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How to Cut American Beech ?

Started by fencerowphil (Phil L.), November 09, 2003, 06:56:48 PM

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fencerowphil (Phil L.)

I need some quick advice.  Share your wisdom, please.

This weekend I lucked up on a 34" thick Beech.   I have two superb logs, both cut to 8'-3".  My first inclination is to go for quarter sawing all of it.

A WoodMizer buddy of mine will cut for me and I will give him about 10,000 pounds of Swamp White Oak in exchange for sawing  these two Beech logs, plus at least one 30" X 12' White Oak for me.  He basically gets 2/3 to my 1/3.

My question is  whether to go quartersawn or not.
Phil L.
Bi-VacAtional:  Piano tuner and sawyer.  (Use one to take a vacation from the other.) Have two Stihl 090s, one Stihl 075, Echo CS8000, Echo 346,  two Homely-ite 27AVs, Peterson 10" Swingblade Winch Production Frame, 36" and 54"Alaskan mills, and a sore back.

dail_h

   Phil,
   Around here beech twists kinda bad,I would quarter it I think. If it twists,tou can look at the bark and tell,I would split it rather than saw it into quarters,that way it would follow the grain. Beech is pretty wood that finishes and wears well,but just needs some care in sawing and drying.
   Some of the floors in Jefferson's Monticello are beech.
World Champion Wildcat Sorter,1999 2002 2004 2005
      Volume Discount At ER
Singing The Song Of Circle Again

Brian_Bailey

Phil,  

I would QS one and Plain saw the other.  That way you'd have some of both ;).  

I QS'd some this spring, wished I had PS more than what I did.

Here is a pic of the QS.

WMLT40HDG35, Nyle L-150 DH Kiln, now all I need is some logs and someone to do the work :)

solidwoods

Probably to late but a rhyme is always nice.

When a log has nothing to do
Cut it Through and Through.

Sticker it back together and keep the lumber together.
JIM

Ret. US Army
Kasco II B Band mill
Woodworking since 83
I mill & kiln dry lumber, build custom furniture, artworks, flooring, etc.
If you mill, you'll be interested in some of my work in one way or another.
We ship from our showroom.
N. Central TN.

Russ

I've read about how plain american beech is so the last couple of trees I put into cord wood. Stump price is pretty low too. When I split it I was sorry because it had nice flecks and a rich yellow color. I don't know what I would use it for but I don't think it was plain at all.

fencerowphil (Phil L.)

Thanks for the input guys.

I have officially decided . . .
          not to decide. :-[

In addition to the two fine logs of American Beech,  I mistakenly ended up with the very base of the tree.  (My intention was to leave that for some firewood guys, but the track hoe operator had other plans and loaded it into the dump truck with my logs.)  I am going to experiment with this stump piece.  It is about 38" thick and 40" long.  Since this section is a bonus item,  the grain I get from it will determine what I do with the logs.   It will have the same degree of twist and the same character of grain as the logs, so that will be the answer!

After lengthy research here and on WoodWeb,   It seems that the demand for Beech is low, because the supply is low.  (A chicken and the egg situation?)   It does not have a 'hot" market anywhere, in spite of its qualities.  
   Summary:
        1.   If the quartersawn pattern is poor or is too hard
               to "track" , due to twist,  then cut more plain.
        2.   If checking for niche markets, doesn't reveal any
               good opportunities,   save it for my own use.
        3.   If there is some niche market, cut it to match that
                pocket of demand.
        4.   If it doesn't look like I will be able to come out
                selling it,  then cut it the way it looks best to me.
Phil L.
            Anybody else have actual experience selling
              the wood for anything other than heavy blocking?
Bi-VacAtional:  Piano tuner and sawyer.  (Use one to take a vacation from the other.) Have two Stihl 090s, one Stihl 075, Echo CS8000, Echo 346,  two Homely-ite 27AVs, Peterson 10" Swingblade Winch Production Frame, 36" and 54"Alaskan mills, and a sore back.

Frickman

Phil,

We cut some beech for grade occasionally, when we have the logs. There is a local furniture builder here who purchases alot of the minor species of wood from us. It is a niche market we have had to develop over the years, and every area has these types of markets. This particular customer comes to the mill the day we saw his lumber and "supervises" the process. In other words, he contributes to the sawing decisions of opening face, when to turn, etc., getting out of the log what he wants.

Join or visit a woodworker's club in your area, and you are sure to find someone who can use your lumber.

If you're not broke down once in a while, you're not working hard enough

I'm not a hillbilly. I'm an "Appalachian American"

Retired  Conventional hand-felling logging operation with cable skidder and forwarder, Frick 01 handset sawmill

Pretend farmer when I have the time

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