Dimensional Lumber

[glgdiggs]

I am starting to harvest and mill SYP logs for several outbuildings. When sawing are full 2"x4", 2"x6", etc. better or is it smarter to cut closer to s4s sizing 1 1/2"x 3 1/2", 1 1/2"x5 1/2", etc. and if so what about shrinkage. Some publications and our county building inspector believe full size lumber is 15 to 20 percent stronger than s4s. Your thoughts as always will keep me from mistakes.

[postville]

I'd saw 1 3/4" x 3 3/4" for a 2x4. Full sized seems excessive. Bob

[ellmoe]

  Take in consideration the fastener size you will need to use. I do as Bob suggests.
Mark

[Magicman]

I absolutely recommend factory dimensional for three reasons.  Nails and fasteners,  more lumber per logs, matches store bought lumber.  The fact is, I've seen store bought lumber vary in width as much as 1/8th and more.

Consideration may be given as to whether the trees are fresh sawed green or beetle killed SYP trees.  Green lumber will shrink more than beetle killed.

I saw 1/16th over.  If it shrinks 1/16th, then it's the same as store bought.  If it shrinks 1/8th, it's only 1/16th smaller and undetectable when actually building.  When you saw for an entire job, it's all the same and doesn't matter anyway.

I have developed my own cheat sheet which takes into consideration my actual blade kerf and produces uniform framing lumber.

I search will produce many threads detailing sawing dimensional framing lumber.  One is the very recent "Comfort Zone" thread.



Here is 7238 bf of framing lumber that I sawed last week and will be used to build a new home.

[Sixacresand]

I have Woodmizer LT10.  I made a chart or cheat sheet too.  I allow 1/8" for the kerf.  That may be too much but it seems to work OK.  Besides, when setting the depth of cuts manually, 1/8" increments are small enough. 

[paul case]

1/8'' for kerf on my mill works well too.
some customers want different dimensions,but almost all customers know what i mean when i ask do you want lumberyard size?
welcome to the forum sixacresand. pc

[thecfarm]

Sixacresand,welcome to the forum.How long have you had your mill for? Your handle,does it mean six acres of sand that you own?

[ARKANSAWYER]

I saw my syp at 1 5/8 x 4 or what ever width.  That way if they want to plane it to 1 1/2 it just takes one pass.  Most if the time I  use the 4 inch or 6 inch as it comes but if I need to resize it I have room to clean it up really good.  Even at 1 5/8 I can use 16d nails in my nail gun.  If I saw a full 2 inches then I have to use 20d polebarn nails and drive them by hand.  Love my nail gun alot.

[Chuck White]

I don't blame you Arky!

I sawed quite a bit of framing lumber at 6/4 for a cousin of mine last summer!

He uses it in his construction business!

He mentioned "still being able to use 16's"!  ;)

[Magicman]

Welcome Sixacresand, to the Forestry Forum.   

[red oaks lumber]

if sawing was accurate enough why does all the wood you buy get planed? i have not seen r,sawed wood be more accurate or even close to accurate as planed. close is not good enough for my building projects.

[woodmills1]

If you are sawing for a one side sheethed building I agree on the whatever width

I also agree on the thinner rough cut for the same kind of building for the nail size



But if you are building for a finished inside and out building  (two sided sheethed) then all bets are different

for them you need to really consider the width also to hang sheet rock or panel the inside

fo those I cut near to 1.675thick and either 3.75 0r 5.75 wide


then dry

then plane to 1.5 thick


then back on the mill fresh blade

trim cut one edge 

flip and saw to 3.5 or 5.5

its not just sheet rock that makes me do this it is window and door thickness



did ya ever have to shim up a door ina wall thar was thick or thin?

and who needs wavey sheetrock

two cents here

[carykong]

I built my house with a lot of SYP produced on my LT25 and I would saw my 2x10 joists actually 2x9.5, 2x6 actually 2x5.5.  Yes,I had to use 20d nails but I liked the 2 inch thickness because there was less warp and cup in the airdry stage.  Keeping the width in conformity to store bought lumber allowed me to use the lumber interchangably with lumber I bought at the store.

I saved money sawing my own framing lumber but when you consider my time and the cost of lumber grading and restacking the lumber three times before it was put into the house. I will never saw deminsional lumber for a structure that requires a building permit and lumber grading inspection again.  Flooring,trim is where I concentrate my sawing these days.

[carykong]

Majicman,  Does your lumber dedicated to home building require a grading inspection in your county?

[Sixacresand]

Thanks for the welcome, everyone.  I bought my Woodmizer LT10 last November.   And I do live on six acres with very sandy soil.  So far, I have been sawing up the dead pines and oaks killed by beetles and drought.  I plan to build a log arch, but am still in the process of picking through my junk for parts.  

[Magicman]

There are several items that a potential homebuilder must be well aware of before using ungraded lumber for the new construction of a home.

1. The architectural drawing must specify #2 and or rough sawn lumber.

2. The city/county, etc. inspector must be aware that rough sawn lumber will be used.  There can be no restrictions or ordinances against it.

3. The builder must know, be aware of, and agree that rough sawn lumber will be used.

4. The lending institution must know and agree to rough sawn lumber will be used.

5. The home insurance carrier must be aware and agree that rough sawn lumber will be used.

NOTE:  HUD will NOT approve any construction with ungraded lumber.

In my area, if #1. is done and you have a builder,  there is no problem.

I just got a call tonight to saw Red Oak paneling for a new home.  I knew that the job was coming, I just didn't know exactly when.  I've had him scheduled so when he called, he would go to the top of the list.  I would think that it will need to air dry 9 months before he has it kiln dried and T&G.  This is fresh felled logs.  I'll try to saw it next week 

[captain_crunch]

Here in Oregon with 450.00 per thousand prices at Big Box stores fer planed lumber  no sence in cutting it. I only saw full size lumber beings I can sell the log to mill fer 600.00 per thousand. My only market is timbers,beams or goofy demintions

[Magicman]

Really the only way the customer/landowner stays $$$ ahead sawing framing lumber here is by utilizing beetle killed SYP.  It has no commercial value.  The only cost for the lumber is my sawing cost.  They usually fell and skid themselves which is some cost, but very little.

I saw very few large, fresh felled, green SYP logs. 

[ARKANSAWYER]

 For barns and sheds most of the time the wood is used as it comes off the mill.  Sometimes it is used green since it will be open on one side.  Not a problem since most buildings around here 100 years old were built that way.  I have a house in town that was built in 1940 and 1941 all out of green red oak.  It is a lot finer made home than any thing built in the last 40 years or so.  I rewired the house about 5 years ago and burned  up about a dozen bits trying to drill through that old oak to run the new wires.
  I build new homes and most of the wood is used as it comes off the mill.  No complaints so far.  The cabins sometimes are not rough enough for the customers.  From what I have seen in the stores for lumber mine is alot better and even off the saw is more true and stable then theirs.  I bought some at the store  two years ago and culled about 30% of them and had to go back and get some more.  Some of them were 1 7/16 by 3 3/8.