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40" oak tree to chain saw mill into table tops

Started by josh j, January 31, 2017, 08:48:49 PM

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josh j

I just recently fell this beautiful 42" oak tree.   I plan on purchasing a MS880 and alaskan mill and plan on cutting 3" slabs for table tops.    I am looking for tips on how to slab this out versus the heart cracks(heart crack is T shaped).   Any tips would be great.

Thank you




Darrel

Welcome to the forum josh j. I'm not the one to talk to about slabbing with a chainsaw mill. I have no experience in that area. Hey, where are you from? 
1992 LT40HD

If I don't pick myself up by my own bootstraps, nobody else will.

WV Sawmiller

Josh,

   Welcome to FF. Suggest you update your profile so we know where you are located and such.

   Unless you have other, continuing needs for the 880 and csm why not check to see if there are local sawyers already equipt to do such work in your area. You can check the Extras button here on this site for a local sawyer who might have a slabber to do such work or you can go to the WM site (Sponsor on left) and check their Pro-Sawyer network for local sawyers in your area. Even if they don't have such equipment they may have contacts who do. Good luck.
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

Brad_bb

Welcome.  First go online and order a 5 gallon pail of Anchorseal 2 and seal the ends.  Sealing the end grain is very important to reduce checking.  It will help protect the log while waiting to be milled, and will remain on your slab ends forcing drying to occur through the sides where it will air dry slower and more evenly, to reduce checking.

You'll need a ladder long enough to go past the starting end of the log about a foot and a half at least in order to start your csm cut.  Having it go at least the same amount past the end helps support the saw as you exit the slab cut.  You'll need a bunch of wood wedges to support the ladder in multiple places to make it stable.  Then you'll need some metal strapping from the plumbing section of the hardware store.  It's got all the holes in it.  Lastly you'll need good screws for the strapping.  I use Fastcap Powerhead screws - 1.25 or 1.5".  Remember that your cut needs to be underneath these screws or you'll mess up your ripping chain, and that would not be good.

I recommend granberg alaskan mills.  I have an older one with a 66" bar(which lets me cut about 56").  Do you know how to sharpen chain well?  I use granberg's Precision grinder.  It's a fixture with a small grinder.  Works great when you understand how to use it. 

Try to plan your slabbing cuts so that you box the heart in a slab.  You might get checks in that slab and might not.  If you do, it's a great opportunity to use bowties.  You'll probably get some tiger stripes in that middle slab too and maybe the faces of the two on either side.

Do you just want to make one table?  If so you can just slab one side to get enough slab, then quater saw the rest, or make a boxed heart beam, .....

Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

LeeB

Interesting end grain. Oak looks different in my neck of the woods.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

ladylake



  Looks more like white ash, both the end grain and bark. No matter both are nice wood. Unless your using it that long I'd cut it in  half or a little longer than the planned use, those slabs will be heavy.   Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

killamplanes

The butt cut grains look like a burr oak. The bark more like ash. Trees look a little different other places...
jd440 skidder, western star w/grapple,tk B-20 hyd, electric, stihl660,and 2X661. and other support Equipment, pallet manufacturing line

ozarkgem

Mighty Mite Band Mill, Case Backhoe, 763 Bobcat, Ford 3400 w/FEL , 1962 Ford 4000, Int dump truck, Clark forklift, lots of trailers. Stihl 046 Magnum, 029 Stihl. complete machine shop to keep everything going.

ladylake




I think too much sapwood for burr or white oak, I cut a lot.  Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

Savannahdan

You'll also need some wedges to insert into the cut relieving the weight on the bar and chain. 
Enjoy.
Husqvarna 3120XP, Makita DCS7901 Chainsaw, 30" & 56" Granberg Chain Saw Mill, Logosol M8 Farmers Mill

drobertson

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,

ladylake




  Post oak bark doesn't look like the pic.    Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

drobertson

Does here, wonder where he's located? The growth rings did have some perculier waves,  but to say our post oak often times had sapwood like pictured, that said no wonder why he wants to slabit, nice log!
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,

killamplanes

My burr oak here has that same color and waves. Not so much sap wood. But kinda post oak bark.
jd440 skidder, western star w/grapple,tk B-20 hyd, electric, stihl660,and 2X661. and other support Equipment, pallet manufacturing line

josh j

I am located in Scappoose Oregon.  I have been assuming it's a oak tree, but we do have ash in our field also.  I will probably cut the log in half as it is 18' long now and put anchor seal on the ends, so I can wait for better weather to mill it up.  I did call several Sawyer's in Oregon and no one can handle a log that size on their mill. 

There are many more trees like the on in the picture and even bigger.  Way bigger.  If everything goes well milling up the first tree and drying, I may keep going. 

Would stacking/S ticketing in a 20' connex to air dry be good?  I am concerned that it would be to airtight

Thank for the comments.

Andries

Quote from: josh j on February 02, 2017, 10:58:54 AM
Would stacking/S ticketing in a 20' connex to air dry be good?  I am concerned that it would be to airtight
Is a "connex" a shipping container?
If yes, then your concerns are real.
That wet wood will turn the container into a mushroom factory in short order.
Sticker and stack outdoors, with salvage metal roofing on top, with lots of overhang.
X2 on the anchor seal.
Three inch slabs will take more than a year and a half to dry down to about 20% moisture content.
Probably more like three years.
Have you considered building a solar kiln for your slabs?
LT40G25
Ford 545D loader
Stihl chainsaws

WV Sawmiller

   I'm not the go-to guy for wood drying but I would think you could stack and sticker in a connex if you had plenty of ventilation in there to keep the air moving and the moisture pulled out as the slabs dry. Might even put a dehydrator in there to help remove the moisture just be sure to keep the ends well sealed and not to dry too quickly and cause the wood to split.
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

drobertson

Its some kind of oak! At this point who cares,  its pretty stuff,  solid too.
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,

Jesper Jepsen

My take on that log would be to mount the ladder so that it's parallel with the center of the log, Then I would cut above (or beyond)  the vertical heart line and by that split the log. The piece with the heart line and the stem of the T I would use a Alaskan minimil to quarter and then mill into boards. The other heart free part I then would mill into planks.
It takes a lot of gas and time to do such big logs and not forgetting something to move the planks with. This is an application where a skip tooth ripping chain may come in handy to keep the chain speed up or to use a dual powerhead setup.

Jesper

Darrel

That does look very much like the ash that grows here in Oregon. Anchor seal it and I'll come help you saw it before the weather gets too hot.
1992 LT40HD

If I don't pick myself up by my own bootstraps, nobody else will.

RPowers

Quote from: ladylake on February 01, 2017, 10:07:37 AM



  Post oak bark doesn't look like the pic.    Steve

Looks exactly like Post oak bark around here, butt cut too. Sometimes the Post's here have a more platey bark, but not always.
2013 Woodmizer LT28G25 (sold 2016)
2015 Woodmizer LT50HDD47

ladylake


  http://www.carolinanature.com/trees/quma6.html

        Nothing like the bark  in the pic plus way too much sapwood for any oak                              Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

LeeB

I can't see any rays in the picture and Oregon is a long way from it's native range.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Clark

Nice log! It will be interesting to see that thing opened up.

I never saw much ash when I was out there but everything about that trees looks like the native Garry oak (Quercus garryana) that grows out there.

Clark
SAF Certified Forester

ladylake

Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

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