type of logs I least like to mill

Tony · November 25, 2006, 08:20:53 AM

I'm milling some water oak (Quercus Nigra) sp,,.It does not

matter how straight the log seems to be, the cant will raise off the bed

no matter how many times I turn it

:

or my best efforts to hold it

flat.

What type of tree\log gives you the most trouble?? ??? ??? ???

Thanks, Tony 8)

Skip · November 25, 2006, 08:53:10 AM

Species doesn't matter to me if the customer wants it sawn. It's the short and skinny stuff (under 8ft) that aggravates me >:( and the dog legs.

urbanlumberinc · November 25, 2006, 10:01:35 AM

My least favorite has got to be cedar, especially when milling dry logs. I end up hacking my lungs up for days afterward

TexasTimbers · November 25, 2006, 10:11:10 AM

My books tell me I have water oak here in my part of the country but I haven't learned to identify them yet.

I love cutting cedar. But I am not allergic to it either. To bad for ya urban that has got to be a bummer.

My least favorite log to cut is whatever is fat and just off the stump and I don't have anyone tailing for me. :(

dad2nine · November 25, 2006, 10:14:43 AM

Tony, I've never had a cant raise up off the bed like your speaking of. But then again I haven't sawed near as many logs as some folks here, I just started sawing this spring. When I first got my mill, I was fortunate enough to meet a few folks. One was a local area sawyer who had been sawing since the late 70's and the second guy also local, owns a family logging company. They both talked to me about "wind shook" trees. These are trees at the south west side of a forest edge, that the wind constantly shakes. Both told me no matter how good logs look from these trees, they ain't worth a hoot to saw because of the stress in the tree and they won't dry flat. I also talked with Tom a few times on the phone, he's very wise and a supper friendly guy.

Around here logging is a big business and the loggers are paid by the ton, so unless I was set up to off load a TT of logs quickly, I can forget about even talking to the bigger logging companies. Anything out side of that is called the bubba network, it works on back scratching, you scratch mine, I'll scratch yours... Except for occasional free yard trees, I mostly buy logs from the local family owned logger guy. He gives me a great deal and usually has what I'm looking for, if he doesn't, it's only a matter of a week or so and he gets it. I really don't mind paying for a good quality saw log, he's trying to make a living and is more than fair to me. It seems to be money well spent and haven't had a customer complain about their lumber yet and that's a real good thing.

By far my least favorite is black walnut, it makes me pretty sick. I stopped cutting it for a while and am feeling better because of it.

TexasTimbers · November 25, 2006, 10:53:06 AM

I almost listed blackwalnut as something I don'tlike to cut. Not because of the smell I actually lke it. But because it turns my hands black.
Unless I'm dreaming, I read something Bibbyman posted lastyear where you can take red oak (?) sawdust and it will clean it off ???. Just make sure you keep a container of red oak sawdust handy whgen cutting BW.

BBTom · November 25, 2006, 12:39:38 PM

Somethin don't quite add up right, Kevjay. My hands turn black when handling fresh cut oak, due to the tannic acids in it. Maybe I am missing sumptin.

Warren · November 25, 2006, 12:48:43 PM

Kinda like Tom, my hands tend toward black with fresh oak. They get more of a dark purple color with Walnut. But regardless of the color, this just means I've had a good time sawing.

The kind of logs I don't like are the ones that look all slick and pretty on the outside, then are full of rot/bugs when you open them up. I'm getting better at spotting them. But still hit a few.

Like Forrest Gump said, "Logs are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you got until you open it up...." Er something like that....

Warren

dad2nine · November 25, 2006, 12:58:19 PM

Yep have to agree, fresh oak, purple hands, plus it smell like puke. But I can take oak, it's black walnut that hurts me. I initially had pretty much the same reaction to eastern red cedar, but after I sawed up about 60 logs, it went away. Now ERC is a pleasure to cut. Same thing might happen with black walnut, but people hord them around here, to the point where they rot then they have to get rid of them but it's usally a little late by then

. I've only cut about a dozen or so black walnut and each time, I'm not feeling so well for a few days afterwards.

Part_Timer · November 25, 2006, 01:49:06 PM

The kind I like the least is the type I'm cutting today, small hickory (10-14") without a tail man.
I bet I'm down to 75-80bf an hour. >:( >:( OH well better than being at work anyday. 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

It's 60 and sunny here today.

I'm gonas eat a sandwitch and get back to it.

Have a good weekend all

TexasTimbers · November 25, 2006, 02:38:56 PM

I said black but i guess it's more brownish. DanG sure aint purple for me though. But then I am told my walnut isn't quite like most other. Has anyone seen this in walnut before? I never had till I popped these logs open . . . .

mike_van · November 25, 2006, 03:25:45 PM

One that have hardware hiding inside >:(

Tom · November 25, 2006, 03:29:26 PM

I don't care what grade rules call good wood, that third picture is of two beautiful boards.

4woody · November 25, 2006, 04:39:34 PM

I agree with Tom real nice

Fla._Deadheader · November 25, 2006, 04:43:32 PM

Mud caked >:( >:( >:(

ohsoloco · November 25, 2006, 05:10:06 PM

Knotty spruce has got to be my least favorite logs to mill. Hard to get positioned on the mill, and ya get pretty wavy cuts then you're first opening up the log. Sometimes it's still pretty wavy when you get down to a decent cant :(

Kevjay, those are some cool looking boards

Did the color mellow any after the air hit them for a while?

I love cutting oak, walnut, cherry, white pine...and that hybrid poplar I milled last weekend cut like butter ;D

Tom · November 25, 2006, 05:15:59 PM

I don't think I have a wood that I dont like to cut, but, the least liked is Loblolly Pine tops and Live Oak. They are two of the orneriest woods in this area and give bandmills and circle mills both a lot of trouble.

Larry · November 25, 2006, 05:48:13 PM

Sheeesh...you guys that don't like walnut...send it to me. It has the distinctive smell of money. Black hands don't bother me none...they will get covered with green...my favorite color.

Don't like sawing logs with sticky sap. For a long time I would saw anything I could get on my carriage...might make me a new sign. No pine allowed. :D

TexasTimbers · November 25, 2006, 06:15:55 PM

Quote from: ohsoloco on November 25, 2006, 05:10:06 PM
Kevjay, those are some cool looking boards Did the color mellow any after the air hit them for a while?

Nope - not yet. I cut them many months ago and so far so good. They laid up in a field for about 5 years according to the guy who gave them to me, so I guess whatever caused the unique patterns was caused by that.

At one time I was actually going to use them as rim joists because walnut is fairly rot resistant but the wife vetoed that. Don't know waht to do with them now but I'll find something good for them.

LOGDOG · November 25, 2006, 06:25:01 PM

I look at your walnut KevJay and I feel like I'm taking an ink blot test. Look at that third pic - the vertical one. Is it me or does the pattern of white lines and the two butterflied knots look like the face of a horse? That is absolutely wild. Do you see it?

LOGDOG

4woody · November 25, 2006, 06:27:19 PM

for me its peacon

Tony · November 25, 2006, 07:59:03 PM

Thanks for the replies fellows. Really nice pics KevJay
;D .

We enjoy milling all types of logs, especially those where
we get paid at the end of the day, just don't enjoy water oak quite
as much as some of the others. :

:

It took awhile, but finally figured a way to keep them sorta on
the bed, by using the forks on the frontendloader we came in from
the end of the mill

by putting a fork on the cant and tilting the
fork and putting some weight on the bow (no camera yet)

Got 30, 16' 2x6's ;D ;D

Tony 8)

arj · November 25, 2006, 09:39:16 PM

My least favorite is hickory , next is telephone poles, and third is the famous
nail tree. Kevjay nice boards
arj

customsawyer · November 26, 2006, 04:20:38 AM

Kevjay I love those boards if you can't figure out what to do with them I'll take'em.
The logs I don't like the most is the ones that customers don't pay.

Cedarman · November 26, 2006, 07:35:25 AM

Tied for first place,
Logs with metal,
Logs longer than my mill,
Logs too big,
Logs with huge bow
Beautiful logs that after the first cut, I can't figure out just what to saw and fear I am going to ruin some beautiful wood.

Kevjay, that is some absolutely georgeous walnut. Wonder if the geneticists could get a few more trees to grow that way. I love sapwood on walnut furniture too.