sawing pine

uncle kenn · March 22, 2009, 08:05:43 AM

being really new at this wood sawing stuff, i would like to know if there is a best time of the year to mill pine. any thoughts out there? :P

bandmiller2 · March 22, 2009, 08:14:19 AM

Kenn,usally cooler weather is better, in the summer pine tends to blue stain too quickly.Look at some older posts alot written about blue stain.Pitch just grin and bear it.Frank C.

Don K · March 22, 2009, 09:34:35 AM

Blue stain doesn't hurt the wood. It can even start conversation when used in a application to show it off. If the pine is green oof the stump and right onto the mill, very little staining will occur. If you will be a week or so milling, cut your logs so that you can trim about 6 inches or so from each end. Will get you back to yellow wood. If the tree is dying on the stump there is very little you can do to stop the staining. It will happen no matter the time of the year.

Don

uncle kenn · March 22, 2009, 10:43:50 AM

Don, if i am waiting a couple of weeks to saw this pine, after i cut it down, should i seal the ends?

Dan_Shade · March 22, 2009, 10:45:46 AM

in warmer weather, pine will mold very easily if it doesn't get adequate airflow through the stack.

I've had pine boards mold overnight being deadstacked before :(

a bleach mixture sprayed on every layer tends to help, I use 1 part bleach, 2 parts water in a pump up garden sprayer.

Bill_G · March 22, 2009, 05:44:51 PM

It's usually muggy weather that you have to worry about, just get it on dry sticks with good air flow as soon as you saw it. It really does not help much to seal ends, better off to leave them longer and trim after they are dry.

Tom · March 22, 2009, 06:47:01 PM

Actually, pine has a natural sealant that hardwoods and most other conifers don't have. It's the sap that runs from the log. It seals the ends as good as any commercial product.

Being in the Upper Lower Peninsular of Michigan, you have a lot of cold weather to protect your logs that we don't have down here. A frozen log, or one in deep freeze, shouldn't mold or stain until the temperatures begin getting up into the 60's. I've heard that it takes 70 or better for the mold to thrive.

Saw it as quickly as you can get to it. Don't flat stack the green wood for more than two days or you will begin to see fungus growing between the boards. Mildew is about the worse thing you could get started in a stack of new boards. Quickly drying the outside of the boards will cut down on a lot of fungus problems.

SwampDonkey · March 22, 2009, 07:50:56 PM

White pine is tricky stuff, ya gotta be on top of the sawing, stickering, and drying. Funny though, a dead white pine will stand for decades out in the forest. :

There was a 45 inch white elm on the neighbor's lot that died 20 years ago and fell down and is mostly disintegrated into soil already. Amazing, sure don't take no 100 years for some trees. ;D

uncle kenn · March 24, 2009, 02:55:40 AM

Hey! Thanks to ya'all for the info on pine. If i haul it into the yard, can it wait a week or two before i mill it? Cutting and hauling will take some time and i have to get these trees while they are next to free, but don't want to go to all of that work if i am going to lose it while it lays in my yard.

thecfarm · March 24, 2009, 07:17:09 AM

I doubt keeping it at your place will bother it for a few weeks.The weather is still on your side.But even in July it would still be OK. When you do saw it,sticker it and cover just the top,not the sides,to dry it.Some steel roofing works best,I feel.Good luck with your sawing.I hope to be sawing when I get your age too.I take it this is your first time sawing?You mentioned free logs.Are these trees from someone yard,known to us as yard trees.Just worried about metal in the trees.Have fun with your Timber King.What do you plan on using all the lumber for?How many logs you getting?

redprospector · March 24, 2009, 08:03:23 PM

I'm sawing some Doug Fir right now that was cut 3 years ago. It's looking pretty good, a little rot just under the bark on a few log's but it's easy to saw around.
There's about 1000 bd. ft. of Ponderosa Pine that was cut at the same time. I'm hoping it dosen't have too much rot in it. It will be blue, but that's ok. People seem to like the "Blue Pine" around here.

Andy

ohsoloco · March 24, 2009, 08:50:44 PM

Sawing it this time of year while the humidity is low would be good to avoid mold when you stack it. I cut and promptly stickered some white pine in the middle of summer, and it started to mold in the stack.

I still have a white pine log waiting to be milled that was cut quite a few years ago. The boards look kinda cool after those big grubs make a snack of them ;D

uncle kenn · March 26, 2009, 12:02:49 AM

cfarm, free trees are from a guys forest management program. pine trees for me for cutting the trails through the woods. Don't know how many yet, he has 57 acres of trees. yes this will be my first time sawing. been around it a lot as a kid but never worked the mill, only skidded with the horses. i will use the pine to side a mill shed, first, then a drying/storage building. BIG plans for a guy my age but we all have our dreams 8) 8) ;D

bandmiller2 · March 26, 2009, 06:00:32 AM

Unkle Kenn,whats ideal and what we actually do are usally not the same.You get it and cut it when you can.For your use I wouldn't worry a little blue stain means squat.If you have pine logs you won't cut for a wile peel the bark and you can keep them for quite a wile in good shape off the ground with good air.