# Drying whole logs



## Daren

This question gets brought up here, and a lot in personal emails. People ask about when to saw a log after felling, I always say asap. Now there are _some_ species that will lay awhile with no degrade, but I still say asap is best.

There is a common misconception that logs should be "seasoned" before milling...:no: Wive's tale (probably started by a sawyer too busy to get to them right away :shifty

And I get questions about "How long will it take to dry a whole log...like a few months ?" :no: Try years.

Example: I took these pictures of some logs in my yard waiting to be milled. I am doing some log moving/getting them in the order I want to mill them. I took a shot of a cherry log cut the same time, now I cannot find it on the camera :huh: Now it's buried, so no picture, it too was sprouting new limbs.

These logs were cut late winter/early spring (several months ago)...they think they are still alive and are sprouting. I guess that should give you a clue as to the length of time a log is going to "dry whole"...awhile.

Of course there is the whole spalting thing and some of my logs lay for years on purpose to "rot". And I know like I said a few species can lay awhile and the heartwood still be good (assuming bugs didn't invade) like walnut, cherry, cedar, osage, elm, black locust, white oak....others I mill the day/week I get them like ash, maple, spruce...

Anyway before I knocked the sprouts off log moving I thought I would snap some pictures so I can refer to it the next time someone asks me "How long will it take to dry a whole log ?" or "Should I let the log dry before milling ?" No, it don't work that way. Mill the log into lumber and let the lumber dry.


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## beelzerob

That's a bit crazy. Never seen that before. Good info though.

I was considering waiting a bit to cut up some of these black locust billets I got, just so I could have time to think of what I wanted to make from them, because then I'd know whether to cut big 4 X 4 lengths, or go all 1" planks. I guess the simple answer is to come some of each and have a variety, and at least get them started drying.


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## Daren

You think that is crazy...I had a stupid cottonwood log that sprouted twice. It was cut in the summer, sprouted that fall, they died over the winter. Then it did it again the next spring. :huh:


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## del schisler

Daren said:


> You think that is crazy...I had a stupid cottonwood log that sprouted twice. It was cut in the summer, sprouted that fall, they died over the winter. Then it did it again the next spring. :huh:


i used to live in illinois around peoria or Galesburg I cut some tember and have that happen Sprouts They just don't want to give up The big cottonwood trees along the river sure are big And in the fall they sure let loose with their seed's Make's me want to be back in the tember on the river fishing But been in South florida for 30 some yrs now Don't miss the snow Oh well got to be somewhere Keep sawing del


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## jeffreythree

That is about like planting cottonwood cutting, put stick in ground and watch it sprout. These were this May:


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## beelzerob

Well, I'm sorry for having doubted you Darren. Found this yesterday.









Apparently these weren't billets of wood, these huge round things are black locust seeds!!


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## Daren

See I wasn't pulling your leg. My sprouts are still growing...heck before long I may have trees big enough to mill, just from the ''sprouts'' :blink:. If you look at the last picture that log has been down long enough the bark is ready to fall off, it's loose...and it is still sprouting.


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## greg4269ub

Hey there every one been a while since i popped in. I have a willow sprouting now just like the photos you guys posted except there are hundreds of little ones coming off if the log in all directions. Is there any chance this will give any figure to the wood inside?


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## Daren

greg4269ub said:


> Is there any chance this will give any figure to the wood inside?


I would say no more than usual. Yea willow is one of them that sprout for sure. Willow is a very fascinating plant period. Like Jeff did in a post above I have planted willow switches in a waterway to stop erosion. Just clipped some twigs, stuck them in the ground and they took off and grew into trees.

I am also into gardening and house plants. "Willow water" is a good cloning/rooting agent. You can force plants cuttings to root with it. I did it with some peppers for the garden and a jade plant cutting indoors.


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## gabriel

a friend sent me this link and said that you guys would be the ones to ask... i was thinking about building a log bed but was unsure about weather i needed to dry the logs or not.. oh im using ceder seeing how Ive got an abundance of that... any help would be Appreciated. thanks


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## ETWW

gabriel said:


> a friend sent me this link and said that you guys would be the ones to ask... i was thinking about building a log bed but was unsure about weather i needed to dry the logs or not.. oh im using ceder seeing how Ive got an abundance of that... any help would be Appreciated. thanks


I would let them dry for a few months before building with them, just to let the bulk of the shrinkage occur first. Peel the bark off before drying because that's where the bugs like to live and Cedar sapwood will get infested easily.


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## gabriel

*now on to step two*

well looks like that's out the way used a draw knife to knock off the bark now just have to figure the easiest way to join them.. oh thanks ETWW for the help, means a lot..


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## wood player

absolutly correct dry wood as lumber only unless you are building a log home and that dryness is relitive


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