Fresh Cut Logs

[Kaos]

I'm clearing some land and about to dig a pond, so I removed a few oaks and a pine tree. All the logs are a little under 12' in length. The biggest oak log is about 18" diameter.
I would like to use the oak (3" thick boards)  to make a large dining table top and some other interior furniture.
I'm going to contact a local guy with a mill who will come to my site. Should I have the logs cut and immediately take them to a kiln or can I air dry them for a year first?
All the logs in the picture are oak (not really certain what kind of oak) and two pine logs.
This is in south Louisiana.
Thanks


 

[4x4American]

Air dry them for at least 2 months, you don't want to dry them too fast.

[Magicman]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Kaos.  I'll yield to the drying experts for your answer. 

[4x4American]

It is also helpful to anchorseal the ends of the logs as soon as you can (before they are sawn), or use some sort of exterior latex paint if it's what you got.  This is to help stop the log from drying out too fast through the exposed ends, which is what causes checking.

[WV Sawmiller]

Kaos,

   Just a heads up - if my calculations and estimates are right, assuming you are talking about a red oak and even only cutting your boards as approximately 3"X10"X12' they are each going to weigh around 150 lbs right off the mill.

   Hope you have some stout helpers and/or good MHE to be moving them around. Good luck on your project and welcome to the FF.

[Kaos]

Air dry them for at least 2 months, you don't want to dry them too fast.

Thanks for the reply.

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Kaos.  I'll yield to the drying experts for your answer. 

Thanks for the reply. I passed thru Brookhaven today, ate at the Dinner Bell down the road in McComb.

It is also helpful to anchorseal the ends of the logs as soon as you can (before they are sawn), or use some sort of exterior latex paint if it's what you got.  This is to help stop the log from drying out too fast through the exposed ends, which is what causes checking.

Thanks for the reply. I cut the trees Monday and they got a good washing last night from that front that passed through, so I will do that with in a day or so.

Kaos,

   Just a heads up - if my calculations and estimates are right, assuming you are talking about a red oak and even only cutting your boards as approximately 3"X10"X12' they are each going to weigh around 150 lbs right off the mill.

   Hope you have some stout helpers and/or good MHE to be moving them around. Good luck on your project and welcome to the FF.

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking about that, but didn't realize they would be that heavy. Glad you told me.

[downsouth]

Welcome to the forum Kaos.

[sandsawmill14]

welcome to the forum koas   i would saw them green and dry the lumber but i dont know for sure which is best  maybe wdh or yellowhammer weigh in on this

[beenthere]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum.
Pics need to go in your album that you set up in your gallery. Once there, you can paste them in your post.
"Home" page near the bottom you will find a good tutorial, and can also shout out if something hangs up on you. Will gladly help, and look forward to seeing your pics.

[fishfighter]

What part of Louisiana you live in? Welcome aboard.

[Chuck White]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Kaos!

[Kaos]

Welcome to the forum Kaos.

Thank you!

welcome to the forum koas   i would saw them green and dry the lumber but i dont know for sure which is best  maybe wdh or yellowhammer weigh in on this

Thank you!

Welcome to the Forestry Forum.
Pics need to go in your album that you set up in your gallery. Once there, you can paste them in your post.
"Home" page near the bottom you will find a good tutorial, and can also shout out if something hangs up on you. Will gladly help, and look forward to seeing your pics.

Thanks for the reply. I tried doing the album thing, for some reason it wouldn't "create" an album. I will try again.

What part of Louisiana you live in? Welcome aboard.

Thank you! The property I am working on and clearing for a home is south of Clinton, but I actually live about 30 min closer to Baton Rouge. I changed my profile to indicate where I am (relative to the sawmill forum).

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Kaos!

Thank you!

[drobertson]

Howdy the Kaos,  I would also agree with those that mentioned saw it fresh,, strip stack them and weight down if possible.. end coating is also a great idea if possible.  I loaded some walnut I sawed up the back in the fall, these were blow downs from a few years ago, so there was some waste due to rot.  But they dried in the shed and will dry some more in his barn,  they felt quite a bit lighter than when I first sawed them, not sure how dry they are but know they are not close ready for use yet,

[Kaos]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum.
Pics need to go in your album that you set up in your gallery. Once there, you can paste them in your post.
"Home" page near the bottom you will find a good tutorial, and can also shout out if something hangs up on you. Will gladly help, and look forward to seeing your pics.

Thanks for the directions, got it!

Howdy the Kaos,  I would also agree with those that mentioned saw it fresh,, strip stack them and weight down if possible.. end coating is also a great idea if possible.  I loaded some walnut I sawed up the back in the fall, these were blow downs from a few years ago, so there was some waste due to rot.  But they dried in the shed and will dry some more in his barn,  they felt quite a bit lighter than when I first sawed them, not sure how dry they are but know they are not close ready for use yet,

Thanks for the reply!

[beenthere]

Good on getting two pics (albeit the same) in your album.
Click your forum name and you will see the button "My Gallery" to open it in another window.
Click the pic you want and it will enlarge. Right below the pic is the instruction to "copy and Paste" in a post.

No need to "quote" everything you are responding to in your replies. ;)

[GAB]

You might want to consider quarter sawing some of the nicer logs if you plan on using the lumber to build furniture, as that probably would yield nicer grain patterns and be more stable when drying.
Just a thought/suggestion.
Gerald

[Kaos]

Good on getting two pics (albeit the same) in your album.
Click your forum name and you will see the button "My Gallery" to open it in another window.
Click the pic you want and it will enlarge. Right below the pic is the instruction to "copy and Paste" in a post.

No need to "quote" everything you are responding to in your replies. ;)

Thanks for alerting me to the two pics.

You might want to consider quarter sawing some of the nicer logs if you plan on using the lumber to build furniture, as that probably would yield nicer grain patterns and be more stable when drying.
Just a thought/suggestion.
Gerald

I was meaning to ask that question. Thank you for mentioning that.

[4x4American]

and some furniture makers like rift sawn for legs as it give a straight grain on all four sides

[Kaos]

Had to look up "rift sawn", never heard of that. I'm sure that would be more expensive. Looks like it would be hard to get the cut right.

[beenthere]

and some furniture makers like rift sawn for legs as it give a straight grain on all four sides

Well not "straight grain" per se, but the grain has the same simialr appearance on all four faces.

[Ianab]

Had to look up "rift sawn", never heard of that. I'm sure that would be more expensive. Looks like it would be hard to get the cut right.

Not really.

If you quarter saw a log, you generally end up with some narrower rift sawn boards anyway, just the way the cutting pattern works out.  As you saw down each 1/4 of the log, the grain drifts away from Q-sawn, becomes rift sawn, and the boards get narrower. You don't have to throw that last board away, just edge it into a narrow 2x whatever it will make, and put it on the "rift sawn table legs" stack.

Now you have the wood for the legs of the Q-sawn oak table you want to build. Wood matches the top because it's from the same tree, and because the rift sawn pattern, the legs have 4 similar faces.

With my mill, sawing a large log you always get some rift sawn boards anyway, no matter what pattern you try and cut. I can maximise the Q-sawn or flat sawn, but you can't get 100% of either.

[fishfighter]

Well, you are just across the river from me. Live just outside of New Roads.

[Kaos]

Had to look up "rift sawn", never heard of that. I'm sure that would be more expensive. Looks like it would be hard to get the cut right.

Not really...

Thanks for the explanation, lernin a lot today

Well, you are just across the river from me. Live just outside of New Roads.

yeah, with that "new" bridge New Roads area is a lot closer now.

[Kaos]

Well, had a great time milling the "fresh cut" logs today. It was a perfect day, sunny and mild. Morning started off foggy.
Next step is the kiln. It was fun watching the Wood-Mizer do it's thing. The operator (not me) is an ole pro.
Made a little time lapse video since I already had a camera ready.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS-sJXOaQA8



 

[Peter Drouin]

Now, that's how it's done, Good job with the mill and video. ;)