Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[BackRoad]

I've got a couple of 24" pines on my property (I think White Pine) that I want to get milled for some 1" and some 5/4. Amish mill nearby will do it reasonable.

Is there an ideal window between felling and milling to minimize checking?

Is there a better season to fell pine to use for finish lumber?

 

[hunt4570]

Technical question.....
I cut a couple more trees down today. I have been trying to use 10in dia to minimize waste in slabs. I could get some dimensional lumber from slabs I guess, but my
push is for my landscape timbers and someone else wants the slabs at the moment anyway.
I dropped a 12 in + or - a few weeks ago and I put those logs aside for stuff I'll do later, but...
Today one tree I took down was a touch over 13 " dia for a good length (about 18'). Youtube told me to center the pith and make sure it's in the middle of my timbers.
It looks like I can get 2 timbers from each of these large logs so my question is...
Can I cut right through the center of the pith when making two 6x6" or will that make them weak?
And, if I cut right on the edge of the pith (provided it measures out ok) and not have any of the pith in the timbers, does that make it weak, or unstable
when it dries? Like warping etc.

Can I do this (see sketch) without an issue?
View attachment 716323View attachment 716325
My setup is not good enough to do quarter-sawn (poor system of securing logs) and frankly, I'm not sure
how to lay something like that out yet. Baby steps.

I have noticed if the pith is on the edge of a board, it will twist/warp.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I've got a couple of 24" pines on my property (I think White Pine) that I want to get milled for some 1" and some 5/4. Amish mill nearby will do it reasonable.

IF, it's like the Amish around here, they saw cheaper than anyone else, but they sure turn out a lot of "think n thins"...

SR

 

[Yogi05]

I have noticed if the pith is on the edge of a board, it will twist/warp.

So I may be ok if I cut a cant and take the pith out completely? Like this?

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Either center it, or cut it completely out.

SR

 

[Yogi05]

Either center it, or cut it completely out.

SR

Now that's a clear answer. Thank you.
I was posting asking exactly that as you wrote this.

 

[hunt4570]

Now that's a clear answer. Thank you.
I was posting asking exactly that as you wrote this.

And he gave you the exact correct answer..

But I sure like a 6x6 with the pith centered!!

 

[Yogi05]

And he gave you the exact correct answer..

But I sure like a 6x6 with the pith centered!!

Me too. I don't know much about all this but it makes sense.
Put a larger log on the deck today thinking I'd get two 6x6 out of it. Nope. Juusstt shy of it.
I decided I would play with the measuring setup screwed to the mill and see what it's like to use. Not bad actually. So I cut
a bunch of 1" thick slabs while taking off excess, and when I get "play time" I'll try my hand at cutting the live edge off them. Maybe end up with some proper lumber eventually.

Had a problem (something new) with keeping my logs staying in place after my first 90 degree turn. They kept moving (falling slightly backward) so they
weren't level on the vertical cut side.
I'm chalking that up to milling in the rain. The dogs wouldn't hold solidly.
That is something I would replace if I get this mill for myself. Worn I guess. I give them a tap with a hammer to set them and sometimes I can see them back out
of the wood, but they occasionally just will not stay tight. Maybe the points need sharpening.
Happened a few times about 8 inches into a cut. Backed out and reset everything.
My solution was to jam a thin piece of wood under the uncut side. Seemed to work.
I may make a few different sized wooden wedges to keep around in case it happens again.

Note to self; milling lumber in the rain is miserable, and sawdust looks like oatmeal when it's wet. It gets everywhere when wet too.

 

[hunt4570]

Me too. I don't know much about all this but it makes sense.
Put a larger log on the deck today thinking I'd get two 6x6 out of it. Nope. Juusstt shy of it.
I decided I would play with the measuring setup screwed to the mill and see what it's like to use. Not bad actually. So I cut
a bunch of 1" thick slabs while taking off excess, and when I get "play time" I'll try my hand at cutting the live edge off them. Maybe end up with some proper lumber eventually.

View attachment 716485

Had a problem (something new) with keeping my logs staying in place after my first 90 degree turn. They kept moving (falling slightly backward) so they
weren't level on the vertical cut side.
I'm chalking that up to milling in the rain. The dogs wouldn't hold solidly.
That is something I would replace if I get this mill for myself. Worn I guess. I give them a tap with a hammer to set them and sometimes I can see them back out
of the wood, but they occasionally just will not stay tight. Maybe the points need sharpening.
Happened a few times about 8 inches into a cut. Backed out and reset everything.
My solution was to jam a thin piece of wood under the uncut side. Seemed to work.
I may make a few different sized wooden wedges to keep around in case it happens again.

Note to self; milling lumber in the rain is miserable, and sawdust looks like oatmeal when it's wet. It gets everywhere when wet too.

When I go to cut "proper lumber" I cut a large cant or beam of a dimension I want, say 3 1/2" thick or a hair more for 2x4s, then I just slice them to 1 1/2 and they are all uniform widths... Here I cut a log into 3 1/2 thick slabs, stood them all up on the mill and sliced 2x4s 4 at a time..

 

[Yogi05]

During downtime at work I watch videos on stuff like that.
What I did today was cut all my slabs (where able) to 1" thick but they still have live edges at the moment.
I'll have to learn how to mount those vertically to maximize the result.
I'm guessing with bark still on both edges you would sort of "eyeball" it until you can flip them onto a
straight edge??
Cutting a cant would be easier once I get that far (after current project) and I'll have an idea what dimensions I
want/need to cut.
With the slabs I'm trying for a bunch of 1x6 and a few bigger if I can. I've already been asked for 1x2 to repair a
board and batting thing.
My challenge with dimensional lumber is my antique backstops and dogs holding it all safely. (enter that "not my machine"
excuse again").
If/when I own it I will have a new setup made that will allow me to cut small. Right now the blade will only cut down to about
4 or 5 inches. A problem between securing the lumber and the blade guide setup having a bottom bearing that will interfere.

The bottom of this contraption ....

Vs hitting this contraption

At least I can't run the blade into the backstop.

As frustrating as old crappy machinery can be, I think you learn more quickly because you need to do
outside the box things to reach a goal.
Like how driving an old beater car makes to learn how to fix cars.