Confused Sawyer

[leweee]

Randy check out the grading rules for construction lumber. This will give you a better idea of what makes the strongest lumber . minimum knot size,loose knots, spike knots.orientation of knots at edges etc. Hows that for fuzzifying the mudifacation


ps.two of my favourite quotes from old time sawyers"Wood will never lie to you....learn to read the wood" &" Just because you can saw a log into boards,doesn't mean your making lumber".

[Randy]

To answer the question-------I am Sawing Pine.

Just because you can saw a log into boards,doesn't mean your making lumber.

That is how I felt------I was sawing boards, but not making the BEST Lumber. I charged a customer almost $900 for sawing some lumber and ALOT of it was bowing and warping BAD off the mill, But as Tom, Arky and others said on here---If your customer ask for Just 2x4's and he has logs squaring 20 and 24"-you are going to have alot of unstable 2x4's---------Made me feel better to hear that from them.  I thought I was cutting them wrong----well I really was, but thats what the Customer wanted, But I didn't know enough about it to tell him what was probably going to happen, but I am sure he would have still wanted them 2x4's. Thanks Randy

[asy]

I guess you pro's are getting tired of my many questions!!

Some of us ain't pros but what I've noticed here is the pro's who are here never seem to get tired of answering questions.  To me that's the big thing that separates this forum from other's on the web.  The people here who don't mind sharing knowledge and even learning more themselves, and having a good time in doing so. This is sure a great place ain't it?

Ya know, it doesn't matter how much you know, you still don't know near enough.

That's what I find, anyway.

asy

[FeltzE]

The more I know... the more I know how little I really know...   


If you aren't going to cut with the growth rings centered on the lumber then stickering and stacking with the lumber kept straight through the drying process is very important.   If you doubt it pull some commercial lumber and throw it out in the rain for a couple days and see what happens.

As a contractor showed me years ago build with the crown up....

Proper positioning of your log for best results is important, cutting grade hardwoods you will be rotating the cant more looking to keep the knots oriented to the corners of the cant keeping the maximum clear space on your lumber. Making structural grade construction lumber minimize the knot size by keeping the knots oriented straight through the middle of the wide face of your lumber and minimizing the spike knots and large sweeping knots. Knots will normally then be oriented when possible straight out the middle of the face of the cant.

Eric

[smwwoody]

What kinf of pine is it?

[Randy]

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR ADVICE!!!!! I have been sawing for myself for several part-time days and my Wood piles looks so much better-------Alot straighter, alot more stable--------------I got  a couple of "old" piles that I would hate for a Good sawyer to see-----------------Any one need some porch rocker material , I got the rocker pieces:D------------I was about ready to sell the mill, but you Guys and Ladies helped me to get a better understanding on how to Take A Log Apart. I really Thank Some of you Guys that Took so much time with me on this topic!! I feel now that I can go out and cut for my customers and Give them alot better lumber for their money. Not a Pro, but more educated. Randy

[customsawyer]

This may not apply but one of the things I have learned is that if you are sawing logs that came off the edge of a field or any open area where the trees had other on one side and the open area on the other there will be alot of stress in those logs from growing torwards the open area/more sunlight all of there life. This kind of relates to what arky said crooked logs make crooked lumber. The only other thing that I might be able to share with you is to take notice where the heart is. In logs and in your self.

[Tex-saw]

I have found after cuting several mbf of pine framing lumber,to get almost perfect,straight and something easy to build with,I saw for thickness,usually 1/5/8",after it shrinks your at 1/1/2",saw as wide as you can,usually i have a target size,this should make 2 2x4 and 1 2x6 etc. then i roll it in the kiln and 3 days later i roll it out and run it through my edger,makeing straight pretty boards,sure some will bend a little as you release tension,but all are well usable,but cutting to size after dry makes the difference,sawing to sizes on the mill is ok but its more a crapshot. if you dont have a edger yous the mill works just as good,set a couple up ther make a trim cut on top to straighten them flip them over a start taking boards.