Whatcha Sawin' ???

[NorcalMatt]

The first of many Doug Firs to be loaded!  This one and some friends were  scavenged from a neighbor after his logger left these.

 

 

   

[DWyatt]

First time posting!

Here's some white oak my dad and I cut up last weekend. This was our first time quartersawing and first time sawing live edge crotch wood. I only wish I would have read more before we quartersawed the log because now I'm ready to drop another tree to test out the RRQS technique I have obsessed over lately! The tree was from our property that has quite a few old growth white oak (swamp oak of some sort I believe). The base log maxed our mill and tractor out and had to be pared down to even fit through the mill. We ended up with 5 - 10' logs, the largest of which produced 25" boards, out of the tree and the lumber will be used to make the kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanity in my shouse (shop house) I am in the process of building. The last photo shows the lumber produced from 2 of the 5 logs cut from the tree.

Side note, Thank You all so much for the vast amount of knowledge you all share. Seriously, you all have been a trusted source of information through our amateur milling and drying hobby.  I'll be sure to drop some pictures of my future endeavors and my woodworking adventures, which I am much more confident with!

 

 

 

 

[Magicman]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, DWyatt and Congratulations on the quality time spent with your Dad.  Nice lumber too. 

[Skipper11A]

DWyatt's got the quarter sawing bug on his first post! Seems like he skipped the foreplay.

[DbltreeBelgians]

DbltreeBelgians,do your log stops go straight up and down?
If so I put inch marks on mine. 3 inches is really 4 inch on the ruler,4 inches is 5 on the ruler,5 inches is really 6 on the ruler and so on.
So if I am cutting flitches,I set my log stops at 3 and the ruler at 4 I know, I have an inch to spare. Much easier than guessing on the heights. This way I can go high and hold the flitches in place better.

No Ray they don't. When I built it I wasn't sure how I was going to tie them together to run them straight up and down so I made them pivot. So wish I would've put a little more thought into it and made them vertical. 
I actually swung the log stop into the blade while the mill head was stationary because I didn't gig back far enough. As you can see they pivot up and towards the front of mill right into the line fire. My mistake, lesson  learned. No biggie. Time to finish this box of blades and order up some Kasco's from member Cutting Edge.

Brent

[Crossroads]

What I thought was going to be a short day turned into a full day with some leftovers for today. Went from 2 offbearers to 1 and went from cutting 2x6, 2x4 to 3/4x6 fence boards. There are a lot of fence boards in a 32"x12' spruce log! The 7° Did work better than the 4 especially on the narrow cuts. I had 1 new 7 left, it worked very well and I was able to push it pretty hard, but t when I put on a resharp blade, I had to slow down quite a bit to avoid the knot dodger waves. 

[Jeff]

I waded over the residual snow bank yesterday and lifted the cover on the new engine on the wood-mizer. I turned the key, and hit the start button. It cranked right over. I ran the gas out of it last fall so I didn't try to actually start it. All is looking good for my spring expedition to the U.P. to saw cedar. Problem is, my log pile up there is still under snow.

[SawyerTed]

An artist who has some cedar from Ocracoke Island she salvaged from a lot being cleared called earlier in the week.  She asked if I could mill short logs.  I told her I could without a clue on how to do it!

A search of this forum got me to several threads and photos of jigs some of you have made to saw short logs.  I believe this will be something I'm asked to do with some frequency.

So I made and tested my version.


Hy

[garre1tt]

Thank you for posting the pictures of your jig.  I have a fellow coming over tomorrow to cut some 19" length 22" diameter black walnut. I will fix up the jig this afternoon.

[SawyerTed]

I used a 2x10 placed vertically against the log stops and resting on the bunks beside the jig to make the initial cuts.  This is what I clamped the log against to make the first couple of cuts.  Then I flipped the log over and removed the 2x10 and made remaining cuts.  That's what is pictured.

There is a notch in the horizontal board to allow the clamp to move closer than the edge of the board if necessary.  

Some sacrifice the vertical 2x piece by just sawing through it.  I preferred not to do it that way.  

Notice there are blocks attached to the bottom of the horizontal board that rest against the bunks.   This makes sure the jig just drops in place, it won't slide or twist.

[Bruno of NH]

Was running out of inventory of 2" pine slabs and had a customer coming next week for 6.
Had some good logs for slabs in the mill yard so I cut up 22 of them today.
I haven't had time to put the new 22hp on the mill yet.
Old faithful 13hp did the job  
One picture shows how I turn the big logs with a strap and old peavy hook.
I pull it around with tractor forks.

[Darrel]

That's some awesome looking pine Bruno!

[Resonator]

  


Beautiful sunny spring day for sawing, was warm enough to run straight water through the lube tank. Sawed up some 4/4 boards out of what I'm pretty sure is White Ash. 

[Dave Shepard]

I concur on white ash. You can enter the log faster. Those washboards will go away. 

[WV Sawmiller]

SawyerTed,

   I hope you are charging by the hour or by the job because you aren't going to cut a lot of bf on those small pieces. They are pretty though. I am sure your customer was happy. Tell her next time to bring you 8' longs and cut them after you make boards out of them. :D

    Part of being a sawyer is being creative and proving a service the customer can't get anywhere else and you do us proud. 8)

[ncsawyer]

Sawed up some cypress I acquired free of charge.  Had a customer want 1x live edge stuff for his cnc machine to make signs.  Ended up with some nice 20in live edge boards.

[Magicman]

Good looking Pine slabs there Bruno.  It's nice to see you staying ahead of your customers.  8)

[Magicman]

I don't quiet know what it is that makes me like Cypress, ncsawyer, but it warms my heart.  I just love it even though the sawdust will clog the chute and the bark is stringy. 

I talked with the customer today and I am scheduled to saw some Mississippi River Sinker Cypress on the 31st.

[Crossroads]

Had a better day today, had a couple logs added to the pile for more fence boards. The butt cut was pretty clean, so I was able to push it a little more. 
https://youtu.be/2O5IV9ntgD8

[SawyerTed]

WV What I cut today was a test piece of hickory firewood.  The cedar job will be an hourly job.  I plan on a small charge for the special clamping jig.  I don't expect her to pay for the total cost as I already have a couple more requests for short milling.  I suppose I have to find a niche and this may be one.  I'm trying to make connections with individuals who can become repeat customers or who can refer me to others who might become repeat customers.

This lady salvaged the cedar from Ocracoke Island after it was already cut into firewood lengths.  I'm sure she loaded them in her car to bring them to the mainland on the ferry and hauled them 200+ miles home. If you aren't familiar with Ocracoke, it is a very special place for some of us, so the cedar isn't high value but for where it is from. 

I also got an order for 28 lathe turning blanks from a school.  They wanted inexpensive blanks for the beginning students.  Their request was for 6"x6"x6" blanks.  I cut them from a 6x6x14' poplar much as you have suggested.  I charged them by the piece because the students are paying for them.  

I'm just starting in this business and while I don't have to take every job that comes along, I'm doing some things to "get my foot in the door." 

I'm very appreciative of the members on this forum and the work y'all have done.  All I had to do was search for a solution here and I got several good ideas.

.

[ncsawyer]

I don't quiet know what it is that makes me like Cypress, ncsawyer, but it warms my heart.  I just love it even though the sawdust will clog the chute and the bark is stringy.  

I talked with the customer today and I am scheduled to saw some Mississippi River Sinker Cypress on the 31st.

Sounds like a fun job.  Never have cut any sinker logs, but have heard others say the sand in the logs is hard on blades.

[SawyerTed]

I don't quiet know what it is that makes me like Cypress, ncsawyer, but it warms my heart.  .

I'm with you Magicman.  ncsawyer, that's some beautiful cypress! 

[Magicman]

  

Sometimes they are what they are and here is one of them.  This baby is ~40 feet long and looks ragged but it should have some good stuff especially in the center cuts.  Even those ends will yield some unique boards that she can use.  Not the cow but the customer.

BTW, that log had to be moved because everything that you see is now under water from the Mighty Mississippi carrying all of that Glaciated Frozen North to the Gulf of Mexico.  ;D

[starmac]

Oh wow, that would not even be looked at for firewood around here.

[BigZ La]

I had one sawed a few years ago I found back on the river by the house. I got over 1100 bft  out of it. It was all pecky, some really bad but a friend used some to make a gun cabinet and it came out nice. I have another one to go get if it doesn't float away this rise. I'm sure hoping it doesn't.