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What dimensions to cut this cherry?

Started by ranst4038, September 25, 2013, 09:01:50 PM

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ranst4038

My Sister is making me nutz, she didn't want to pay the local sawyer $600 to cut up this cherry.
Now were going half on this Lumbermate 2000.
I was planning on cutting it 3/8" to turn into ¼" tongue & groove for the ceiling just to get rid of it.
Now she thinks this cherry is too valuable to put on the ceiling.
Now she wants to sell the cherry & put up knotty pine. I figured we need 1082 sq ft & its $1.20 sq ft at Home Depot. If I cut this cherry up right can I sell it for more than $1300 bucks? If so what dimensions should I cut it?


 

I've got the trailer package ready to pick it up and I'm cutting up an engine hoist I got on Craig's for $100 to turn into a log loader. Thanks for any help Rick


 
I'd like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next 10 generations that some favors come with too high a price. I want to look up into your lifeless eyes and wave like this. Vir Coto 2nd Season ; In the shadow of Z'ha'dum

thecfarm

Get a buyer,than cut to thier specs.  ;D    get a deposit too.    ;)
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

dgdrls

Quote from: thecfarm on September 25, 2013, 09:12:56 PM
Get a buyer,than cut to thier specs.  ;D    get a deposit too.    ;)

Spot on!!   

DGDrls

GAB

ranst4038:
The cfarm's suggestion is a good one, however I would make sure that I specified that that is the wet or off the mill dimension and that drying shrinkage will not be taken into account.
If it was my wood I would try to pre-sell it.  Lumber is nice, but turners, especially bowl turners would prefer a flat spot on both sides and the middle inch (pith) removed.  The flat spots are to be better able to hold the chunks steady when cutting them round on a band saw.  Then the turners want the chunks approx. 2" longer than the diameter of the part.
You might also consider sawing out farm table kits, as an example, and advertising them for sale. 
Until it is sawed into anything it is awfully hard to estimate a value.  Also your location could have an effect on value.  Gerald
W-M LT40HDD34, SLR, JD 420, JD 950w/loader and Woods backhoe, V3507 Fransguard winch, Cordwood Saw, 18' flat bed trailer, and other toys.

sealark37

In my neck of the woods, you will get the most $ out of 4/4 cherry.  The yuppie tool collectors want it as wide as possible.  Regards, Clark

grweldon

Quote from: ranst4038 on September 25, 2013, 09:01:50 PM
I was planning on cutting it 3/8” to turn into ¼” tongue & groove for the ceiling just to get rid of it.

I've never milled cherry but I don't think it would be wise to cut it 3/8 thick.  I think you may encounter warpage during drying, even is stacked and stickered correctly.  Even if it behaved in drying, I don't think a 1/16" left for planing on each side is very realistic.  I think Sealark gave some good advice.  I wouldn't cut it any less than 1" thick.  If it behaves in drying you could then resaw it on the mill in to two, possibly three (doughtful) pieces and run those through your planer until you get the desired thickness.

Even if everything went perfect in drying and your board were perfectly straight (again... doubtful) if cut at 3/8 they would end up being less than that when dry and wouldn't clean up when you plane them.  I don't even think 1/2 thick board would dry well, but again, I've never cut cherry so I don't know for sure.

Hope this helps in your decision of how thick to cut.
My three favorite documents: The Holy Bible, The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States.

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Rick, I wish I had your problem on how to saw that much Cherry.  :D
I've never seen a whack of Cherry logs like that. Good Luck Buddy.
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

drobertson

This is a hard call, but like the others have said find a buyer if possible, then saw what they want.  I have cut some for a woodworker a few years back, he preferred 7/8" off the saw, some of his we sawed thick for legs, lots of options,  hope it all goes well for you,     david
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

Tom the Sawyer

Repeat client called last week and said he had stumbled onto a couple of medium sized cherry trees.  He brought over 5 logs and didn't have a specific need in mind but he builds custom kitchens and tables so that guided us somewhat. 

We milled 4/4, 6/4, 8/4 and some 3x3" turning squares.  A little over 500 bf total.  He was extremely happpy with the color and grain of this 'found' wood.  Around here walnut is king and I don't get to mill cherry very often.



 


 
07 TK B-20, Custom log arch, 20' trailer w/log loading arch, F350 flatbed dually dump.  Piggy-back forklift.  LS tractor w/FEL, Bobcat S250 w/grapple, Stihl 025C 16", Husky 372XP 24/30" bars, Grizzly 20" planer, Nyle L200M DH kiln.
If you call and my wife says, "He's sawin logs", I ain't snoring.

maple flats

Cherry is what I sawed when I first got my mill. It saws nice and the grain is often very beautiful. I agree with the others, get a buyer before cutting and plan far more for shrinkage and warping. I cut most at least 1/4" over in each dimension for planing. Real wide gets even more allowance. I've cut a fair amount of cherry and really like it, but I suggest you learn on something else. While my first cutting ever was in Cherry, I now know it would have been smarter to get practice and adjustments set and learned before I cut into such beautiful wood to learn on.
logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

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