New to the forum - Question on end checking/slitting

Arkansas Chris · September 03, 2013, 11:57:38 PM

As a newbie to the FF, I just wanted to reiterate what has been said many times...this is a great forum! I've never visited any other that was as informative, nor as courteous, as the FF. Too often, forums are full of people trying to be clever (generally with too much time on their hands), and usually at the expense of those that are only looking for good advice. From all that I've seen on this forum, you folks are way above all that...and much to the benefit of the average person just looking to learn from others. Thank you!

So, for my first question on the forum. On seasoned logs (or those that were recently felled but were standing dead for several months), is it best to cut the end splitting out of the board shortly after milling and before drying, or allow the boards to dry first? Since I'm specifically wondering about a bunch of partially dead hickory I've recently cut...does it even matter given the species?

Forgive me if there is another post on the subject, but I haven't come across it yet if there is.

Seaman · September 04, 2013, 06:46:07 AM

Welcome! Glad you like it here.
I cut the end of the log off with the chainsaw if it shows checking, then coat it with Anchor seal. Hope this helps.
Frank

thecfarm · September 04, 2013, 06:47:19 AM

Arkansas Chris,welcome to the forum. How long have you been sawing? What's all the lumber being used for?

Magicman · September 04, 2013, 07:06:31 AM

Hello Chris, and Welcome to the Forestry Forum.

nk14zp · September 04, 2013, 07:08:51 AM

Welcome to the forum.

dboyt · September 04, 2013, 07:39:38 AM

Chris, welcome to the forum. I do pretty much what Seaman recommends on the better logs. If you click on the search button at the top of the page, and type in "end checking" for a search, you'll come up with 17 pages of comments. A lot of people have reported good results using latex paint (any color). Keep us posted on how things are going.

WDH · September 04, 2013, 07:40:59 AM

I agree with Frank. And, the anchorseal is well worth the cost.

Dave, have you used latex paint? I found it to be much less effective than anchorseal.

Arkansas Chris · September 04, 2013, 08:44:15 AM

Thanks for all the welcomes! I've only been sawing for about a month. We're hoping to start building a house this fall, so the potential to provide for some of our lumber needs was the perfect leverage with my bride to finally purchase a sawmill. I hope to use some for counter tops (6/4) and potentially to ship lap 1" nominal stock for horizontal paneling (I would love to have as little sheetrock in the house as possible).

I had read some of the great posts about ways to prevent checking/end splitting initially on cutting the logs. Although I didn't have immediate access to Anchorseal, I did try the latex paint method. However, one or two coats didn't seem to be enough. I apologize that my initial post wasn't all that clear, but I was wondering if there's a way to minimize further splitting if it's still there after the initial butt end trim, but that wasn't apparent until after the board came of the mill? I guess I'm asking if it's worth the time to trim the board well above the crack and reseal with some sort of coating before putting it in the solar kiln, or is the split about as bad as it's going to get at that point?

Deese · September 04, 2013, 08:54:23 AM

Welcome to FF Chris

I am new to the world of sawmilling as well. I bought 5 gallons of anchorseal and used it on a few logs the other day. It rained yesterday afternoon and you could see the water just "beading up" on the logs ends. Works Great. However,I realize your question is about minimizing splitting once it has started. I would think the only thing to do would be to trim the end of the board to eliminate it. But like I said, I'm just starting the long journey on the 'ole learning curve. ;D

I'm sure help will arrive soon.

justallan1 · September 04, 2013, 09:11:21 AM

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Chris.

PC-Urban-Sawyer · September 04, 2013, 09:32:40 AM

Chris,

I didn't seal the ends of my logs (cypress and sycamore) when got the logs. There was some checking while the logs waited for milling (about three years). I got a small amount of additional end checking once the logs were milled, but it was minimal. I think if I'd tried to cut off the endchecking before finishing drying that I would have lost a lot of potentially useful lumber.

Good Luck!

BTW, the Official Forum Rule says "If there's no photos, it didn't happen!"

Herb

Chuck White · September 04, 2013, 09:38:45 AM

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Chris.

dboyt · September 04, 2013, 10:22:46 AM

Quote from: WDH on September 04, 2013, 07:40:59 AM
I agree with Frank. And, the anchorseal is well worth the cost.

Dave, have you used latex paint? I found it to be much less effective than anchorseal.

No I haven't tried latex myself, just Anchorseal. If the log is worth protecting the cost is a small issue. But if I had a log and no Anchorseal, I would use latex.

Once the splitting has started in the log, there isn't much point in using an end coating, since the splits will continue. I would just mill the logs as soon as possible, and not cut off the ends. One of the issues of cutting the log ends is, if the sawmill requires an 8'4" log to clamp it down and you trim back shorter than that, You can't mill it. If possible, mill the log so that the worst split is oriented parallel to the saw blade. That puts the most possible defect in the fewest boards. It would help to trim and end seal the boards after milling, though.

mesquite buckeye · September 04, 2013, 12:48:28 PM

I wish I could get an 8' log. ;D

Welcome to the Forestry Forum. If the ends are already checked, I would leave them, as they offer protection to the wood below the checks, since the extra wood will slow the loss of moisture out of the ends of the boards. End grain loses water way faster than side grain. You can always trim them up later. Standing dead trees, especially with loose bark have already lost a lot of their moisture, so typically they have already cracked from the outside in. That won't go away. Just do your best to confine the cracks to a few boards by lining up the log with the crack parallel to the blade line.

Partially dried trees aren't going to move all that much more, other than redistributing internal stresses. I wouldn't waste effort coating such logs.

Also, I'm not all that crazy about wax based products. If you don't kiln dry your lumber, the wax is still there and you have to trim the ends to get rid of the wax or you will gum up your planer. I like to use the white roof coating material when I coat logs. It dries sort of rubbery and not sticky like wax can be, at least here where it is often pretty hot.

ddcuning · September 04, 2013, 02:24:08 PM

Welcome to the forum Chris!

I have used latex paint and also tried Kilz primer. I could have painted a house with as many coats as I put on it. It helped, but I still had some checking.

Dave C

customsawyer · September 04, 2013, 07:34:19 PM

Welcome to the forum. I have family over in Magazine, Arkansas. If the logs have already end checked I wouldn't worry about them much. I would worry more that they are hickory than anything else. Hickory is the

Arkansas Chris · September 04, 2013, 08:52:03 PM

Thanks for all the great feedback! I'll keep y'all posted on how the hickory turns out...and hopefully with pictures of a couple of counter tops.

GAmillworker · September 04, 2013, 08:57:50 PM

Welcome to FF. As stated by others I also would not cut them any further. Just dry in your kiln and deal with it when milling later. Also if you haven't cut the logs yet just try to line up the crack parallel to the saw blade so as to keep the defect in one or two boards.