# Milling Short Logs



## daxinarian (Sep 8, 2008)

Do you guys have any advice on milling short logs?

I have a couple of logs that are between 30" and 45" long. The guy I talked to with a portable saw mill says he doesn't think he can cut logs shorter than 4' because of the spacing of the supports... Do you all have any advice on things we can do to cut these shorties? The biggest log (number 1) is an oval 28"x18" and I was really hoping to get some nice wide planks out of it (although 20" wide might be the max, it is apparently 2 trunks that grew together and there is a deadzone in it). These are all Hackberry logs. Also, anything special I should know about using/drying hackberry?

I attached some pictures of my log pile:


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*You must see this thread!*

The title is a little confusing but the info is good, if I say so myself! :laughing: 
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/best-way-use-reclaimed-lumber-13104/#post102303
and this one if you have a bandsaw:http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f27/resaw-sled-7552/
bill


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## slabmaster (Mar 30, 2008)

I cut them shorter than that often with my csm.It is the most versitle mill there is.It will cut them short or it will cut them 100 ft. long doesn't matter.That's why i have one.


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## dirtclod (May 7, 2008)

If you're really determined it can be done. A horizontal bandmill will beat other methods in all aspects. But you need to find out if it is worth your effort and if you can find a bandmill operator willing to take on the job. As you found out, the problem milling a log shorter than 4' is that it won't span the bunks. Even a 4' log can give you problems as most mills can't support more than one log dog (its a type of clamp that holds the log sable) and on knee (kind of backstop) per each 4' bunk. The answer lies in building a spanning jig and convincing the mill operator to use it. There's several designs that'll work and its a DYI project. Can you work a deal with the operator?

Hackberry is in the elm family. Its not popular as wood goes but has some fans. It's soft, rot prone, starts turning gray the moment its cut and I think it has interlocking grain. But I have never milled it and I'm pulling all that from memory. The point is: How badly do you want this wood? I can provide more info but its getting late so I'll check back tomorrow and will provide more info if you're still interested.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Like dirtclod said it is going to discolor pretty quick unless you live far north where the weather is already cooling off. If you do any turning or have any turner friends that could be a good thing, if you have room stick a few of the logs in the shade someplace and next year you could have some neat looking spalt.









The guy you talked to about having them milled told you right, that short they would be hard to mill. Not impossible just time consuming, time=$. If you have/have access to a larger upright shop bandsaw or chainsaw mill like was mentioned, hackberry poses no out of the ordinary drying problems as far a movement. It will sticker stain like maple if you don't have good air movement around/through the stack though.


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## daxinarian (Sep 8, 2008)

Thanks for the replys so far. The pile in the pictures is ~300 bd ft, and much of it is already spalted, unfortunately the short logs account for ~100 bd ft of it. I don't "need" this wood, but the guy with the sawmill is willing to cut it for around $35 per hundred bd ft. I hate the idea of throwing good wood away (which is why I am a little ticked with the people who cut the tree down, I specifically stated I wanted them 4 to 6 ft long). I was hoping to build some built-in book cases and/or desk with the wood and love the idea that the wood came from my own backyard.

I do have a bandsaw, and I recently got the riser kit so I have ~12" resaw capacity (assuming I am very patient with the 3/4 hp motor), but 12" just isn't going to cut it for what I think is going to be the most spectacular log of the bunch which is 18" x 28" wide. I did resaw a smaller piece, and the spalting is definetly present (see for yourselves):

The only idea I have come up with for dealing with the short logs is to make a flat on them and use some 1/2" lag bolts to attach them to a piece of 3/4" plywood (bad idea?).
Any links to a spanning jig?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*You Tube has some great videos;;;*





 
Electric Band Mill:


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## Julian the woodnut (Nov 5, 2008)

That electric bandsaw looks like a great idea! With all his tinkering ability, you think a blade guard would have been built! I bet a 3 phase motor would just hum right along without much fuss.


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## slabmaster (Mar 30, 2008)

I tried to cut short ones in half with my chainsaw mill then resaw on my 14" bandsaw but the those bandsaws don't have a way to lube the blade when cutting green wood and don't work very good as the blade gets coated too fast with sap.If you look at your pic, you will see where the blade burned in places in the cut.And cutting wide boards wound be even woest.I just use my csm when the wood is green now.


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## dirtclod (May 7, 2008)

There's a lot of homemade jigs out there but I don't have links. By coincidence another member posted his unique approach: http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f26/jig-short-logs-blocks-13199/#post103639

You can gain some inspiration from his. But most are simply a piece of wood to span the bunks with built in mill stops. Knees and dogs (2 of each) are worked out on a case by case basis. Generally they are cobbled togather.

I'd be careful using lags as they damage the wood and can present a hazard to the blade.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Dax,

Did you end up getting all the logs milled?


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## daxinarian (Sep 8, 2008)

He is coming on Sunday. Apparently he has a smaller mill back at his place so they are going to get milled there... I will try to take pictures while we are milling (I say we, but I think the only thing I will be doing is lifting and moving wood)


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## daxinarian (Sep 8, 2008)

*update*

So he came out on Sunday and we started milling the largest dia log, it was actually 46" long which was just long enough to catch the hold downs on the machine. Unfortunately the device that sets the thickness of each cut was not working right so there is a bit of variation between each piece. To make matters worse, once he finished cutting the first log, the mill stopped going "down", so he could only raise the blade... He has a call in to get it fixed and is planning on coming back next weekend to finish the job (with either his fixed mill or his old manual mill).

I will try to get some pictures of the boards that were successfully milled in the next day or so.


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