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log length for furnature making

Started by Polly, October 29, 2007, 04:12:58 PM

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Polly

 8) :P i got some walnut logs that i want to saw to be used to make furnature what length should i cut them   :-\   thanks for the help

metalspinner

What kind of furniture do you want to make?

Except for one 8' dining table, all of the other furniture in the house is under 6' long/high.  And usually divisible by about three feet.  Table legs are 30" high as are many cabinet doors.

You may want to cut to the best lenghth the log will allow.  I like the crotch areas of walnut, so I try to keep the crotch in the log also. Short logs can be cut to thicker dimensions for table leg stock.  On the Woodmizer my sawyer uses, he has 32" between the middle two bunks, so I won't go shorter than 3' logs. And then only if it's a really nice piece of cherry or walnut to put up with the extra hassle of shorts.
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

Ianab

Having all the logs the same length can be an advantage when you are stacking them to dry, but dont cut off good stuff to achieve this ;) You can allways stack the long stuff on the bottom and shorter boards on top.

So let the tree decide how you buck it, try hard not to go shorter than 8ft, that is hard to cut on some mills. If you are using the wood yourself the exact lengths dont matter so much. Look for the big knots or curves on the log and decide with those in mind. Then just make the longest logs the tree allows and you can reasonably handle.

Cheers

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Haytrader

Haytrader

WDH

8' up to 10' is what I shoot for.  Nothing longer than that has any furniture application unless you are selling into the wholesalw hardwood lumber market.  Your target market is the key. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Ron Wenrich

You'll find that the wholesale lumber market caters mainly to large scale users.  The longer lengths are only beneficial to handling the lumber.  Boards are kept long for the drying and surfacing, but when you hit the cut up shop, it all gets taken down to small pieces.  The only exception if for moldings, where long, clear pieces are needed. 

For custom furniture making, take what the log gives you.  Make the log straight and as long as you can.  Crooked logs don't usually give very good lumber.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

GHRoberts

I build a bit of furniture.

It is always beneficial to keep boards as large as possible as long as possible. It is even beneficial to keep boards from the same log together.

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I just finished a pair of highboys. The grain on the drawers runs from one into the other. That required 8' long boards.

I have 13' boards in my shop. It is nice to make a piece of furniture from a single board. It also helps when there are defects in the board - lots of layout options.

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