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When You are cutting up a tree what length do you cut it?

Started by StimW, September 08, 2014, 10:56:10 PM

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StimW

I have a friend giving me a bunch of SYP and I can cut the downed trees to what ever length I want. 12" - 20" and a couple larger sizes.
I have been cutting to 16.5' length but was wondering should I be going with some 10'+ and 12'+ ?
I don't have a use for the boards (Yet) so I am cutting 2X's and I figured a 16'er is easier to cut down than an 8'er can be made longer!
What should I be doing?
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BCsaw

I normally cut for 8's and 16's. Just depends on what you are going to do with them. I don't have much use for 10's and 12's. If I need a few, I grab from the 16 pile.

You mentioned not having a use yet. Are you planning a build in the future? If so, cut for that.
Inspiration is the ability to "feel" what thousands of others can't!
Homebuilt Band Sawmill, Kioti 2510 Loader Backhoe

Ianab

Intended use of the wood?

If it's 8ft construction lumber, then 8'6" and 16'6" makes perfect sense.

Consistent lengths also make it easier to stack for drying.

But if you wanted 6 ft long fence boards? Then 12'6" logs would be the way to go.

Now most of the logs I cut are for my own woodworking, with no specific end use in mind at the time, and the trees to to be ugly open grown things. So you have to let the tree dictate what it will yield. If it's got a bend or a fork 12 ft up, then that's a 12 ft log. Otherwise you have an 8 ft log, and 4 ft of firewood. Also, if the log has a lot of taper you should get a better yield sawing it 2 shorter logs, rather than one long tapered stick.

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

bandmiller2

A lot of how you log out a tree depends on how straight the tree is, better two straight 8'6"" logs than one 16" with sweep, unless you need specific legnths cut the best you can get from the trunk. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

BCsaw

Inspiration is the ability to "feel" what thousands of others can't!
Homebuilt Band Sawmill, Kioti 2510 Loader Backhoe

Brucer

How are you transporting them. I prefer 52 footers, because that gives the most flexibility when it comes time to buck them up for an order ;D.



I saw timbers to order -- whatever length the customer wants. However, I trim and stockpile the side lumber into a few standard lengths and widths. Over the years I've found that 8', 10', and 12' lengths are in the most demand.
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

Peter Drouin

A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

drobertson

Quote from: bandmiller2 on September 09, 2014, 07:56:22 AM
A lot of how you log out a tree depends on how straight the tree is, better two straight 8'6"" logs than one 16" with sweep, unless you need specific legnths cut the best you can get from the trunk. Frank C.
Well said,  also, knots will determine what I saw from the logs as well. clear butts go to 2x's knotty stuff goes to siding
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,

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