Working with Raw Timber

[Ken Louis]

I've never worked with raw timber before. Had a couple questions I was hoping someone could help me with.

Just had a large maple(??) tree professionally cut down in our backyard a week or so ago. Really wanted to save the trunk, but it was just too large and cumbersome. The 3 sections I saved are all approx. 12" in diameter, 7-9 ft. in length, and reasonably straight (see pics below).

I'd like to cut this timber into some usable raw lumber. Is there a how-to guide or a link that someone could refer me to that may go into some detail on how to do it?

FWIW, I have a 17" 2 hp bandsaw, 14" planer, 10" 1 1/2 hp table saw, and 6" jointer. Is this too much of a project for the relatively light-duty equipment I have?

Thoughts? Opinions?

Thanks!

(??) Anybody have any idea what kind of maple this is?

[Kevin Bourque]

You're going to have to get it cut up somehow. Do you have a truck? You could take them to a sawmill of theres one nearby.

[Richard Coers]

Maybe silver maple? Looks like soft maple of some variety. Are these limb sections? The pith does seem centered, so maybe trunk sections. Limb sections have lots of reaction wood, and the lumber can twist a lot. There is a book called Harvesting Urban Timber. It is out of print, so used copies bring close to $40. Maybe your local library can get you a copy to read. Fine Woodworking has done articles over the years, so search their data base. Many ways to cut it up. Chain saw with rip chain (look at Granberg mills, Logosol, or lots of homemade rigs), local guy with a little Wood-mizer, or some rig like the Timber Master from Laguna. The Timber Master is huge money, but it may give you an idea on how to use a bandsaw to cut logs. After you sticker it and let it air dry for a while, it's going to have to be dried with some heat. I stack lumber in the attic of my garage, other use an insulated box, a small heater, and a dehumidifier to lower the moisture content. Google will be your friend. Also a site called Forestry Forum, and it has a wealth of information and a really friendly crowd of small timber and lumber guys.

[Dave Lehnert]

Limb wood is not the best to use for lumber. Trunk wood is what lumber is made from.
If you are interested in the book "Harvesting Urban Timber" that the post above talked about. http://harvestingurbantimber.com/ The author is local here and a Woodworking store here in town had them on the rack not long ago. May want to give them a call (he has a toll free line) and see if they have in stock. He has an on-line store but not everything is listed.
http://www.hardwoodlumberandmore.com/Default.aspx

[Tom Fischer]

If you go to youtube and search for "band saw a log" you will find a few videos on cutting stump lumber.
Your logs look a big bigger, but same concept, limited only by your band saw and the size of a sled you can make + infeed/outfeed tables.
You might also need a chain hoist to get the logs up onto the sled.

I have a black cherry coffee table which has legs (pin cherry) that came out of my firewood pile.
This is America. You can do what you want. :)
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[Al Weber]

Well, you either have to move the tree to your shop and get some help to lift it onto your band saw or you have to move it to a mill somewhere or you need to bring a mill to the tree. Those logs must weigh several hundred pounds each so just lifting them onto a bandsaw in the shop is going to require some assistance, either manpower or equipment power. Frankly, given the size of them, they won't yield a lot of lumber but certainly there is an emotional element to milling them and using them for a project. You could locate a chain saw mill to do them where they lay. Even purchasing one including a used chain saw will cost you several hundred dollars but you can always sell it later or use it for other milling. Personally I would make firewood out of them.

[Bryan Cramer]

I don't know much about raw timber, but I took some short 12" firewood logs and cut them into boards with my Rigid 14" bandsaw:eek:. Your bandsaw is not as cheap as mine was. If you spend time and make a jig and use infeed and outfeed support it will work good enough. Look online, in books or magazines for a jig idea. You will have to spend time build it. Get a good resaw blade and a spare because you will never know what you might hit. I'd say go for it.

[Rod Sheridan]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?182034-Making-Lumber-on-a-Bandsaw

Hi, please view the above thread on making lumber with a bandsaw.

First thing I would suggest is to cut them into 4 foot lengths and put log sealer on immediately to reduce cracking.

Making lumber on the bandsaw is easy, just make ajig and a couple of tables as illustrated in my thread...........Have fun.........Rod.

[Ken Louis]

Kevin, Richard, Dave, Tom, Al, Bryan, and Rod, wow, thank you for your helpful, informative replies!

Richard, Dave, you asked whether these were limb sections. All three pieces were *vertical* on the tree. They formed somewhat of a tight-angled Y above the main trunk. So, not sure if they qualify as trunk or limb.

Rod's post (and pics) about sawing some smallish sections of raw ash was interesting. Similar in theme to Tom and Bryan's post. If I cut my 7-9 ft sections down to 3-4 ft. it would certainly make the process easier. Tom, that BC coffee table looks awesome. You used firewood?! Very nice!

Al, my girlfriend agrees with you--it'll make good firewood! Plus, I think you're right, there is a part of me that would like to "rough-it" for the emotional element that you mentioned.

In all honestly, after reading everbody's posts, I'm beginning to think using this timber (for other than firewood) may be wishful thinking on my part. Not sure if I realistically have the time, space, and patience, to saw, cut, and dry everything. But, I'm in no rush to decide. Who knows, maybe in the spring . . .

Thanks again . . . and to one and all, a Merry Christmas!

[Morey St. Denis]

Yeah, whatever you end up doing will take a bit of time in the planning and execution. If you want any hope of retaining useful lumber for projects, get some green wood sealant on those cut ends ASAP; especially with the lower ambiant humidity prevalent during this season. If you don't have a wax emulsion based, green wood sealant readily at hand, you can also employ left-over latex house paints, most any other wood finish such as varnish, shellac, or the polyurethanes. Even most white aliphatic wood glues such as carpenters glue or elmers will do a fine job of preventing the quick formation of end checks.