Cutting a log lengthwise for a fireplace mantle

wawajake · Jan 7, 2014

I posted this in the chainsaw section too but maybe here in the "rural" forum someone has ideas too.

My daughter has enlisted me to get her a piece of maple 5 inches thick x 9 inches wide by 72 inches long for a rustic fireplace mantle...from my woodlot. Now I have made rustic furniture out of my maple trees in the past (bunk beds, bar stools etc). But this time the length wise cut 6 feet along a log (twice) with my Husky 435 chainsaw 16 inch bar seems intimidating without some advice.

I plan on felling a 14 inch diameter maple tree on friday if no further snow storms and cut the log I need 74 inches long. Ideally I would do all the rough cutting in the bush because I need to haul it back to my workshop a half mile by snow machine . So I may need to do the two horizonal cuts in the bush in a primitive environment to get it down to a reasonable 100 lbs of wood . Now I don't need the rough cut to be exactly 5 inches thick , I can get it to correct thickness and width in my workshop later. So I need some way to run a guide on the log in the bush to keep the saw running fairly level for at least one horizontal 6 ft length cut .

Any suggestions? What if I screw a 2 x 4 to each side of the log and try to run the saw along those? Any better ideas? I also figure I need to dry this piece of wood fairly quickly in my garage, so plan on trying to dry it with electric heater ( very dry cold winter so humidity is low ) Any suggestions on that too?

CobyRupert · Jan 7, 2014

Never used one, but I think Husky and/or Oregon makes a special ripping chain for this.
5" x 9" x 72" isn't to big to throw into a truck, do you know anybody with a saw mill?

Gate Lavallee · Jan 7, 2014

put the piece a maple vertical....straight up....put a few braces on it and run the chainsaw down on it as straight as you can go. My tip to you is save the effort of the big piece all in one....it will all warp with time and it will take years to dry...now this from my experience (I have good piece of maple and oak you could make skies out of that i sell you cheap.....lamination is the way. Take your time and cross the grain and it will stay straight and true. Sallut..

dmccarty · Jan 7, 2014

I would cut the log longer than the final product to give you some wiggle room for defects in the wood.

Research how to dry wood. I don't think you want to dry the wood too fast but at a Goldilocks rate.

My first thought was to do as Coby said and get a ripping chain and bar. But if this is only a one time project... I think I would still get the ripping chain and bar.

There are Alaskan Mills that are used to cut up logs into dimensional sizes. The chain saw is attached to the Alaskan Mill and the mill helps cut a line. The Alaskan Mills are not that expensive but they are slow to use. If you Google Alaskan Mills you will see how they are used which should give you some ideas on how to saw up the log.

Later,
Dan

brin · Jan 7, 2014

dmccarty said:
I would cut the log longer than the final product to give you some wiggle room for defects in the wood.

Research how to dry wood. I don't think you want to dry the wood too fast but at a Goldilocks rate.

My first thought was to do as Coby said and get a ripping chain and bar. But if this is only a one time project... I think I would still get the ripping chain and bar.

There are Alaskan Mills that are used to cut up logs into dimensional sizes. The chain saw is attached to the Alaskan Mill and the mill helps cut a line. The Alaskan Mills are not that expensive but they are slow to use. If you Google Alaskan Mills you will see how they are used which should give you some ideas on how to saw up the log.

Later,
Dan

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Timm250 · Jan 7, 2014

It will need to air dry for a few months to possibly as much as a year. If you put a heater on a piece of green wood it will warp & check really bad.

The best way to dry wood that thick is to let it stabilize by air drying with the ends of the piece either painted with a couple coats of latex paint or covered with paraffin to keep the ends from checking. Once it it had air dried to about 18-20% moisture then it can be finished drying by other means such as in a kiln.

Piston · Jan 7, 2014

I would use this a s an opportunity to buy an Alaskan Mill, I bought one years ago for right around $100, although I never use it anymore since I got the band mill. I would suggest quarter sawing the piece you want, however, you'll need at least a 20"-22" diameter log. Is this an option?

If you flat saw it, you may end up with a lot of movement, although if it's going to be rustic then this may not matter. Whatever you do leave the pith of the log out of it or your almost certainly going to have large checks.

If you have a log that is large enough to QS, it will be a very stable piece and not move or check much while drying.

randy41 · Jan 7, 2014

you could use wedges and a sledge and smooth it out later.

bigtiller · Jan 7, 2014

This sounds like a job for an old fashion froe.......Do they still sell those things?

Piston · Jan 7, 2014

bigtiller said:
This sounds like a job for an old fashion froe.......Do they still sell those things?

Yup! Although this would be a long log for a froe.

You could try for the hewn look if your into that sort of thing. You'll need a hewing axe though, and some Advil for your back.

Lloyd_E · Jan 7, 2014

General rule for airing drying is 1" thickness per year. Could you a swap - take the log to a local mill to cut or swap materials for a live edge pieces that they may have. Does she want a live edge on it or just squared up?

kco · Jan 7, 2014

I have a Beam Machine that worked well for cutting timbers for an outdoor bench.

http://www.beammachine.com/

EddieWalker · Jan 7, 2014

I just finished a mantle for my parents fireplace that was a cedar tree from the land. It had been down for a couple of years and had a really nice shape to it. I wanted it to be 5 1/2 feet long with a flat top and back. The front and bottom where to remain natural in shape, but highly sanded.

To cut it, I used a chalk line to have something to follow. I put the log in a pair X shaped saw horses that I made from scrap 2x4's at an easy to cut height. First I cut it shallow with the chainsaw to get my line. Then I cut it all the way, taking my time to make sure I kept the blade straight down. Then I rotated the log 90 degrees, put down another chalk line, cut it shallow, then cut it all the way.

The log was about a foot longer then I wanted it, so after cutting the length, I cut it down to the exact length that I wanted it to be.

Then I sanded it with my big belt sander and used a six foot level as a straight edge to find my high and low spots. With 40 grit paper, it got it all leveled and smoothed out in a couple of hours.

Eddie

woodlandfarms · Jan 7, 2014

I used my Alaskan mill to do a mantle for my neighbor. No pix, had to build a custom mill head (not so custom but it works) to do the verticle cut. A ripping chain is very nice to have in the process. Downside is that a big piece of wood needs years to properly dry.

These are some pictures of maple and cedar I cut up.... Making property benches (benches along hiking trails)

Egon · Jan 7, 2014

kco said:
I have a Beam Machine that worked well for cutting timbers for an outdoor bench.
E slower
http://www.beammachine.com/

The Beam Machine is the way to go. Just use your regular chain for a one time effort. It will just be a little slower.

Or: screw a 2x4 onto the log as you have stated. Then bolt a piece of wood/steel at 90 degrees to the bar and use that for alinement. You'll have to drill a hole in the bar but that is not a big deal.:thumbsup:

Cut the piece at least a foot and a half longer than required.
An electric hand planer would work well for finishing it off just prior to sanding.

Fan of the 1911 · Jan 7, 2014

Eddy Walker that looks GREAT!!!

s219 · Jan 7, 2014

I have a Granberg Alaskan Chainsaw Mill, as well as their Mini Mill (which is cheaper and the only thing you need for sawing beams or a piece like this mantle). However, I use a 77cc chainsaw, because that is what's required for milling (and many people go even bigger). I also use rip chains. You will most likely melt down your little Husky if you attempt to use that saw for such a long (time wise) set of cuts. It will not cool quickly enough, and it's not a pro saw that can handle repeated long cuts.

As far as drying, do not expect quick results if you want to do it right. A piece like that is going to need to air dry for a few years. The only way to accelerate it without wrecking the wood is to find someone with a kiln who knows how to use it.

Not trying to rain on your parade here, but you're heading in a direction that will trash your saw and leave you with a big warped piece of green wood.

wawajake · Jan 8, 2014

Thanks everyone............what Eddie Walker is describing is the look I am going for. So I think I will try to get the full log out of the bush (with my snowmachine maybe with a sled drag) and then use chalkline or 2 x 4 strapped to it like Eddie and others described.
The drying part will be the tricky part, I have finished other rustic furniture (like bar stools) before that was only cut green 3 months before and it still looks great. I am not worried so much about checking,(that just adds to the rustic flavour) I just want varnish finish to stay on it.
here is pic of bar stools that I need mantle to match

Gunny · Jan 8, 2014

You could make up a frame to cover the log, drape some plastic over it, then provide a little heat and ventilation to dry it out faster. A 100 watt light bulb and a small muffin fan would greatly speed the process up. Just remember to do like has been suggested and seal the ends. Even this method will take quite a bit of time to dry out to a workable moisture content, but a lot faster than just air drying.