The Forestry Forum

Had New Year Day off from work with nothing planned.  Have not run the mill in a couple weeks so thought I would have some fun and open up a big white oak log with character and see what I might find rather than milling fence boards, siding, or structural lumber from nice uniform logs.  Even with taking time to study the log I ended up butchering it.  Boards of all varying thicknesses and widths, a 6 x 6 column off center to the pith, and lots of scrap. Nice looking wood but do not know what I will do with it.  

Designer firewood? 🤓

No pictures ..... didn't happen ....

I butchered a 30" pine, yesterday.  The goal was 2x6's.  I was correct to anticipate pitch build up problems and a diving blade since one side of the log was diseased.  I did not have the option of starting cuts from the top of the log.  So I planned on over sized cants.  As expected, I got some wavy 7 inch cants, despite lubing with some diesel and a fresh resharp blade. The cants were milled to 2x7's, which were edged four at a time to 2x6's.  A lot of work and time working alone but the effort yielded twenty-six straight and true boards.  

I made a mess, but created an opportunity to fix it.   :D

I had a 37" large end X 16' with Jeffery pine log a while back. Log had about 2" of taper so I raised the toe board an inch on the first two cuts. But didn't lower them. I had some long wedges. And 3 less 4 X 10's than I should have had

One of these days I am going to put together a little micro switch / LED combo to serve as an idiot light for those toe rollers, maybe a nice bright strobe light for when they are up, me being the idiot in need. Even a prox switch would work.  I have also looked at the clamp and tried to come up with a micro switch that would light up when the clamp was under an inch up, but not all the way down, so you don't have to worry about hearing the "zing" on the last cut.  With the 70 clamp is even more of a dangerous guessing game.