Look What Followed Me Home

[Ocklawahaboy]

Well, been a while since I've been on here.  Ever since the fun at the sycamore project, I've been buried with homework.  Friday some of my hours I've spent obsessively checking the free online adds paid off.  I saw an ad for a 12' long, 36" big end 24" little end red cedar log.  It was about an hour from the house and no pic but I made a call, loaded up the redneck log getter and headed off. 

When I got there, the stated diameter was a little overstated and what I saw was a 16" diameter end sticking out of thick brush.  Oh boy... What have I gotten myself into?  Upon finding my contact, I headed in to look closer.  The log was more like 14' long 32" to 16".  A very nice log but too big for me to move whole.  At about 6' from the base, there was a natural decrease in diameter that made a nice cut point. 

I dropped the little trailer and backed the truck up to use the loading ramps and come-alongs to get the 8' piece into the truck bed.  Then it was back to get the trailer and repeat the process with the big butt.  I'm going to get as wide of slabs as my LT40 will allow from the butt and make 4/4 boards out of the other log.  It will probably cost me a blade or two due to metal but that will be ok. 

Just thought I'd let you all know I'm still kickin and there will be picks of milling next week or two when I do some sawmill maintenance and get cuttin.

[Magicman]

It's good to hear from you and congrats on snagging that ERC.  It has some decay, but you will be OK.   8)

[xlogger]

I find out that when I cut a cedar like that most of the boards have rotten spots in them.

[Magicman]

That is a prime example of why I saw ERC hourly rate.  Sometimes they are good and at others, not so much.  Either way, I get paid and I do not have to charge a customer for sawing rotten lumber.

[Ocklawahaboy]

The end in the photo is the worst.  it will have some decay all the way through but I just use it appropriately.  the big log will be 3" slabs and the smaller one, which had less rot will be boards for very rustic pannelling.  I havent seen a cedar of this size without some decay. 

[Magicman]

Yup, your log is very typical.