Studying Up on Log Layout Prior receiving HD35

widetrackman · October 11, 2020, 01:10:41 AM

Been lurking on the forum prior to receiving my Mill and I am as green as a gourd. There's a lot to be known on how to mill logs from the discussions I am reading about; different sizes logs being cut different for quantity or grade. That being said I think I need a few books to get me started. Any of you guys have any suggestions on books I need or have some you would like to sale. Thanks

Magicman · October 11, 2020, 07:42:13 AM

Every log is an individual unto itself depending upon how/where it grew, it's competition during growth, etc, etc, etc. Books could give you a general setup idea with a perfect log.

Wood-Mizer has a series of videos. I would also request the operating/service/alignment manuals to be studying.

WDH · October 11, 2020, 07:47:43 AM

https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Wood-Craftsmans-Guide-Technology/dp/1561583588

Understanding Wood by Bruce Hoadly. Not about logs but about wood. It is best to understand wood to know how to saw a log and understand the properties of wood and how it will act. I consider this background learning for sawing.

widetrackman · October 11, 2020, 09:18:06 PM

Quote from: Magicman on October 11, 2020, 07:42:13 AM
Every log is an individual unto itself depending upon how/where it grew, it's competition during growth, etc, etc, etc. Books could give you a general setup idea with a perfect log.

Wood-Mizer has a series of videos. I would also request the operating/service/alignment manuals to be studying.

Are the videos on youtube? How do you find them? is there a list somewhere? Also do the operating/service/alignment manuals come with the Mill or purchased separately? Thanks

Magicman · October 12, 2020, 08:28:09 AM

All of the manuals should come with the sawmill. I would give Wood-Mizer a call and see if they can be shipped to you beforehand, and also if the CD/Video packet is still available.

Scroll to the bottom of the Wood-Mizer home page and find additional links: Portable Sawmills and Wood Processing Equipment | Wood-Mizer USA

alan gage · October 12, 2020, 09:21:31 AM

There certainly is a lot to learn.

I enjoy reading and always buy multiple books anytime I want to learn something. But for studying ahead of time before I got my sawmill I just read here, a lot. There is tons of great information hidden away in the archives and by following your nose you'll come across a lot of great stuff. Make sure to save informative posts as you come across them in the archives so you can easily access them later. The more you learn the more sense they'll make and you should refer back to them now again. And once you start sawing they'll really start to make sense.

Alan

WV Sawmiller · October 12, 2020, 10:35:26 AM

The best information I suspect you will find is right here. I found this forum after I ordered my mill and read all this thread while waiting. It covered the topics of how to position a log to compensate for sweep, heart/pitch checks, stress, etc. It also had business info like business cards, contracts, billing options, incorporating or not, insurance, etc. There are many, many short cuts and time and back saving suggestions. One great thing about this forum is it is evergreen and changing with the times rather than static like a book. If you don't understand a statement or process in a book you are out of luck. Here you can write the poster and he and other members can explain it in more detail and maybe even add pictures and drawings as needed and in some cases, invite you over to watch. You can't get that out of a book. Good luck.

scsmith42 · October 12, 2020, 11:43:14 AM

Lots of good info here on the FF.

As far as books are concerned, one of best publications is "Sawing, Edging, and Trimming Hardwood Lumber. Putting Theory Into Practice" by Joe Denig and Gene Wengert.

The USDA has a lot of technical manuals, but the book above is comprehensive and easier reading.

Brad_bb · October 12, 2020, 08:29:07 PM

You can only absorb so much information at a time. I think experience is the best teacher. This forum is a close second. It will take you a year or two to get comfortable. But that should not make you nervous to start. Many times you want to level to pith. But sometimes you can't, or they may be reasons you don't. That must be learned from experience. I can tell you that at first you'll take forever and too much worrying trying to level. You will get much faster as time goes on. You will also learn where you need to measure and where you don't. With more experience you'll do less measuring. If you're milling a pretty clear log with One or a few branch knots, try to center than nights in a face. Bark will dial your bands faster and they can hold sand or stones. It's preferable to remove bark where your cuts going to be. Your first cut into a log is the most important. Take too much and you can't put it back. You can be a little more conservative at first.

Southside · October 12, 2020, 11:37:39 PM

Everyone learns differently. It drives my wife crazy how slowly and repeatedly I have to read to comprehend something, but if I can see it happen and touch it then I have it down in a heartbeat.

When it comes to sawing lumber the number of unique situations you will see are only limited by the amount of times you stick a revolving piece of metal into a piece of wood. It's literally endless. Books will give you a good start, but realize it is being explained by one person from their perspective and ability to communicate that information. The forum here would be akin to thousands of authors writing how to books, adding chapters every day. Scan and read the posts here.

Take the lessons you learn here and from books and use them as a rough guide then watch what you are doing as you begin to saw. Start with low value wood - find some cheap pine and practice with that - leave that nice walnut log you are drooling over to the side for a while. You will see that what happens right at the saw might not be what is happening a month or two later as your lumber begins to dry. Try to recall what things looked like as a log, lumber, etc. Learn to read sap wood and heart wood, watch what even small knots will do to move lumber. See how an off set pith will cause a 6" cant to bow right on the mill. Look for signs of grown over limbs in what otherwise appears to be a clean log.

You will begin to look at logs differently. What was a "nice log" in the past or a "really nice tree" when it was standing can look drastically different lying on the bed of your mill. When you watch the lumber curl into a potato chip as you saw through that log suddenly your definition of nice timber changes just a tad. Only experience will help you when faced with some of these situation, sometimes you can overcome them, other times there is nothing you can do other than chalk it up to lessons learned and maybe find an alternative use for the designer firewood you have just created.

Happy sawing!!!

Rhodemont · October 13, 2020, 12:54:22 PM

Learn how to care for your machine and be safe first of all.
I did a lot of reading before my mill arrived. 5 years later as I get more experienced I still find myself thinking "That is why they said that". A lot of what I read did not mean anything at the time but when I run into the same situation it now does and sticks with me.

alan gage · October 13, 2020, 02:27:17 PM

Quote from: Rhodemont on October 13, 2020, 12:54:22 PM

I did a lot of reading before my mill arrived. 5 years later as I get more experienced I still find myself thinking "That is why they said that". A lot of what I read did not mean anything at the time but when I run into the same situation it now does and sticks with me.

Exactly!
Alan

SawyerTed · October 13, 2020, 09:09:22 PM

Read, ask questions, Saw, dry lumber, check results, decide how to do better next time.
Repeat.

YellowHammer · October 13, 2020, 10:55:42 PM

There are maybe three (thousand) major skills that come to mind, that any sawyer should know and learn. It's like a Chef Ramsey says, he can tell how good a cook is by simply watching them fry an egg.

I'd concentrate in these things:

Cutting consistent, well done dimensional lumber is a very important and fundamental skill, especially if having to do it against a cut list. You'd be surprised how difficult it is, working both the log and the setworks to get what you want at a reasonable pace.

Sawing for consistent "mill run" production yield and grade. A good mill sawyer can turn good logs into good lumber, and hit yield, fast. It's harder than it sounds.

The third major skill is sawing for very high quality. It's somewhat like trimming a steak to get the best meat, and knowing what to cut or leave on makes all the difference in the world.

You should have a good working knowledge of the NHLA rules, and be able to look at a board and grade it. How else will you know if the wood you are producing meets basic specifications? You have to know the rules and language of the profession.

Here is a pretty cool video, I've watched it a hundred times, sure it's just a guy sawing, but watch how the sawyer manipulates the cant, watch when he does his rotations, watch him box the heart. Figure out what his is doing, and why. It may look like he has no pattern but he does. At some point you'll see it clear as day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8nyrP8bclI