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leave in log form?

Started by thekitz, January 21, 2014, 10:01:36 AM

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thekitz

Hello all and thanks for any advice you may offer! Recently I bought 14 white oak logs from a friend, having limited space at my house I have been thinking of sawing them into cants for storage. Is this a good practice? I have no customers currently interested in the wood, but hope that changes soon!
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Chuck White

If it were me, I would saw them into the largest cants that I could handle and I would sticker and store them under cover.

Be sure to seal the ends and remove any remaining bark.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
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mesquite buckeye

You might want to split them down the middle so they don't crack lengthwise. ;D
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: Chuck White on January 21, 2014, 10:23:14 AM
If it were me, I would saw them into the largest cants that I could handle and I would sticker and store them under cover.

Be sure to seal the ends and remove any remaining bark.

I agree with Chuck. I have Mantle logs I do this way. It works well.
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

ladylake


I'd leave them as logs, if you do saw cants keep them out of the sun.   steve
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Magicman

Either way is probably OK, but remember that insects are attracted to the cambium layer under the bark.  If you do cant them, spray them with a borite product to prevent PPB's.  Either way, seal the ends and store them so that they are not exposed to any sun or moisture.
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Dodgy Loner

If you leave them in log form, the logs will stay too wet for powderpost beetles. You will get some ambrosia beetles, but these will die/leave after the lumber is sawn and begins to dry. They are not as troublesome as powderpost. That said, I've never had trouble with powderpost in white oak. They love red oak, but seem to stay away from white oak. Maybe I've just been lucky?
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drobertson

I wish I would have posted pics from yesterday, White oak down from an 09' tornado,  I would coat the ends, leave the bark on and keep them off the ground, room permitting.  Cants will split and check giving you a waste cut.  If possible, getting the bark off would help, but still get off the ground.   These white oaks made great fire wood, and some have been put back for an adventure sounding much like what you have planned.
the wood is very solid, and will saw out fine.   Just seal the ends, and keep off the ground,  is about all I can say,
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,

Too Big To Fail

how long can you leave an oak cant, even in ideal conditions, before it checks too deep to resaw?

dgdrls

Strip the bark off, get them off the ground and covered with good air circulation, seal the ends

What ever you saw them into in anticipation will not be what customers want.

Good problem to have ;)

DGDrls

Peter Drouin

I leave them in log form, pant the ends  if you want, I have 10,000 bf in the yard and they're fine, not painted.
A&P saw Mill LLC.
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drobertson

Log length is the only issue I can see as a potential problem,  making sure there is somewhere in the neighborhood of 2-4"'s per side for trim, depending on the length of time they sit.        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,

Red Clay Hound

X2 on leaving them in log form.  As others have said, get them off the ground and seal the ends.  You can leave them outside as logs.  If you saw into cants you'll need to cover them.
2007 Wood-Mizer LT40 Super Hydraulic with 51 hp. Cat; 2007 Wood-Mizer EG200 Twin Blade Edger; Woodmaster 718 Molder/Planer; Stihl MS460 and MS362 Chainsaws; 2011 John Deere 5065 with JD 553 Loader

bandmiller2

Kitz, block them well off the ground with good air flow(no high grass) and when the bark loosens just peel it off. They will keep for years. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

5quarter

I'm with Dodgy...Leave in log form until you're ready to cut them. Sapwood will turn to mush, but the heartwood won't spoil.
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drobertson

I have been sawing into fire wood for the last several years from trees down since 09', half red, half white oak, what I have seen is the diameter makes no difference, just getting off the ground.  If rot existed before the fall then what was there will be there the same as if it were freshly fell. Sap wood rot will be minimal if the logs(trees) are off the ground and they are solid.  The grade in regards to knots will be the same.  As to premium grade an expert will have to chime in on this.    One might ask, why make fire wood  and not saw lumber?  Much of it has been custom cut,  as well as ties,  custom orders with customers logs has taken priority, and the cold has set in as so many have experienced, so fire wood has been made.    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,

WDH

Much better to saw them into boards, and dry the boards.  Storing wood in log or cant form leads to lots of defect from checking and splitting because of drying stress in very thick pieces.  Oak does not handle drying stress very well.  It would be different if it was walnut.  It dries thicker, better.
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

drobertson

Quote from: WDH on January 21, 2014, 09:49:40 PM
Much better to saw them into boards, and dry the boards.  Storing wood in log or cant form leads to lots of defect from checking and splitting because of drying stress in very thick pieces.  Oak does not handle drying stress very well.  It would be different if it was walnut.  It dries thicker, better.
That's the answer I was looking for, I have sold older dried out boards and the grade(grade) was not there, they looked good, so it has to do something with the drying within the log?    stands a reason bigger mills run green logs and fast,   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,

WDH

The shell dries much faster than the core, and something has to give from the stress if it is a very thick piece.  And it does.  Those thick pieces have to dry very very slow, and that just does not happen naturally.  One windy and low humidity day can wreck you. 
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

My experience with logs splitting is those trees that have stress in them will split as they dry.  Those are the same boards that split when they dry.  You may be able to control it somewhat, but they still split.  I can deal with a log that has a drying split in it, and I'm able to defect it out without too much waste.  Logs without stress will have some end check, which can be trimmed off.

I wouldn't put it into a cant to dry until you want to resaw it.  I'd keep it in the log form.  I don't know how long you plan to leave it lay around.  I've sawn logs that have lain up to 3-4 months.  In the summertime, you would lose the sapwood due to staining.  That may eventually turn to rot.  Winter cut logs usually behave a lot better. 
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

LittleJohn

A definate must is GET THE LOG OFF THE GROUND!  I prefer to stor logs, cause as a hobby sawyer, once I get the log on the mill I WANT TO SEE WOOD CHIPS and BOARDS

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