Righty tighty, Lefty loosey

[ARKANSAWYER]

  Ok here it goes.  I missed some good deer hunting trying to find twisty trees of the same type so it would  be easy to tell.  Of course when you are looking for something  you do not find it.  While taking one picture I moved around the tree to get a better angle with the light and jumped an eight point buck.  But I did get a better picture.
  This is left hand twist.


  This is one where the bark runs straight up.


  And this one shows a slight right twist.


  GrandPa taught me that you put your hands on the tree with your thumbs together and fingers spread out.  Then you can see if the pattern of the bark follows one hand or the other or goes straight up.  Trees with bad twist are not hard to spot unless you are looking for one to take a photo.
  I hope this helps.
ARKANSAWYER

[etat]

Thanks Arky.   Been kinda wonderin about that ever since ya brought it up the first time all that twisting around and all and what it done meant.

But now...........why that there just clears everything up perfectly.

Who'd a thought!

[TN_man]

Arky, thanks for bringing this up! I believe that old timers (like your Grandpa, not you) have alot that we should take a listening to. Is he saying that it is not good for use in timber-framing or other forms of construction or in use in general? If I understand what your saying is that the grain that goes to the left will run away from the heart therefore making spilts run deep into the heart of the wood and making it weak.
I appreciate the pics.

[Murf]

Interesting stuff indeed. Clever fellow that Grandpa of yours.

Now if he had just taught you to shoot the deer, THEN take the pictures of the trees ........  :D :D :D

Oh well, I'll bet the buck was happy ...  8)

[leweee]

Arky... you just passen the buck here : or is you tryen to teach us somethin here :D :D :D

[AtLast]

I think Ron would best answer this BUT...as Im sure all of you know , each and every log is like a box of chocolate....that opening face tells ALL the tale....like the weather each log is unpredictable to a certian extent....I have found that I am able to do pretty good on sugar maple logs and their " TELL TALE SIGNS"...YET....ya never REALLY know what youre going to encounter untill you choose that first cut and go for it....

[Gilman]

Why do you choose the best face of the log to start on?

[Jeff]

When I am sawing grade I always saw best first.

[beenthere]

Sounds right, as the good face is where the good money is. Like taking the cream off the top.  
I like that analogy to a log being like a box of chocolates. Take the good ones first as someone else might get them if you leave them 'til last (or is that 'AtLast')......

[Norm]

I was taught by some pretty good sawyers to put the best face up to open a log, cut until I start going down in grade or tension shows. If I get one with some taper that needs taken out I'll put the worst face up and slab it heavy to remove taper. Some days I'll get a log that looks great but every face will have a defect show no matter how careful I am. Seems like every time I saw I'm learning, that's what keeps it fun.

[Kelvin]

THanks for the pics arksawyer, hope i can remeber which end was the but on my beams to see if its left hand or right.  Still worried, as the code says grain can only come off the edge 1" in 10" or so, nothing about which way it comes off.  
Kelvin

[beenthere]

Kelvin
The codes say 1" in 10" max for strength reasons, and I don't believe a right 'tighty' or left 'loosey' (spiral grain) makes any difference to this grading procedure for strength determination. The right or left grain has, the best I can figure from Arky's description, affect on the way the beams from these trees 'untwist' (I think it is actually an indirect effect of the total spiral in the tree, but it would take a ton of study to prove it one way or another).
(What I am thinking is trees indicating left spiral don't have underlying right spiral to counter balance the 'untwisting' when drying. Trees with right spiral have underlying left spiral, so there is a counterbalance when drying that tends to leave a normal untwisted beam. This would fit Arky's Grandpa's advice and experience.
I could be all wet here, so just use it for continued thought.)

[crosscut]

so where is the 8 point ??

[ARKANSAWYER]

  When you get a log in the twist is the same no matter which end you are  standing on.  Right is right and left is left no matter which end you stand on.   Once you learn to look for it it will stand out like a cat face.
  Most of my leftys get cut into 4/4 since it has less effect on the finished product.  
  As for that buck I would not have shot him any way.  The deer season has just started here and the weather is nice when it is not raining.  I get up in my Tree Lounge and sleep like a baby.  The season is long here and I can take 3 deer so there is no sense in using up a good excuse to get some good sleep, I mean go deer hunting.  My wife is very sweet but it is hard to convence her I need to go deer hunting when there are 3 deer in the freezer already and I am not even taking a gun.  ;D
ARKANSAWYER

[leweee]

Arky ....I'm all for that kind a hunten....sounds good...now wheres my hamock : :D :D :D

[TN_man]

Leweee,
How do folks in Canada hunt if they can not have guns? I have just been wondering.

[pappy]

Righty tighty, Lefty loosey -- except on gas -- propane or liquid that is  ;D

[Murf]

TN, who says we can't have guns ?

The politicians just passed a law that says we have to have them registered.  :P

It also says sumptin' about not pointin' 'em guns at politicians either  :D  :D  :D

I think it also forbids the use of tan & white furry camo. suits for mother-in-laws too, but I don't know if that provision has come into effect yet.  

[leweee]

TN & Murf....#&^%$#@ DanG gun registry...don't get me started  A prime example of why gun control  don't work.Politicians siding with the majority "feels good"laws with no teeth. A true mess the rest of the world should use as an example. :P

An old timer was asked how he liked his venison.With a big grin he said "poached". I don't think he meant "boiled"  ;D

[Murf]

Leweee, what in tarnation is there to hunt way down yonder there where you live anyways, is there an open season on fruit trees or something?  :D  :D

Or do you have to head up towards Brantford and hunt those tabbacker fields?

[TN_man]

I'm sorry for the misunderstanding! I thought I read on another thread that guns had been taken away. Thanks for straightening me out. :

[Buzz-sawyer]

TN,
I think it also forbids the use of tan & white furry camo. suits for mother-in-laws too, but I don't know if that provision has come into effect yet.  

Murf , you mean disguised as a female dog.... ;)

[Murf]

Buzz, welllllll, errrrr....... uhmmmmm, yeah, yeah, that's it, that's what I meant.  :D  :D

[iain]

just had to learn to upload again this help illustrate  righty, lefty