce even-thickness stickers because the boards move slightly as I'm sawing down do the deck.

So cut the sticker thickness first, then width second - just my two cents.

[kelLOGg]

I cut my stickers 1" x 1" and from edgings. They are generally waste but I get long enough pieces to make stickers. When I have used an entire board for stickers I raise the squaring arm high enough for support and lower as I cut. That way I am not trying to stabilize the original width by clamping the bottom half inch.

[terrifictimbersllc]

You can saw several boards stacked vertically, safely, down to 1" from the bed, if you observe several practices. 
1) use enough boards so the clamp is tightly clamping them.
2) have a fresh square edge on the bottom of all these boards, flip them over when half sawn, for example, so this happens. Have a helper hold the boards vertical, pressing down on either side of the clamp as you clamp them. 
3)  Clamp is low and tight to clear the last cut you have planned, so it doesnt have to be re-adjusted
4) the side supports are up enough to support the boards sideways against the force of the blade when the boards are taller, and are dropped as the cuts get lower.  
5) once the side supports are down, saw the last cut or two a bit slower to minimize sideways force 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

 

[firefighter ontheside]

Thanks for all the replies.

[Kbeitz]

I put all my  edgings in the bell saw edger.

[Dave Shepard]

I saw 5/4 boards, then stand them up on the mill and mill my 1" thickness. 

[firefighter ontheside]

This is basically what I had in mind.  I was just concerned that sawing the last couple of rows would be sketchy.  I will make sure it is all clamped well and take it slow toward the bottom.

[Sixacresand]

I use my "not so good" pine logs for stickers.  And I generate a lot of stickers from edging and resawing odd length lumber.    

[Southside]

Notice the boxed pith in the photo by @POSTON WIDEHEAD  - that's just showing off!!  

[Jack S]

It might be showing off but it still takes some skill in setup.  OK now lets see a picture from the other end that will really tell the story.     ;) ;) ;)

[Ga Mtn Man]

I think he just got lucky. ;D

[woodmills1]

When I get an order for oak 2 or 1.5 material I edge the flitches on the mill, dropping an inch at a time.  It is surprizing how many stickers I get this way.  

[firefighter ontheside]

All great comments.  My dad will get less firewood, but great idea.

[firefighter ontheside]

I just stacked and stickered a red oak and used stickers made from the side lumber of the same log.  Now every time I mill a log, I'll make some sticks from it too.

[Peter Drouin]

Green on green wood will stain.

[firefighter ontheside]

Noted.  I wouldn't call it green.  I've had these logs for over a year.

[Peter Drouin]

Well then wet on wet will make mold, stain, rot, junk. What it dose to me.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Noted.  I wouldn't call it green.  I've had these logs for over a year.

I've had logs over 2-3 years and the MC be 30% on stickers from these logs.
Logs don't dry...lumber dries.

[firefighter ontheside]

Thanks guys.  I'll start cutting some more sticks so I have dry ones to use with green logs, however long they've been down.

[YellowHammer]

Stickers dry real fast, I've laid them out like carpets of noodles on the pavement in the summer and they would be baked dry in a few days.

Saw ahead, so there are dry stickers ready to be used for each job.  Good stickers make good wood.

There are few things more frustrating and shot in the foot costly than unstacking dried lumber only to see the dreaded zebra stripes. Sometimes, in some species, they will plane out.  Sometimes, they will not.