Whatcha Sawin' 2020 ??

[trimguy]

Is that boxelder? I guess the red is caused by somekind of fungus? so what happens to the red, does it turn brown or black or .... ?

[Magicman]

Box Elder

[boonesyard]

We cut a lot of boxelder, the red will turn to pink and stay if it's kept inside and out of the sun. 

[boonesyard]

I think MM is on target, but most edge trees show a little crook where they start following the sunny side of the edge, their canopy gets heavier on that side, they crook a little and then straighten back up.  However, this tree was very straight from bell to first fork.  The pith was off center, qnd it definately has some twist to it, also.  So maybe between all those factors, it was a doomed log.  It's also odd that even when I was sawing it, the cracks would not propagate to either end,  but would twist off to the edge about 5 feet down the log and separate off and fall to the ground.  So even as I was sawing it, energy was being released.  I wish I had taken more pictures as I was sawing it, but I was dodging the squirrels falling.  

I definately got a lesson in this log.  I'm always learning.  I just hate it when the lessons are so expensive.  

If the log looked good when you bought it and didn't show any signs of stress, how does one know?

[trimguy]

Thanks, I'm going to keep my eyes open for some of that.

[Don P]

I knew if I looked up growth stress and beenthere I'd find it. This is a good article on what we're seeing in a lot of the pics above;
https://www.fs.fed.us/ne/newtown_square/publications/technical_reports/pdfs/2004/316papers/Cassens1GTR316.pdf

[Brad_bb]

@Anderson What are the green buckets?  I'm assuming this is saw dust.  What are you doing with it?  Looks like you'd have to stoop over a lot to pick those up.  I just keep 3 rubbermaid 42 gallon garbage cans near the mill for dust, bark, etc.  I burn all my dust and bark.  If you have woods around, that is a lot of fuel, then that may not be a good option unless you can burn somewhere in the open.  You don't want any fireflies to come out of the burn barrels and start something.  Where I burn has gravel and mowed grass, but I don't burn when it's dry or when it's windy.  
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=95735.msg1476521#msg1476521

[YellowHammer]

Don P, I had not seen that article.  Its was very good and explained how I try to saw to remove stress. I was very informative.  The picture at the top looks like my log.  Nasty.

Boonesyard, the key at least for me, to sawing highly stressed logs is to get top them fast, before it has a chance to explode.  For every board that comes off, the level of input stress on the center is reduced.  If the magnitude of the stress can be reduced to less than the failure point of the wood, the boards will move but they won't crack.  So with proper sawing techniques, kiln drying and edging, it's just another routine walnut log.  If I wait a bit after bucking, like I did, bad things happen.   

[boonesyard]

Don P, I had not seen that article.  Its was very good and explained how I try to saw to remove stress. I was very informative.  The picture at the top looks like my log.  Nasty.

Boonesyard, the key at least for me, to sawing highly stressed logs is to get top them fast, before it has a chance to explode.  For every board that comes off, the level of input stress on the center is reduced.  If the magnitude of the stress can be reduced to less than the failure point of the wood, the boards will move but they won't crack.  So with proper sawing techniques, kiln drying and edging, it's just another routine walnut log.  If I wait a bit after bucking, like I did, bad things happen.  

Got it, thank-you.

[timbour]

 

 
My first board (ash), cut on my first mill (outside my home junky alaska mill with a lil farm boss).

1500 miles in 2 days and I'm home with a lucas 827, ordered the slabber on the way home.

60ish logs to go on the first round of the next chapter of my life.  Thank you to all on this forum for giving me the confidence to try something I truly enjoy as a business and not simply a hobby.

Happy sawing for 2020 (that's weird to type).  May all your logs be metal free.

congratulations and you will greatly enjoy the Lucas!

[tule peak timber]

Inbound black oak this morning

 

[Magicman]

Is that part of the one that you pictured here?

Whatcha Sawin' 2019 ??? in Sawmills and Milling

[tule peak timber]

No Lynn, the big guy will be here in a day or two. These logs are also black oak but smaller- good bar top material ;D

[Magicman]

Yup, I saw that it was smaller which is why I asked if it was "part"? 

It looks like you are deep into Black Oak!! 

[Jim_Rogers]

Well, it wasn't very warm out there today, but that comment should be in the weather thread.
But I lowered the loading arms so I could load the first log of 2020 to be milled.
They didn't lower far enough due to the ice on the driveway:



 

But I did manage to get a log loaded and cut out an 8x10x16' timber for a timber frame customer. This is a plate.
along with some 4x4s and 2by.



 

Jim Rogers

[Brad_bb]

Looks like Jim is Pine-ing for better weather....

[Jcald327]

Some red oak that's been down for a couple years. First log for me so gonna keep a few for myself.  Didn't have any bunks down so we're down as low as we can go.  Made a bunch of 1x5s x 13ish feet for my buddy's board and batten hunting cabin.  Not sure how red oak will hold up, but it was his log and his idea so yea.


 

 

 

[Kwill]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 still milling cedar😀

[Magicman]

It's good to see you up and sawing.  No more blue tarp siding for you.  8)

[Kwill]

It's good to see you up and sawing.  No more blue tarp siding for you.  8)

Yep glad to get rid of the tarps

[Don P]

Jcald, what we often set up is a couple of 6x6's as bunks to saw on inside the mill and around 12' long ones set just beside but not touching those to make a "deck" running from outside the frame that we load several logs onto. Then it is just roll in and onto the bunks and chock, any movement of the deck is not affecting the bunks. The deck 6x's have long tapered ends at the far outside end in case we need to roll something up on them (when we don't have a machine to load the deck). It doesn't hurt a thing to use 8x and its more stable but that stuff is a bear to move. 

Borate that red oak and it'll keep the powderpost from moving in next spring.

[Jcald327]

Don P, good tips.  It's on our list, my bud is just 100 percent against using heavy oak as bunk beams because he doesn't want to move them we go mobile, cant say I blame him, hes eyeing a few poplar, and were probably going to break it down and move it to a more conducive location for loading and unloading of logs and lumber.  More pics today.  This is the LIFE!

[Darrel]

Haven't sawn anything yet in 2020. I did replace the positive contact on the contact strip yesterday and it doesn't fit right. I ran out of time because I had to take Vera to a dr appointment so I'll fix it today. It'll only need a little filing on th mounting bracket and all will be well. 

[KirkD]

Well, it wasn't very warm out there today, but that comment should be in the weather thread.
But I lowered the loading arms so I could load the first log of 2020 to be milled.
They didn't lower far enough due to the ice on the driveway:



 

But I did manage to get a log loaded and cut out an 8x10x16' timber for a timber frame customer. This is a plate.
along with some 4x4s and 2by.



 

Jim Rogers

Jim,
It looks like you need to cut a pair of wedges for yourself to use.

[Kwill]

 

 back at it today. This nice log made 6 pieces of siding