sawing small logs

[northwoods1]

I've recently been sawing a lot of northern white cedar in smaller sizes. Anybody have any tips or tricks to speed up the sawing process for small stuff?

[paul case]

i saw a lot of small logs. the slab pile seems to get bigger than the lumber stack in a hurry.  my advice, get all you can.  it is easier to loose a lot of lumber on taper so get them leveled up real good.  pc

[Larry]

Two at a time works for me.

[paul case]

 are you talking short or small around?pc

[Chuck White]

For small diameter logs, I will level the log end-for-end and make my opening cut.

Next I'll turn the log 180° and get whatever thickness I can.

Next I'll turn the log 90° and level the log again and start sawing down through.

Lots of times, I'll get some short boards due to the taper in the log.

Once the cant is sawed full length, I'll turn the log 180° and saw down through until I run out of log!

[isawlogs]

 What do you have for a mill .. ?

  I have a hydraulic lt40hd   

 I saw three at a time , try to get them to be same size , level them up with a board under the small end , clamp them in place , take one cut , take the board from under them turn 180* one more cut(this cut is normaly at 4" )
 Turn the 90* put the board back under and repeat above.

 This I will do if I have a helper .. If I don't have a helper I will only saw two at a time and use my tapper compensator on the mill.

[DRB]

Cut them into 18 inch long pieces split and burn for firewood.  Small logs only make sense if you have a use or market for lower grade lumber and your time is not a major factor. We cut a lot of small oaks under 10 inches in dia into 6X6 beams. Four cuts, the first you cut parallel to the heart on one side 3 inches from the center. Turn 180 and cut to 6 inches.  Turn 90s make the center parallel to the blade and saw a slab 3 inches from the center. Turn 180 and saw to 6 inches.  4 slabs and one beam with a centered heart on both ends.  When we had need for fence material 1x6 you do basically the same only you may take a couple of side boards off as well then slab the 6 inch thick cant.  We sold a lot of oak fence boards to people with horses got 50 cents a bf for it so $4 for a 8 footer.  It is very labor intensive to saw small logs so make sure that the product you get is worth all the time.  Personally I do not like cutting anything under about 14 inches and much prefer the 20 to 24 inch range. You get a lot more Board feet per hour with the bigger logs and less waste.  We had a circular mill but I can see the ability to cut two logs at a time may speed it up with a band mill. Cedar is probably worth sawing small logs.  Oak was very marginal the logs had to free and even then the firewood value was almost equal to the lumber value.  Any small logs that are not some higher value tree better be nice and straight or you are much better throwing them out. 

[isawlogs]

 OP did saye he was sawing white cedar .. small logs will make a 4x4 are good to saw and well worth the effort. I do understand that an oak log of the same size should really go to the stove wood pile. 

[Piston]

I had been thinking of trying to find a use for smaller diameter pines.  I then got the idea that instead of leaving them in the woods, mill two sides off them, peel the bark and put them aside.  Of course they would have to be big enough, but my thinking was that eventually I would have enough small diameter logs with 2 flat faces, to make a primitive hunting cabin in the woods or something similar. 

I thought it was a good idea, although I haven't actually done it yet....might be a better idea in my mind than in real life 

[mad murdock]

When I was living in Alaska, I built a wannigan (addition on a mobile home), made it from 6" (between the slabbed faces), logs, that I bought from a miller in Fairbanks for cheap, draw-knife peeled the round sides, and it made a nice 10x12 addition, for not too much cash outlay, and it was pretty warm as well.   I just put a layer of fiberglass strip insulation between the logs, and used pole barn nails to nail one course on top of the other.  built it in about 2 days.
That is a real good use of small logs. 

[Chuck White]

When I was living in Alaska, I built a wannigan (addition on a mobile home), made it from 6" (between the slabbed faces), logs, that I bought from a miller in Fairbanks for cheap

I had been thinking of trying to find a use for smaller diameter pines.  I then got the idea that instead of leaving them in the woods, mill two sides off them, peel the bark and put them aside.  Of course they would have to be big enough, but my thinking was that eventually I would have enough small diameter logs with 2 flat faces, to make a primitive hunting cabin in the woods or something similar.

A lot of the old barns around this area have rafters and floor joists made from poles/logs that have been flattened on two opposing sides.
Like has been said, "at least they weren't left in the woods"!
Usually the rafters would have started out about 6" on the small end, but the floor joists had to be a lot stronger, so they could hold up tons of stored hay and were usually about 10-12".

[Banjo picker]

I almost didn't open this , but I'm glad I did....My hats off to Larry and Marcel..   why in the world have I not thought of putting two at a time on the mill  I will never know...I really don't like cutting the little stuff, but some times you have to...I am looking forward to gettin a couple small logs to check that out...Thanks again...   Tim

[Okrafarmer]

I'd been wondering about the two at a time thing, and I'm glad to know it works. I'll try it at some point.

I'm considering using slabwood siding on some sheds I'm contemplating building.

[isawlogs]

I will try to match logs up to ten inches and saw them together if I can .. I find it goes a little faster and I get to use those smaller logs that most put asside. I cut my own trees and with all the work involved to get them out , I much rather saw as much as possible then to let it rot away. If I can get a 4x4 out of a log, its going on the pile.

[redbeard]

Alot of the 8"-12" Douglas fir logs that are known as pecker poles, I keep and saw them if they are slow growers and the rings are real tight especially the stove pipes, there is some nice stuff in alot of them. I also saw two at a time as chuck W dose.

[Piston]

That talk about the rafters reminded me that I've seen rafters and floor joists like that in my grandfather's old barn.  I believe they were hewn on the top face but the other three were left as is. 

I've also never even thought about milling more than one log at a time, just one of the many simple, obvious things that never cross my mind 

Sometimes all it takes is a second set of eyes. 

[bandmiller2]

The only way small logs pay is if their a special species like red cedar and/or your paid by the hour.Of course if your a hobby sawyer anything is fair game.The problem with pecker poles is holding them,sacrifical boards and teeth on backstops and clamps help.Frank C.

[northwoods1]

Thanks for the good ideas there are a lot of them here... I'm gonna try two at a time today, pretty obvious that will speed things up! Don't think I'm quite ready for three but we'll see. I do have many that are the same diameter and with cedar it isn't a problem handling the stuff not heavy I mean. I can't let any kind of good wood go to waste with the cedar everything is utilized even short pieces & small diameters, even slabs with the bark on if I can get a decent live edge on 3 sides at any width I save it for different building projects. All sorts of people seem to call for the stuff not to mention I like to make all kinds of things out of it. Even other species if the log is straight it can be pretty small and still make a 6x6 or the slab on 2 side is another thing I will do. With the smaller cedar if I can't get a 4x4 I'll often 2 side it for fence post that you could still put boards on. I like the idea of saving up odds & ends for a cabin or building project that is what I have always done. I have quite the menagerie of buildings on my little ponderosa all constructed by similar means A lot of the cedar I can get from my own land which is another reason I guess I can make money sawing small pieces, but I'm really surprised & pleased at what I kind sell rough boards for at least around here anyway. Not big time production but sure helps to pay the bills.

[terrifictimbersllc]

One secret to milling small logs is good clamping.  Small logs need to be clamped more securely than large logs, as they don't have the weight to help resist the blade force and in the worse situations, can fly loose and wreck your blade, or worse.  This event can also wreck your sense of well being for a while too.

[northwoods1]

One secret to milling small logs is good clamping.  Small logs need to be clamped more securely than large logs, as they don't have the weight to help resist the blade force and in the worse situations, can fly loose and wreck your blade, or worse.  This event can also wreck your sense of well being for a while too.

The clamping can be tricky that is what really takes a lot of time, making sure its held sufficiently. And your always cutting close to the stops, have to pay attention!