Whatcha Sawin' 2024 ??

[WV Sawmiller]

Lynn.

   I sure won't swear it is elm but I can't think of what else we have around here it could be. Elm may be deep rooted but remember we have a lot more rocks and shallower bedrock than you are seeing in Mississippi. This tree was on a steep slope and over a run off. I bet it was 15' above the ground in the middle. That is a tree that was about 12" at the stump and 60-80 feet tall. I wonder if the spalting at the stump could be a root rot indication too?

    Its a dense hardwood, smooth skinned, no bark. Not an oak, poplar, ash, beech, buckeye, maple or locust. Dark brown wood. Only others I could think of is sycamore or scaly bark hickory. I don't know what color sycamore turns when it is dead. There is very little moisture left in this log and no splitting/checking noted. No real heavy or distinct smell. Straight trunk with few limbs. It sawed good with a new resharpened 4 degree blade. As I said the wood looked a lot like chestnut I have resawed for customers but I highly doubt it is chestnut.

[TimW]

Doc,
I like the way you park the log over your containers and cut from your trailer.  Nice setup.

[Magicman]

Elm may be deep rooted but remember we have a lot more rocks and shallower bedrock than you are seeing in Mississippi.

Which is why I was always careful to note that I was only talking about Elm "here" and what I normally see. 

[WV Sawmiller]

   And I guess we had elm in N. Fla but I don't ever remember recognizing it as a kid growing up there.

[TimW]

Elms find the sewer lines faster than any other tree.
We had them where we lived when I was a kid.  I always helped Dad remove the tile sewer pipes and run a water hose into the line to find the roots, then we dug there. Run if the hose "turned" around and came back out at you.  Run I did.

[fluidpowerpro]

I am very familiar with elm. The place I grew up at had a lot of big elm trees. Can't say we were in the woods but we had quite a few in our yard (about 10 ) and we were well shaded in the summer.
In the late 70's dutch elm disease came through and we lost them all. Within a few years we went from a nice shaded property to an open yard.
Of course my dad put in a wood stove because we now had lots of wood to burn.
About that time I built my dad a log splitter that I still use to this day. The I beam still has a slight twist in it from splitting that elm. I have yet to find a nastier wood to split.
Another thing I remember about elm trees is that they are very dirty. They constantly shed tons of small twigs and the seeds in the spring were also a big nuisance.
I still have fond memories of growing up around elm and they are big and beautiful. I just wouldn't choose to have them in my yard.

[GAB]

Elms find the sewer lines faster than any other tree.
We had them where we lived when I was a kid.  I always helped Dad remove the tile sewer pipes and run a water hose into the line to find the roots, then we dug there. Run if the hose "turned" around and came back out at you.  Run I did.

I don't know what the order is, however I know willow and spruce are also up there.
GAB

[Wlmedley]

Loaded my deck up today with random logs I had laying different places that need sawn before long. Bark peeled off a couple poplar logs pretty easy so I peeled them.These will give me something to do for a day or two.

[WV Sawmiller]

Bill,

   That picture of the poplar with no bark shows the fluted areas common with poplar. IIRC Lind/Basswood will do pretty much the same thing.

[TimW]

I should have added............on our property.

[fluidpowerpro]

Recently was contacted by someone that makes reproduction cannons. He needed some red oak for a small naval cannon he is building. He said he would send me some pics when he has it done so I hope he does.

[Wlmedley]

Had rain all day today so I thought I would saw a couple ugly spruce logs.Didn't set any production record but got some nice straight boards.From now on I'm aiming for quality over quantity.Here's a few of them.

[Southside]

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Nice job. 

[beenthere]

Had rain all day today so I thought I would saw a couple ugly spruce logs.Didn't set any production record but got some nice straight boards.From now on I'm aiming for quality over quantity.Here's a few of them.

And board quality begins in the quality of the log.     
i.e. "can't get a silk purse out of a sows ear"

Your boards look great. 

[SawyerTed]

What am I sawing?  White oak and lots of it.  Seems like every customer has white oak that's "been down two or three years."  It's dry and hard to saw.    I've had three jobs in the last two weeks like this.  Two wanted trailer decking, one wanted 5/4, 6/4 and 8/4.   The last guy had a "tractor" to move logs, it was a Kubota BX series big lawnmower/TLB   

[Magicman]

Those rotten sapwood logs look like what I was into two weeks ago.  So much loss.

My tomorrow's job will be Oak, but thankfully I did not see rotten logs.  Water, Cherrybark, and Post Oak.  I have never met the customer and have no idea what the cut list will be.

[Wlmedley]

Ted, At least you won't have to worry about the grass getting high around your mill. 

[SawyerTed]

Lately, the mill moves 3 times a week if not more!  No grass has time to grow around it!    On the other hand mud, mud and more mud due to all the rain!

[TimW]

My neighbor asked me if they could drop a Water Oak tree onto my property.  I got about 12 foot length of 30 inch trunk before the huge limbs started.  What can it be used for?
 
 

[Magicman]

You said Water Oak which I see in the picture so I assume that you mislabeled it White Oak?  Those are unusually solid logs with no evidence of bacteria, etc.  Actually, very good.

Generally speaking, it will make anything for interior use such as furniture, etc. 

[caveman]

I would consider quartersawing that one at 5/4.

[Andries]

What caveman said times two.
Also, trim that butt end square and put anchor seal, or a log sealer of some kind of on both ends.
There's some mighty nice furniture lumber in there.

[Magicman]

My tomorrow's job will be Oak

Such as is very common when dealing with customers and their schedules, my tomorrow's job got moved to Wednesday.  There is some rain forecast for Thursday so if it pushes into two days, we will finish sawing next week or however it works out.

[TimW]

Yeah, I labeled the photos wrong when I was resizing them and in a hurry.

I am gonna cut it in a day or two.  Since it is over 12 foot and will be bucked shorter, won't it just be fine to not apply anything?  I will have them cut before any sealer gets here.

[SawyerTed]

The same forces that cause logs to crack cause boards to split...

Coat them either way.