Whatcha Sawin' 2020 ??

[hersnsh#590]

FFOS:  A question for your spalting efforts.  Are you storing your "to be spalted" on the ground or are the logs up on bunks?  I'm trying to do the same with some maple, and I have it on bunks.  The more I think about it, and see what's spalted in the woods, I think I should have it on the ground,   in moister location, and in the sun.

Any thoughts from others?

Thanks
Dale

[Don P]

@WV Sawmiller ,I've never heard of a problem with insurance but it would be a good idea to check ahead of time. Not long ago here I saw work that would probably lead to a denial if there were ever a claim filed.

Back before the current codes I worked all over the country, very often I never saw an inspector, sometimes a banker, never an insurance agent unless I was building for him. Inspectors are all over the road, we still have a real mess but it is slowly improving. Nobody likes big brother but in places with tight competent inspections buildings do fare better in disasters. It ain't fun but steel sharpens steel.

When looking at plans you need to know species and grade not just a grade number like #2. Each species or species group will have different strength in #2 grade. The most common callout on plans is "#2 SPF or better". When spans get longer or loads get higher it might call for #2 DF or SYP or #1 or even SS in one of the stronger species. If you see something like that walk on those members, or talk here. When I substitute yellow poplar or another species I'll often check it on the awc.org span calc. The beauty of that is it from the same folks that created the codebook span tables and has many species built in to it. Back 30 years or so ago the codebook had tables in the back with all those species and grades listed and span charts. Sadly most inspectors are not that old, nor contractors. And yes, NH has THE best native lumber law, many states in the northeast have some form of one. I would like to see something along those lines adopted universally but it should include some amount of training, I've talked more than a few sawyers out of doing something out of ignorance. We don't know what we don't know, or as one inspector said "Bless his heart, he don't know how much he don't know"  :D. Until then it is a good idea to read the grading manual, especially the interpretations section to understand what grading is looking for while you are making lumber. There is a big difference between sawing logs and sawing lumber.

[doc henderson]

If mine sits for a year, on or off the ground, there is spalting.  i have not needed to do this and it is contrary to the bug precautions, but you can put it in an area where prev. logs spalted, or poss. put a light dusting of dirt from that area that should contain spores.

[Larry]

My experience with spalting is that it occurs from the outside and works inward.  When I try to spalt a log the outside sapwood is rot, than a few inches of good spalt, and finally the heart which is grey stained or just starting to spalt.

I have learned when I see a tree with a hollow spot that will hold water, the spalting is going to be great.  Far better than anything I try on purpose.  I've learned to keep an eye out for those trees!

[Water Dogs]

Blue stain is a sign of metal not in this popular . Fresh cut petty wood yard tree glad it didn't go to the dump .

[Southside]

@caveman You know you are sawing nasty pine when it's a "relief" to saw live oak. 

[caveman]

The slash pine sawed much easier and without having to use as much blade lube as the longleaf.  Sawing live oak is dang near sawmill abuse.  I did see a few sparks but thankfully no metal strikes.  

[firefighter ontheside]

FFOS:  A question for your spalting efforts.  Are you storing your "to be spalted" on the ground or are the logs up on bunks?  I'm trying to do the same with some maple, and I have it on bunks.  The more I think about it, and see what's spalted in the woods, I think I should have it on the ground,   in moister location, and in the sun.

Any thoughts from others?

Thanks
Dale

I have read about folks storing logs hoping for spalt in shady, wet places.  This log was sitting up on top of some other logs in full sun.  I'm not sure what would be best, but this seemed to spalt just fine with little effort.  I just got some other hackberry logs and I have place them in a shadier spot with some walnut logs on top and I'll see that they do in about a year and a half.  I feel like hackberry spalts more readily than maple.

[ladylake]

I really need to learn to recognize the different blades.  I think the 10 deg do best on my LT15, but I bought some 4 deg to try.  I put something brand new on the other day and I was not impressed.  It seemed slow, even in narrow wood.  I'm guessing it was a 4.

Over here 4° will saw slightly slower but straighter  for longer than a 10° blade. Probably  just as fast as a 10 as you can push them hard and saw straight.  Steve

[York Woodwright]

In response to FFOS's question about spalting... Woodturners sometimes use Miracle-Go to rapidly induce spalting, employing leaves to keep the surface of the log wet. I have used Miracle-Gro with maple and it works quickly. My notes on the full recipe (whose origins I know not) are:
3 parts dried leaves
1 part water
2 scoops Miracle-Gro
1 part fresh horse manure
1 bottle of beer
If possible, wrap the wood in plastic. I didn't bother with the horse manure (even though I raised cattle) and there are better uses for a bottle of good ale.
I hope you that whatever method you choose, you end up milling some beautifully spalted wood. Charles

[firefighter ontheside]

I will look for the blade guide Magicman.

That could be the case ladylake.  I only have 15 hp.  Maybe thats not enough to push that blade faster.

[firefighter ontheside]

I have lots of beer, goat poop, leaves, water, but no miracle gro.  

[caveman]

John and I have sawed live oak, slash pine, longleaf pine, cedar and cypress this week.  Monday we sawed up a few slash pine 2x4's to build another lumber rack to store dried lumber inside my shop.  We finished building the rack today.  We spent a lot more time moving junk than we did building the rack.

 

 

 

[WDH]

Very nice job on the racks. 

[teakwood]

Hi guys, i got a very good contract for a substantial amount of teak wood. almost half a house of beams, posts and whatever other piece out of wood, and the guy wants everything in teak. so all the effort and money spent on my sawmill shed and installation will be rewarded.

they want to start building in February and i need to fresh saw like a 1000 pieces of lumber. need to look for a kiln, which isn't that easy around here.

so my question is, do i need to end seal the lumber before sending to the kill or is that just for air drying so it won't crack?

[Southside]

I know nothing about teak but if it's a wood that's prone to end checking when air drying then I would seal it as the kiln will just accelerate the process.  If it's a serious issue then looking at log savers driven into the ends might be money well spent.  

[GAB]

Caveman:
From what little experience I have I would suggest putting something up to protect the windows.
However it is your window and if you desire experience changing it well then by all means go for it.
GAB

[caveman]

Gab, good call on the window. We should not have out windows in this shop. I have expanded metal on the outside. If I bust the glass, I'll pull a panel off a less noticeable area of the shop and cover the window opening. 
WDH, thanks for the comment. When we don't have to do our jobs every day, we can get some work done. Monday's are usually our recovery days based on our step count on our phones. 

[Dave Shepard]

Black locust sills.



 

[Kwill]

Milled my first pine today. I've milled oak and cedar and I think I prefer milling this pine over the other two. Milled nice. The tree made two 10ft logs and one 8 ft log. I got the biggest of the logs milled today. It made 7 nice 2x6x10. Im going to use them for a wood shed extension im building to get more dry fire wood out of the weather.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[btulloh]

Nic e lookin' 2x6's Kwill. Looks like a pretty good sized extension you're building for the wood shed. 

How'd the hay wagon top turn out?  Did I miss the final chapter on that?

[Kwill]

Nic e lookin' 2x6's Kwill. Looks like a pretty good sized extension you're building for the wood shed.

How'd the hay wagon top turn out?  Did I miss the final chapter on that?

Thanks. It turned out ok. Didnt care much for the oak boards I used for the deck. They twisted and warped some. I have had a chance to use it yet. Still have to get a couple new tires for it

[Magicman]

I made a 63 mile (one way) trip today to saw two Red Oak logs. 


 
A 16' X 26" butt log and an 11' second cut.


 
I decided to set up on the yard side of the logs and buck the 16' into two 8' for more yield for the customer since he did not need 16' lumber.  I would saw the butt end first and then skid/winch the other two into position for the sawmill loader.


 
And then a neighbor/friend showed up with two 6' ERC logs neither of which was over 8".  He wanted a mantel from one and 1" lumber from the other.


 
Everything was going as planned until...


 
Yup, nails which were about 4" below the bark and were probably driven in by the homebuilder hanging his sign.


 
The first skid.


 
And then the 11' is skidded into place.


 
Sawing complete and button up time.


 
The lumber, mostly 1X12's.  Some live edge and a couple of 2" slabs for benches, etc.  This was a minimum sawing job and the customer rounded the travel/setup up to $100, $300 for the sawing, $30 for the blade, and $100 tip.  It was a good day. 

I will be back to sawing SYP framing lumber tomorrow.

[Walnut Beast]

Nice winching Magicman. No excuses with you. You do what it takes anywhere and get the job done 👍👍

[Nebraska]

 

 

A little Red Cedar for  semi retired client. He had a nice  log for around here,  so
 I sawed it for him on Saturday. He wanted all live edge, he was pretty happy when he left.  His daughter is building a new house and wanted a four inch thick slab for a sign.  My dog was really fired up as he is holding a "stick"  and he just might throw it.....