# How can I cut walnut logs



## kwolfe (Jan 9, 2014)

So my brother put in a pool last year and had to take down a walnut as part of the excavation. What remains is two logs aobut 8' long and about 18" wide. Knowing that I just started woodworking he said "You should make it into boards".

So these question is, without breaking the bank, what are my options here. I have a 20" poulan chain saw that I got about 10 years ago and thats it. 

I saw a bunch of stuff online aobut how to split it into quarters by hand. The question is, then what do I do with it. I don't hae a band saw, and would need a pretty big one to handle over a 6" cut.

Also, I'm not apposed to sawing by hand. I know this would take a while, but I figure I could do an hour at a time here and there until its done.

I also wouldn't be adverse to paying someone to cut them, but I can't move them and really wouldn't want to throw more than $100-$150 at it.

Any thoughts?


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## Tom King (Nov 22, 2013)

What is your location?


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## 44260 (Aug 29, 2013)

Search You Tube for "chain saw mills" to see if this is something you can or are willing to do. Then search Amazon.com or a Google search to purchase one. Northerntool.com has a mill that should fit your saw for $150. Make sure you keep the blade sharp and plenty of bar oil


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## kwolfe (Jan 9, 2014)

I'm in south central PA. I saw the chainsaw mills. I guess I would need the rig plus a rip tooth chain.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

If you decide to cut the logs into quarters, you can bring them over to my place to cut into boards on my 17in bandsaw.

Could be a good reason to come over for the hand plane discussion.


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## TomC (Oct 27, 2008)

Find a local band saw mill and have them cut into boards. Should not be that expensive.
Tom


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*beware of walnut logs*

I was given a small walnut tree for the favor of sawing it down. There was very little straight grained knot free wood in the length I got. I cut them into 4 ft length or so so I could lift them around by hand. Then I quartered them and sawed them into planks on my 18" bandsaw.
It was a lot of work for a little useable lumber. 

Find a portable sawmiller who you can bring them to OR have them come out to cut them. Friends of friends are better than the Yellow Pages in my experience. :yes:


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## Tom the Sawyer (Sep 4, 2012)

kwolfe,

You'll get more boards out of those logs if you have them milled with a bandsaw. 18" small end diameter (inside the bark) x 8' logs should yield about 110 board feet each. At my mill 220 bf milled at 4/4 would cost about $99 + sales tax. Milled at 8/4 would run about $77. It depends on the actual board footage. Some mills work by the hour and some have minimums, you'll just have to check them.

There are quite a few mills in Pennsylvania and there are several 'sawmill finder' sites that might help you. Not all sawyers join all of the sites so I would check several sites to find someone reasonably close to your home. PM if you would like some links.


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## Tom King (Nov 22, 2013)

On the Woodmizer site alone, I found 39 owners with portable sawmills in Pa.

http://www.woodmizer.com/us/ResourceCenter/FindaCustomSawyer.aspx

It would be cheaper to get someone to come saw them up, than to buy a chainsaw mill and all the stuff you would need to get that going.


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