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sawing small logs

Started by northwoods1, October 14, 2010, 08:40:23 AM

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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
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

Larry

Two at a time works for me.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

paul case

 are you talking short or small around?pc
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
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!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

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.
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

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.  ;)
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

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  :D
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

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. 
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

Chuck White

Quote from: mad murdock on October 14, 2010, 03:04:45 PM
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


Quote from: Piston on October 14, 2010, 02:41:00 PM
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".
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Banjo picker

I almost didn't open this , but I'm glad I did....My hats off to Larry and Marcel.. 8) 8) 8)  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
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

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.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

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.
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

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.
Whidbey Woodworks and Custom Milling  2019 Cooks AC 3662T High production band mill and a Hud-son 60 Diesel wide cut bandmill  JD 2240 50hp Tractor with 145 loader IR 1044 all terrain fork lift  Cooks sharp

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  :D

Sometimes all it takes is a second set of eyes.  8)
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

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.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

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.
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

northwoods1

Quote from: terrifictimbersllc on October 15, 2010, 08:38:18 AM
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!

isawlogs


My dad has a manuel mill that can cut up to 20 feet .. on his mill we put the small logs end to end  ;)
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

Piston

Yet another good idea  8)
I would just  need some extra clamps, which would be a good thing for me to have anyways.  ;D
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

northwoods1

I started sawing an order for 400 lineal feet of 4" x 7/8" x 10' yesterday and tried the 2x at a time, didn't take long before I was putting 3 up on there side by side, very happy with the results  8) I needed 80 pieces and it didn't take long to finish. I was only getting 4 pieces out of every log but it sure was nice to make the same number of cuts and be ending up with 8 or 12 boards!

Okrafarmer

I sawmilled for the first time yesterday, and though I was only working on one 12-14" log, I was edging pieces beside my cant.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

isawlogs

Northwoods, glad it all worked out for you, once in a while ya might get one that shifts some while sawing, it is what it is , I just keep going and when i turn the log over , and start sawing the boards , that one board that the log had shifted gets put in the deer blind stack.  ;)   :)
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

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