Sawing Cherry Lumber

POSTON WIDEHEAD · February 29, 2012, 04:32:18 PM

When I first started sawing MY lumber to sell last year, I would saw 4/4, 5/4. etc. and stack and sticker. A customer would come by and buy all my 4/4 lumber and say, " if the rest of it was this thickness, I would buy it all".
So I got smart. On my "high dollar" lumber such as Walnut and Cherry, I now mill the tree into a cant. I just finished a storage shed just for cants. I can now store cants in sizes of 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10 inch and up to 12 foot long. Now, when a customer comes by he can choose his cant. I take the 555c and slide the cant out of the shed and gently lay it on the mill. Now the customer can have his lumber milled in any order he likes. This method saves on space also.
Here is a cherry cant I milled this afternoon. The LT 40 sure puts some smooth faces on these cants!

Oh, and my shed floor is built of White Oak floor joists, Pine flooring and Sweetgum siding.

beenthere · February 29, 2012, 04:40:18 PM

David
What do you do with the high quality wood that is removed from the cants?

And how do you keep the surfaces of the cants from checking while in storage, reducing any high quality on the four faces?

Peter Drouin · February 29, 2012, 04:57:08 PM

Nice shed you have there and mill shed too, good job

POSTON WIDEHEAD · February 29, 2012, 04:57:57 PM

Quote from: beenthere on February 29, 2012, 04:40:18 PM
David
What do you do with the high quality wood that is removed from the cants?

And how do you keep the surfaces of the cants from checking while in storage, reducing any high quality on the four faces?

The good cherry wood that are on the slabs, I remove with the skill saw and clean it up with the table saw. I get a bunch of wood that may only be 1 inch thick and 4 inches wide. It sells too.

On your second question about the CHECKING.....well..... :D.....good question. I will paint the ends of the cants and I honestly DON'T know about the 4 faces. Any suggestions? Thanks BT.

inspectorwoody · February 29, 2012, 05:47:20 PM

I think you'll be farther ahead if you leave the log whole and cut to order.

Those cants start drying out and your going to lose to money.

We only saw 4 days a week so when we go back on Monday, there are usually some faces that have dried out enough that the grade of the board has degraded because of the checking.

Hate to see you throw away some beautiful wood.

POSTON WIDEHEAD · February 29, 2012, 06:02:00 PM

I have thought about taking whole cants to the kiln drier. There are 2 of them 30 miles away. Then just raising my price to cover my drying cost plus travel.

Or let me ask it this way.....take the whole cant to the kiln or mill it and take the boards to the kiln? Can a cant be kiln dried enough to saw boards later?

red oaks lumber · February 29, 2012, 06:35:49 PM

david
saw your lumber, air dry or kiln dry. dont mess with storing cants or trying to dry cants. the loss from degrade will kill you. ;)

inspectorwoody · February 29, 2012, 06:47:53 PM

Agree with Red Oaks.

Have you thought about buying some lumber whole sale and keeping it on hand for retail?

Or something along those lines.

So many other "safe" options to accomplish what you are after.

Nice shed by the way.

Quebecnewf · February 29, 2012, 07:04:30 PM

You can't store cants or at least not in the way you are planing. You also can not dry cants in the way you want.

Keep it in log form and then saw as the customer orders it .

Quebecnewf

POSTON WIDEHEAD · February 29, 2012, 07:22:47 PM

OK GUYS........

I GIVE UP! :D :D

I guess you'll never learn if ya don't ask questions. Thought I had a good idea.....but

.....but it come back to bite me.

I have to be honest....I did not know that it's not a good idea to store cants. I am truly glad I posted before I got myself into a mess!
That's what the FF is for, to help each other and I appreciate all your help on this matter. I will go back tomorrow and mill the cants into 4/4 boards, stack and sticker. I'm just glad I sawed 1 tree today.

Thanks to all of you again.....now I'll crawl under the porch and lick my wounds. 8)

Peter Drouin · February 29, 2012, 07:44:30 PM

still a nice shed david :D

POSTON WIDEHEAD · February 29, 2012, 07:46:45 PM

Quote from: Peter Drouin on February 29, 2012, 07:44:30 PM
still a nice shed david :D

You're funny Peter....at least something good came out of my post. :D :D :D :D

By the way Peter, did you see me shed? :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

inspectorwoody · February 29, 2012, 07:48:11 PM

QuoteI guess you'll never learn if ya don't ask questions.

Your exactly right.

We just had to quick jump in and save you from a big ol' mess you would be kicking yourself for later. :D

Now you can post some pictures of that nice Cherry lumber you'll be making.

Magicman · February 29, 2012, 07:48:54 PM

I like the shed.

POSTON WIDEHEAD · February 29, 2012, 07:51:51 PM

Ya'll have literally got me laughing so hard right now, I'm crying!

I thought I had came up with a good idea and BAM.....ya'll jumped on me like a pack of dogs! smiley_deadheader alligator :D :D :D :D

But I love all ya'll.....but I am rolling! Ya'll set me straight and I'm gonna listen to ya!

Lumber....yes lumber pics to come!

red oaks lumber · February 29, 2012, 08:06:25 PM

now if we can save ya from eating grits ;D

POSTON WIDEHEAD · February 29, 2012, 08:07:42 PM

Quote from: red oaks lumber on February 29, 2012, 08:06:25 PM
now if we can save ya from eating grits ;D

Thats all I CAN eat now......ya'll done knocked my teeth out! :D :D :D

Peter Drouin · February 29, 2012, 08:09:03 PM

Well that cant thing does work david on the w pine ill keep logs as long as I can. then they will start to blue stain and Ill cut them to an over size cant and cut later. It does help save the log

cypresskayaksllc · February 29, 2012, 09:08:48 PM

you could just cut all your lumber 1/4". Then if a customer wants 4/4 you can glue 4 together. Say another customer wants some 5/4 and some 8/4, get your wood glue out. One size fits all.

WDH · February 29, 2012, 10:11:49 PM

It is really a great cant shed! Unfortunately you can't use it for cants :D. It is still a great shed, even if you do not have any teeth left :D.

colinofthewoods · February 29, 2012, 10:58:09 PM

Anyone know if soft wood cants will degrade to the same degree as hardwood ?

I was planning on storing western red cedar and doug fir cants to saw later, but maybe thats not a good idea either ? any thoughts ?

Bill Gaiche · February 29, 2012, 11:00:38 PM

You really did have a good idea, and I would bet that it has been somebody elses good idea. Only thing is all those that have tried it and it didnt work and now they are giving you there experiences. Isnt it great that there is a FF to help us when we need it. I too like your shed and it will hold all that stickered lumber just fine. bg

Okrafarmer · February 29, 2012, 11:25:25 PM

I think with certain kinds of wood and in certain climates that can work. But cherry seems to be one of the most finicky species of the 150+ species found in South Carolina. I've had pretty poor luck with it. From now on, I hope to mill it and deliver it to the kiln withing 24 hours and let the people with experience do what's best for it. I really think that, especially for cherry, kiln drying is the primary way to go, and the quicker the better. Cherry boards can be air-dried, but you better do it right and it seems like the kiln is a more sure way of doing things, as long as the kiln operator knows what they are doing.