Whatcha Sawin' 2024 ??

WV Sawmiller · February 06, 2024, 10:17:20 AM

Ted,

Good looking logs.

I did a workshop for the USDA/Forestry folks a few years back and the forester told the crowd that Tulip poplar is comparable in strength to Southern Yellow pine for framing and such.

Don't let it touch the ground though as it rots real quick. I have a barn built from it and the siding that is 3" above ground is as solid as the day I built it 15-20 years ago. On the high side where I let it touch the ground it rotted within 2 years.

The one log I sawed yesterday in the previous post returned the following 4/4 boards:

4- 1X14X12
15- 1X12X12
4-1X10 X12
1-1X8X12
1- 1X6X12

Wlmedley · February 06, 2024, 10:55:12 AM

I've sawn quite a bit of tulip poplar and like others found it saws really good into 1" sheeting.Seems to stay flat and straight.As far as framing lumber I've had various results.It may be my lack of experience but 2"x4"s,2"x6"s seem to want to bow and I've started cutting them oversize in width and drying awhile and then re-sawing to get straight.I mostly use pine for framing lumber now.Just wondering if others have the same problem.

Magicman · February 06, 2024, 11:09:34 AM

Tulip Poplar is probably my most favorite Species to saw for all of the reasons that
Ted described above.

beenthere · February 06, 2024, 11:19:23 AM

Quote from: Wlmedley on February 06, 2024, 10:55:12 AMI've sawn quite a bit of tulip poplar and like others found it saws really good into 1" sheeting.Seems to stay flat and straight.As far as framing lumber I've had various results.It may be my lack of experience but 2"x4"s,2"x6"s seem to want to bow and I've started cutting them oversize in width and drying awhile and then re-sawing to get straight.I mostly use pine for framing lumber now.Just wondering if others have the same problem.

There have been studies to overcome the dimension (2x ) cut from Tulip poplar, where 2" flitches are sawn, then dried before ripping into the dimension width (4, 6, 8"). Done to overcome the growth stresses and drying stresses in tulip. Referred to as SDR (saw, dry, rip).

https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/documnts/pdf1985/maegl85b.pdf

Magicman · February 06, 2024, 12:42:05 PM

I don't recall ever sawing Poplar framing lumber. It's mostly 1X12's and 1X4's for board and batten siding. If it's for wall paneling it will be 1X8's.

A nice Poplar job.

One day's stickered lumber with fans to circulate the air. If I remember correctly, this job was entirely 1X8's. I did not get a picture of the entire job's lumber.
LINK

I noticed from my narrative that 10 years ago I was nearly 100% using 10º blades. Now I am 100% using Turbo 7's.

Don P · February 06, 2024, 04:53:19 PM

It is not as strong as SYP but it is in the lumber calc in the toolbox. I've framed several houses with it and as beenthere noted, use the SDR method. It does not appear in the heavy timber tables and I suspect it is the heavy checking it does as a timber. Watch horizontal shear and one engineer told me to be aware that it does not give warning the way longer fibered wood does. I do borate all of it or sapwood becomes riddled with ppb's as fast as it rots in ground contact.

I'm parroting what the smart people say. When we lost the chestnut it became the largest eastern tree. I have laid on a stump, at almost ground level, with room to spare. The NC champion was ~6' dbh IIRC. Often if you find yourself in a stand you are in what was an old chestnut stand.

It is one of my "go to" woods. In the cabinet shop we had a very good finishing man, he could fool you more with poplar than about anything.

SawyerTed · February 06, 2024, 05:28:04 PM

In the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest there are several old growth poplars 9' feet in diameter and over 27' in circumference. They approach 200 feet tall maybe more if wind damage hadn't "topped" them.

The JKMF is a tract of old growth that has never been timbered. The timber company just never got around to it. It eventually wasn't cost effective to cut it. The tract got donated to the Nantahala National Forest.

There are maples, beech, sycamore, oaks, hemlock and poplar in the tract.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/null/recarea/?recid=48920&actid=70

slider · February 06, 2024, 08:16:26 PM

The only problem with popular for inside paneling is over time it gets darker .

caveman · February 06, 2024, 08:29:21 PM

JMoore and I sawed 60, 1x6x16's this evening after work. We have 10 2x6's to finish the order but we ran out of daylight tonight. The wind was from the north, so I was not eating sawdust and the edger created some smiles for us at about the time darkness set in. I despise edging on the mill. I did not take time for pictures. These were good logs and they had very few knots. They were all slash pine.

Wlmedley · February 06, 2024, 08:32:00 PM

My sawmill shed is all poplar.It has gotten quite a bit darker but the boring bees don't like it.

Magicman · February 06, 2024, 10:48:57 PM

Quote from: slider on February 06, 2024, 08:16:26 PMThe only problem with popular for inside paneling is over time it gets darker .

Left unfinished, yes. We have a Poplar V-Groove ceiling that we finished with MINWAX Whitewash Pickling stain.

It has held up quite nicely. Of course also it is not subject to direct sunlight.

barbender · February 06, 2024, 11:01:15 PM

Aspen can have a lot of tension in it.

Magic, I'm set up outside. Under the stars in that pic☺️ I talk about building a saw shed all the time, but I'm starting to doubt I'll ever do it🤷 The sawdust is pushed into a big pile that I don't know what to do with, just outside the picture. Oh, it wasn't cold. At least not to me, in northern MN in February. It was right around freezing.

Magicman · February 07, 2024, 07:28:30 AM

OK, you have adequate sawdust pushing room. ;)

I am also set up outside 100% of the time, except in different locations for each sawing job. I am headed out to saw a "one log" job this morning. A blown over Pecan that will probably all be live edge.

Magicman · February 07, 2024, 07:42:28 PM

Here is the fallen Pecan tree that my customer wanted sawed. A look determined that with the limbs on the top end, this would only make one 8' log. There was no log handling equipment available soooo:

I used the Magic Hook and truck to adjust the log for sawing before I moved the sawmill to the log.

It was 36" on both ends with bulges between but the cantilever sawmill easily handled it.

I took 6/4 live edge side lumber off until I had a 20" centered cant. I then took 6/4 slabs until I neared the pith and then took four 4/4X20" center cuts. I then turned the remaining cant and sawed it 5/4 with one 2 1/4" mantel.

The 6/4 & 5/4 lumber and mantel.

Oval cookies from some of the limbs. Yes, that is Water Oak on the far right.

The minimum rate job sawed in 4 hours which included my chainsawing time.

If the weather (rain) holds off I will be sawing SYP Friday & Saturday.

Don P · February 07, 2024, 08:20:12 PM

That is pretty wood.
Another Chamber of Commerce day, we must have hit 60 today.
This is where we are set up sawing EWP. It's a little snug. We've pulled the rails off the swingblade and walked them and the carriage left so I could clear the slab pile beyond it. The dropoff behind it is about 60' above where I had the dozer parked on the knob in the dirtwork thread. I had moved another pallet of 1x12's like the one behind the dozer at this point. We're getting some good siding.

The tree that died and instigated this had already turned blue. We got some good out of it and enough for about 8 pallets, I've made 4 so far.

Magicman · February 07, 2024, 08:34:02 PM

Snug or not, that is a spectacular sawing location.

longtime lurker · February 08, 2024, 06:36:16 AM

Light was nice coming back up from the waste fire this evening. I'd say something about fall.colours but it's the guts of the wet season and the pretty yellow is courtesy of Monsanto.

cutterboy · February 08, 2024, 07:08:44 AM

Magic, a lot of lumber from one log and very nice looking lumber at that. Pecan like hickory is dense wood, did your blades cut well on those wide cuts?

caveman · February 08, 2024, 01:05:38 PM

I grabbed what looked to be a pretty good slash pine log yesterday afternoon to get 10 2x6's out of to finish the order. The heart was centered and the board out of the middle of the cant had the pith centered up and down and left to right. This log had other ideas. As I was sawing it it (Tom) showed a bit of stress, so I flipped it a few times to try to relieve it as I made my way towards the cant. On one cut after it had become a cant, a board nearly hit me when the blade came out of the cut. In the bottom picture, you can see it over on the left. After that one, I had to put a block on what was left of the cant to get it to clamp to the mill, make a skim cut, flip and salvage a very good 2x6.

Magicman · February 08, 2024, 01:39:52 PM

Quote from: cutterboy on February 08, 2024, 07:08:44 AMPecan like hickory is dense wood, did your blades cut well on those wide cuts?

Yes, the Turbo 7 blade sawed as expected. It had only been a few days since this tree fell so it was fresh.

WV Sawmiller · February 08, 2024, 06:45:48 PM

Cavey,

I saw that picture and thought you were sawing gunnels for a canoe or something!

Resonator · February 08, 2024, 07:12:14 PM

Or a mighty big rockin' chair. :rocking_in_chair_with_shotgun
When life gives Magic lemons, he makes Pecan cookies.

Magicman · February 08, 2024, 07:35:05 PM

But Magic ain't making nuttin tomorrow. Rained out again. :-\

Wlmedley · February 08, 2024, 07:46:06 PM

Ground has dried up enough to load my log deck. I've got two hemlock and two spruce. All are pretty rough looking but are from trees I planted myself years ago and got to big being they were close to the house. I've never cut either species and don't have particular use for them. Any suggestions on what wood is best for?