Dimensions?

[Sweetgum]

My dad surprised me with a call tonight!! He had a busy day:eusa_clap

He has the following down and ready for processing (all are straight, no crotches, with at least the first 10' clear of limbs on all specimens).

1 Walnut—18" at butt, 26' long, 12" at tip
1 Red Oak—24" at butt, 36' long, 18" at tip
1 Cedar—30" at butt, 26' long, 20 " at tip

I've also asked him to find a maple (either silver or red—soft maple, don't know that I've ever seen a sugar maple on our property), and if he can't, to take me down a nice poplar (try finding one of those in the SE that isn't straight, hehe).

What I am curious about, since I've not had logs sawn before, are what dimensions am I most likely going to need; rather, if you all had the option, how would you have it sawn up (4/4, 8/4, 12/4, etc.). I'm planning to have the RO 1/4sawn. Should I just have it all sawn 4/4 (1 1/8 rough, as I'm able to specify dimensions with the sawyer)?? Should I have each section of tree sawn differently? Should I leave it to the sawyer's discretion?

What board lengths should I ask for? 8, 12, 14, combinations of those based on total log length?

This is in Gilbert, SC (west of Columbia) and will be taken to a local sawyer that has a bandsaw mill.

We have enough empty hay barns to store the lumber 20X over, so it will be stickered out of the elements.

I'd appreciate any and all suggestions. I'm not planning on selling any of it; though, of course, based on my future needs I may trade some of it down the road for other lumber depending on the project and don't want to devalue the lumber based on my chosen saw "schedule".

 

[DaveO]

I would say all 4/4. You can always laminate boards to get thicker stock. I also would say 8' lengths, you don't see things built that are much taller than 8'. By doing that you could keep uniformity in your new stock which can give you more predictable drying and easier stacking/stickering.
But all that said the sawyer probably knows the best way to get the best yield from your logs, I am sure that he has more experience than I.
Dave

 

[Travis Porter]

I would cut them a bit longer than 8 ft to CYA for checking. Sticker them for sure. For stickering, I used old tobacco sticks, but the sawyer will cut some for you but they will be wet and can and will stain the wood (learned that the hard way). Be sure to paint the ends with a sealant or like I did with latex paint. As for thickness, I would suggest probably 70 percent 4/4, 20 percent 8/4 and 10 percent 12/4 roughly. Percentages may be off, but the majority would be 4/4 if it was me. My .02

 

[greggso]

Brad, I agree with the 8' length for all --and the 4/4 is probably a good one for thickness. Dave has probably the best insight- the sawyer will know best given the nature of the wood that he will see first hand. One additional thought: I do antique reproductions and I pay a lot for wood that is thick enough to use for legs -if I had a whole set of trees to work with from scratch, it would be tempting to have some 8/4 or even some 12/4 for things such as farm table legs. I would think about the kinds, or styles, of projects I would most likely want to do- and the range of dimensions that those projects would imply- and talk to the sawyer about options available. I am envious. Have fun!

 

[DaveO]

For stickering, I used old tobacco sticks, but the sawyer will cut some for you but they will be wet and can and will stain the wood (learned that the hard way).

My buddy with the mill recommended ripping either 2 x 4 or 1 x 6s to get your stickers. They are generally dry enough, and are relatively cheap. Make sure to cut them all at the same dimension. The stickers pay a very important part in allowing your lumber to dry true.
Dave