I bought these logs from a local home owner. I don't have a use for them right now, but want to saw them for later use. Was thinking about sawing into live edge planks and sticking them. What are your suggestions?
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Some people prefer brunette's, others red heads, me I prefer blonds...
Personally I hate live edged slabs. I rather trim the boards into a cant for storage, or saw the can'ts into boards. Unless you have an edger, then slabs that will fit through it work great.
You could make some Poston flower boxes and be the envy of your neighbors.
With the inside pieces you could make some live edge on one side and straight edge the other side pieces. These fit against a wall nicely. The possibilities are only limited by ones lack of imagination.
Gerald
If you have the tools to make tenon legs,
I'd take these aged logs and make rustic benches. Saw into 3 -4 inch slabs. You can stain some, or let them darken on their own.
You have hundred's of dollars in benches there.
I won't be making furniture out of them. I'm thinking about sawing them into 2 or 3" slabs, a size so I can resale later into 2x4's, boards or whatever,then store them to dry, until I find some that wants them, or use them myself. Just don't want to saw them into lumber right now.
When i don't know what to do with the log I have I cut them into the biggest
square cant that I can... I can always cut them again later.
Hard to make money (or even break even) competing with automated sawmills and big box stores on dimensional lumber. (Theirs is also kiln dried and planed.) There have been several sawmill "confessionals" about buying 2x4s etc.
Since you say you bought them and mention resale, I'll bet you don't want to sell lumber at a loss or sit on it forever. Best to make stuff you can get a better return on.
Personally, I also see benches or name signs for a yard. Whether you build them or sell the slabs to someone that does, that's one of the best returns. Especially since they look like they may be spalted.
Any wood bores in them logs yet?
If you get a good sticker job, and the logs and lumber behave, it may be a good idea to saw out live edge and especially if you are planing on resawing later, those should make some nice workable lumber once sized to dimensions, sticker good,,be sure to weight them down,
I found with hardwood cants, that it's better to saw it to the final product than to cut it into the biggest cant and let it sit. I had too much checking that reduced the quality of any boards. Sawing it into the final sizes right off, be it 1x, 2x or slabs, better to do it right up front. This will helps reduce checking.
If you saw them live edge, say 2" thick, then they can be stickered to start drying now, and should stay good, indefinitely if they are stored correctly. As opposed to leaving them in log form where they wont dry properly, and will probably stain / check / be eaten by bugs etc.
Then once dry you have to option to resaw them in dimensioned boards, or sell them as wide slabs, with or without the live edges. Some folks wont straight edges, some live, some with one live edge, and one straight.
You have the options either way.
Making 2x4s would be my last choice because they can be bought so cheap it's hardly worth the effort to saw them. But good 12 x 2s are actually worth money, a LOT more than three 2x4s.
But I guess it depends what your customers want.
from a home owner, was they yard trees?
Looks like a little blue stain, maybe some worm holes. I'd go live edge for benches, bar tops etc. Make sure you've got dry stickers, pine and sticker burn go hand and hand.
I'm with Ian on cutting into slabs and stickering. Can always edge them later if needed for framing or you can sell to others to make benches and such. I bought a tenon cutter and make live edge 2" mortise and tenon benches. I used to make them thicker but they were too heavy and 2" is plenty sturdy.
When I do saw stock I make it a little oversized and as big/wide as I can. I can always resaw a 2X12 into 2X6's or 2X4s or a 2x8 & a 2X4, etc. Like they say - You can always make them smaller.
I'm with Ian too, was kinda thinking that was what I was going to do.
Finally got those logs sawed. A big letdown tho, worms had ate into the outside 6" of each log, but was able to get some nice 2x 16's and 2 2x18 , and 4 2x6's from the center with no worm holes. All the boards and 2x4's are full of worm holes. Sawed them by myself, what a job! My left wrist and left elbow are feebly it know.
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worm hole wood can bring in big money...
Some people like the character of boards that have worm holes in them.It's like blue stained pine boards.If you call it blue denim pine designer types really go for it.
Kbeitz was faster on the trigger.