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Harvesting the side slabs

Started by dhp3228, February 15, 2016, 11:16:55 PM

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dhp3228

So I'm to that part of the job of harvesting lumber out of the side slabs and milled a few slabs with mixed results leening towards the un-satisfied side as the lumber produced wasn't consistently up to my standards.  My questions are:

1. When is the best time to harvest slab material a few weeks of letting them lie around or harvest right away?

2. How the best most efficient way to harvest this side lumber?

Thanks for your wisdom.

beenthere

Your questions a bit confusing... usually we "harvest" trees to get logs, and open up logs by removing slabs from the outer part to square it up so we can saw out boards and other products.

Usually best to saw the logs as soon as practical after felling the trees.  Maybe you refer to salvaging usable lumber from the sawn heavy slabs?  If so, try to get the usable lumber within the slab while it is still attached to the log... i.e. not slabbing so heavy.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

york

Beenthere,is right-learn how to saw-It drives me crazy when i see guys slab heavy......
Albert

fishfighter

What I do is just stack them to the side and once I get enough, I cut them to firewood.

I'm very guilty of heavy slabing at times. :o But, when I do so, I do take into account on what I want out the log. ;D

dhp3228

Yes I am guilty of heavy slabs and now I'm going after the lumber in those slabs and I'm finding it difficult to produce quality lumber now that they have been in a pile for a few days.

ellmoe

   I would let them go and put you efforts into cutting logs. Your lost opportunity costs associated with trying to recover a little lumber from the slabs will exceed what little you get out of those slabs. If have have no other logs, and/or regard this more as fun than a business, then, by all means resaw the slabs.
Mark
Thirty plus years in the sawmill/millwork business. A sore back and arthritic fingers to prove it!

drobertson

How heavy is heavy?  Meaning just how thick are these, I suspect these were your first when you started making your beams.  It could prove to be a big waste of time seeing that pine lumber you will get just does not carry the value in respect to the man hours it will take to recover, unless you have a resaw with a large enough throat to handle the width.  Otherwise you will need to square up the two edges giving yourself something to clamp then proceed with the task at hand sawing out what you can.  Now would be better than waiting,,
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,

Chuck White

I'm more likely to slab heavy when I'm sawing Hemlock, and that's because of the taper in Hemlock logs!

However, I do keep in mind that if I'm sawing 12' lumber, lots of times I can get some 8' stuff out of what would have been a 12' heavy slab, and thrown away!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Magicman

Slabs tend to curl toward the bark side and recovering that "lost" board from them is usually fruitless.  I have been successful at times, but even then, I have to watch for thin ends.

I remove the slab and then remove any flitches that contain usable lumber.  After sawing the targeted cant, I edge the flitches before loading another log.  That way when I am done sawing logs, I am done sawing.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

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Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Ohio_Bill

I believe you would be way better off taking a light slab for waste and then removing fitches while opening up the log initially, just like Magicman said. That one change in your milling procedure IMHO makes a big difference.
Bill
USAF Veteran  C141 Loadmaster
LT 40 HDD42-RA   , Allis Chalmers I 500 Forklift , Allis Chalmers 840 Loader , International 4300 , Zetor 6245 Tractor – Loader ,Bob Cat 763 , Riehl Steel Edger

47sawdust

What Bill said,not only that but slabbing heavy is hard on a fella's back.
Mick
1997 WM Lt30 1999 WM twin blade edger Kubota L3750 Tajfun winchGood Health Work is my hobby.

drobertson

O.K., a duh moment,, he knows now, obviously, so he wants to get whats left and move on so, for the last two posts at least, any ideas on helping him recover from this at the present?  I will say, have before, misjudging can bite anyone,
what he did I believe is try to get the target beam quick as possible with these logs, so there ya go, now he's trying to recover,  hence the original question
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,

woodworker9

I don't have anywhere near the experience of a lot of the other guys here, but my perspective on this, being a woodworker who is cutting solely for yielding lumber that is going to be turned into parts of cabinets and/or furniture for my business, I have found it to be a serious PITA to try and remove usable boards from slabs after they've been cut from the log. 

I prefer to target a slab that yields just enough width on top of the next board to come off so that it is usable, once edged.  It's a lot easier to handle the whole log on the mill ( I have hydraulics) than it is smaller slabs for positioning of dogs, etc....  as I said, at least for me.  The slabs I take are pretty much just firewood.  The other successive cuts that will yield a good board are just stacked, and I edge them with the saw, after the rest of the log has been sawed.

I have much to learn, but that's how I'm doing it now.  All my slabs go to firewood to heat my shop.
03' LT40HD25 Kohler hydraulic w/ accuset
MS 441, MS 290, New Holland L185

drobertson

Here we go again,, no kidding?  He knows already, dag nab it, why is it so easy to point out the obvious? and not work on the solution to what exist?  I hate to say it, and I am getting off now but for crying out loud,,  (sorry boss)
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,

WV Sawmiller

dhp,

   Never tried to harvest lumber from slabs at a later time. Only when I cut one too thick and decide to try to salvage a board from it. When done I usually regret the decision as the juice usually ain't worth the squeeze. I especially kick myself when I nick a clamp and knock the set off a band tooth trying to salvage a 1X4. Unless they are extremely thick slabs (>4") or such I suggest you write them off and salvage what firewood or such you can from them and move on.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Ohio_Bill

I have only tried resawing slabs a few times and just like dhp3228 said not good results. My mistake for not answering the question in the proper tense. My wife has a saying "Its like picking up spilled rice "Probably not worth the time.
Bill
USAF Veteran  C141 Loadmaster
LT 40 HDD42-RA   , Allis Chalmers I 500 Forklift , Allis Chalmers 840 Loader , International 4300 , Zetor 6245 Tractor – Loader ,Bob Cat 763 , Riehl Steel Edger

Jeff

Learn from your mistakes, move on and keep warm by the fire as you contemplate.  In a commercial setting, lumber in the slabs will cost you your job. Wasting time trying to figure out a way to reclaim lumber in the slabs is akin to leaving them in the slabs to begin with.

Sorry drobertson, but that's exactly how I see it.
Just call me the midget doctor.
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Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Chuck White

If you have a couple of slabs that you know have lumber in them, first cut them asap because the drier they get, the more curled they get!

Make sure that they are securely clamped down to the bed of the mill, if you can't get them to lay flat on the bed, they aren't worth messing with.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

derhntr

I have in the past revisited the slab pile for heavy slabs to cut "craft boards" out of them for live edged boards with character. I am most guilt of cutting slabs to thin and having run out on far end just trying to get that extra 1x4. Also guilt of heavy slabbing at times with questionable logs when on a hour clock. 
2006 Woodmizer LT40HDG28 with command control (I hate walking in sawdust)
US Army National Guard (RET) SFC

stavebuyer

I have done a lot of them with good results; but we cheated by using a dedicated re-saw.

bkaimwood

As already mentioned, everyone is guilty of slabbin heavy, myself included. I agree with Jeff 100%, learn from mistakes and move on. General rule of thumb, open a log for a good 4" face on hardwoods, 6" on softwoods, and don't look back on the rest...
bk

dhp3228

Thanks for all the info and replies and repeats of previously stated info. I appreciate yalls willingness to share. I don't mind rereading information previously stated it just means it's that much more valuable. So I stopped stabbing so heavy today and started milling "glitches" on my eyes to the target cantdimension and that seems to be working better plus I'm milling any fresh slabs right then and there.

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