Just_sawing and other sawyers...

Red Devil TN · #1 04/16/06, 01:46 AM

It does not seem I will be able to afford to have all the trees being felled milled this year, I am planning on cutting them to just over 8' lenghts and raising them up off the ground (laid onto cedar poles) and letting them weather for a year.

Anyone have suggestions? Should I paint the ends? Should I strip the bark? Should I tarp them over? Etc.

Also any sites that may help ID some of these that were taken down before they opened up their leaves? Probably a site that had bark pics may help?

Thanks!!

just_sawing · #2 04/16/06, 07:35 AM

OK here I go again.
Oh by the way good morning to everyone and Happy Easter. It is a wondeerful time to be alive, in a country we can worship as we are lead and it has been a good week end.
There is no difference between cutting a tree or butchering a calf. Would you buter a calf in hot weather with no freezer ready. If your hungry yes but some of the meat is going to be wasted. Before you cut a tree have everything but the whistle planned for. I have trees on my nieghboros land going to waste because he dropped them when I was busy else where and now each week that I leave then they are less deisirable.
Now I under stand that you are probably like me limited funds and and will have to clear as you can. Use that for your own benefit. How well it isn't hard.
1. A homestead (all Homesteads, farms ect) have common needs. Even 150 years ago they were the same. You have to get what you valvue under cover to protect it. The first trees that you cut always cut for you shed or barn. I you cut 5 MEDIUM size popular or oak you have enough lumber to build a pretty good size barn. If you are new to building build the barn first and have less mistakes in the house. Something on this scale (a shed only needs two trees Medium size to build) gives you something that on a weekend you can cut load bring it to someone like me go hame have a barbeque and hug the Kids.
2. Then during the week aurgue with the wife on the location loose the auguement and prepare your site.
3. Build the shed and now your ready to cut a tree. Cut what you can load have it sawn bring it home, grade and stiker it. When Christmas comes probably sell alittle since you took care of it (this means the trees pay for the roofing) and Plan.
4 I don't know the sawyers around you but I like people who can bring a trailer load (thats small for me). I have down time that I fill in when the little jobs. If you wanted me to came and saw 10000 feet you would have to wait. but bringing in a small job I'll cut in the evening when I am pitling around.
5. Doing the job this way starts to make your homestead a business that will help supprt you. This also opens up the possiblity to gain logs from constuction sites that aren't on your property. I have a friend that has had ALL of his wood givin to him for being nice enough to remove the big logs headed to the burning pile.
So now that you have heard my rant follow the ABC
A Plan for everything in the tree before you cut it.
B A tree is better standing (this is quality) than laying on the ground. If it has to be on the groung put it high enough off the ground for your dog to get under it and kill the snakes.
C when you bring your lumber home stack and sticker it well
D Dream big and love alot
Roy

insanity · #3 04/16/06, 07:59 AM

http://www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/forsite/idbark.htm
http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/leaf/treeid.htm
http://www.dof.virginia.gov/mgt/trees/index.shtml

Heres a couple of sites i ran across.
If you can post pics.I can tell what most are.Helps if i can see the end cut to.
Im no logger so i cant help much but I did work at a saw mill for a few years when i was younger.They used to run water pumped from a pond over there over stocked logs to keep them from drying out and cracking.You don't happen to have a little pond that isn't good for anything do you? Roll them in it,and drag them out later.Warning they stink to high heaven.LOL
Painting the ends might help.So might keeping them covered with plastic to hold in moisture.Humm good question. Id leave them uncut as much as possible.Say you had a 16 ft log don't half it until your ready to saw it.It will take longer for it to dry.
Also might want to leave them over 8ft long so that after you saw them and they dry you can cut off some of the end cracks.
I wouldnt knock the bark off.They will dry faster.
Note Seasoned logs also dull saw blades quicker.

blufford · #4 04/16/06, 03:15 PM

[QUOTE=insanity]http://www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/forsite/idbark.htm
http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/leaf/treeid.htm
http://www.dof.virginia.gov/mgt/trees/index.shtml

Nice sights insanity! I've always wanted to be able to better identify trees by their bark. No matter what the season, leaf, flower or fruit, if you know the bark you can tell a tree all year.

BeeFree · #5 04/16/06, 10:03 PM

I'm not a sawer or anything, but my Dh is cutting down our forest and the millers want the logs 9ft long now where he is taking them.

I would suggest leaving them standing timber until you are planning on getting them cut up as the bugs get in them and they dry too bad. Floating them in a pond might not be a bad idea, as that was what they used to do many years ago.

just_sawing · #6 04/17/06, 06:06 AM

Leaving them 9 feet means that they probably will be sold as tie logs.(Railtoad ties).
This is my point. If you cut and stack OK now that you need a 12' and you cut 10 what aaare we going to do my log streghter broke. Have a purpose to do whaat your doing. If you have to clear the land for a project plan the best you can and do it with gusto and love.
I run in to quite a few good people that since they have a chain saw they have to cut something.
I help people when they come to have wood sawn so they have a good expirance. Its pretty neat when we get over to Jackson county that I can point to a shed that my brother and I built when he was 13 adn I was 9.

Red Devil TN · #7 04/17/06, 06:24 PM

(&$(@&$#(^&#^ figures. I had cut and started to stack because in my research I came across a few posts on an archived board saying that it was ok to let them sit a year with the ends painted.

just_sawing, I think I'll pm you to see when you'll be free. If you are up my way give me a holler and come take a peek at what's coming down.

I started clearing the property because the POs were just plain slobs. They cleared the land with a dozer and just left everything. Many of the trees are insect damaged and others wind or weather damaged.

On top of that, the area seems to have been forested a while back and is rather thick with pole trees. I'm clearing some of that out aloong with a few of the bigger trees to open up the area some. That and there is an ENORMOUS amount of ticks for some reason. There are TONS of them covering the swingset in the morning!!

I'll see if I can get some pics of the stuff I'm not sure on.

just_sawing... what is the min. diameter worth having milled. Also, is it better to cut our stickers or should I go bye some 1x3 and cut them to length the day of the milling? Most of the stuff I'm going to mill will be 1x for woodworking, so the length I'd typically need would be 4' or less. I can rip the sheets on the table saw after... though I didn't bring down my planer, but I'll have a year to work on that. lol!