# Cutting my teeth on cutting logs



## GISer3546 (Jan 30, 2013)

I've managed to become acquainted with a tree surgeon who has given me a pair of fairly large black cherry trees. I've gotten one and am getting the other this afternoon. Here's what I have so far:









Once the logs have sat for 24 hours I'll be adding a coat of latex paint to the ends so they'll last while I get my milling in order. I have a 1.75 HP Laguna 14-12 with a 1/2" 3tpi HSS blade, as well as a 5hp 220v 20" Sunhill planer and I'm wondering if I would be able to handle what I have in front of me. I am planning to sharpen my planer blades and add a dust separator stage to my dust collector but I'm wondering if an upgrade to a carbide tipped bandsaw blade would make this process significantly easier, or at least enough so to validate the $200 price. Anyone ever used a carbide bs blade for milling?

Obviously I'm also in need of some ideas for inexpensive material handling given my garage shop and the significant weight of these logs. 

Other than the saw blade I'm just wanting to make sure I'm not missing anything here, and to be sure I'm not going to be looking at a giant heavy pile of ruined stock in a year or so.


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## Post Oakie (Aug 20, 2013)

It looks like a lot of your wood is from limbs, which will have stress in them and warp as they dry. Your three largest diameter logs look to have the most potential (though it is hard to tell from the photo). The others are probably not worth milling. As long as the logs are clean (no dirt), you should do fine with the 1/2" 3tpi blade you have. Run them over a jointer first, to give two flat perpendicular sides, and take your time. Stack them so they get good air circulation to air dry, and you should wind up with some usable cherry.


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## GISer3546 (Jan 30, 2013)

Heres the second haul:









The bigges seems to be about 14" diameter with most between 10" and 12".


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## Post Oakie (Aug 20, 2013)

Looks like a good haul, well worth milling. Have you considered a chain saw mill-- at least to get them down to a size you can handle on your band saw? My guess is that once you get started, you'll be doing a lot more milling! The Oct/Nov issue of Woodcraft magazine had an article about using backyard trees.


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## walnutavenue (Nov 9, 2011)

I know it would pain you to cut those logs into shorter lengths... but that's my method for making them light enough to move to the band saw. Cut them 36" long and most of those will be manageable. The ones that aren't you can freehand rip them with a chainsaw, and the halves will be manageable. Obviously a chainsaw mill would be helpful, but it can be done without one... and with some practice you might be surprised how straight you can cut.

Most furniture is 32"-35" tall, which means that rough cut 36" boards are sufficient for a lot of your materials needs. You'll have to buy lumber for all the larger parts like table tops, but all those short pieces will keep you from using up all the purchased lumber on small pieces. And if you do have serious warping problems while milling/drying it, a 3ft board warps a lot less than a 6ft board does.

If you prefer not to cut the logs shorter I completely get it, but that's what I'd do with 'em.


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## GISer3546 (Jan 30, 2013)

I have looked into chainsaw milling and what with my obvious lack of space and the fact that I need a chainsaw anyway I do plan on doing it sometime soon but I my plans always fall apart when selecting the saw since they end up being $500 to $1,700. Granted I don't have any heavy moving equipment so being able to bring the saw to the logs and break them down for easier movement wold be nice, but that leaves the question of what the biggest log I want to mill would be, and picking the right saw to match. 

For the time being I've picked out a Lenox 3/4" 2 tpi carbon steel blade I'll be using on my Laguna for milling. But my next issue is the roller stands too support the logs before and after they go through the saw. I have quite a few roller bearings that didn't work for a previous project but I'll need to put together something that is 38" tall (the height of my saw), can support several hundred pounds, and won't take over the entirety of my single car garage shop.


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## cedarheaven69 (Feb 27, 2015)

These short logs will dry rather quickly. I would use the Chainsaw Mill to cut "Cants" to square them up. Then paint the ends for sealing. Place stickers about every foot with stickers placed at the ends of your stacked squared units. This also helps in the air drying of hardwood. Be sure to place something very heavy on top of your units to help in keeping the cants from twisting while drying. Your most important part of making these into useable lumber is the Drying!


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