Whittling on some ittty-bitty logs...

[DaveO]

I think DaveO will want the stump for his lathe.

Or at least a hunk, and some of the boards too :eusa_danc:eusa_danc:eusa_danc

Dave

 

[Jon]

Or at least a hunk, and some of the boards too :eusa_danc:eusa_danc:eusa_danc

Dave

Naw man make one large bowl :eusa_danc:lol:

 

[Ivey]

Never thought much about using it for that Scott. Bet it would work.
We would need to make sure that the chain was long enough or the boat would take on water at that corner:eusa_doh::-D

 

[scsmith42]

The first word that came to mind was "crikey!" Now that really puts it in perspective.

So - couple of questions. Trees that big obviously result in more boards, and are more valuable. But, considering you need extra heavy equipment, is it still profitable? Is there an "optimum" size for a tree? And does a bigger tree, on average, yield better lumber?

Bas, most commercial mills cannot handle logs over 36" - 42" or thereabouts. Only a fraction of logs are larger than that, and it cost more in terms of blades, equipment, etc to be able to handle the exceptional logs.

Re profittability, in the time that it takes me to handle these large logs, someone like Jeff or Ivey could cut as much or more lumber from smaller, more manageable logs. From what I've seen, the only opportunity for the really big stuff is the upscale market where folks are willing to pay for something that's out of the ordinary. I like them because they're different, and I enjoy doing things that are cool and unusual.

Re "better" lumber, larger is not always better, as often times the older the tree the more liklihood that it has some type of disease or bugs. The ideal range around here seems to be around 40 - 60 years old. The real value is in the quality of the sawlogs, and the amount of clear lumber in them. The highest value logs are veneer quality logs, and these are not necessarily ultra large logs.

One nice thing about large oak logs though is the opportunity to obtain extra wide quartersawn boards from them, and still box the heart into a beam to eliminate the pith in the board.

Dave, unfortunately the stump went to some funky dude that lives down the road from the site. I think that he's going to make some type of yard art out of it... Wish that I'd known that you were interested - I could have grabbed it for you.. It's heavy though - I had to saw about 12" off of the top so that the the track hoe could pick it up and load it!

Ivey - <grin> All in good fun! The last time that my '05 F350 died, the tow truck that came and hauled it in was a Dodge! Talk about embarrassing...

Scott

 

[scsmith42]

Mike, unfortunately I did not think to grab the stumps. Most of us sawmill folks tend to stay away from them because the dirt/grit dulls our blades, and I've already got too many unfinished projects laying around as it is!

 

[WoodWrangler]

Well, I'm behind the times a bit ... but holy smokes, that's is (or was) some huge tree. Can't wait to see the lumber you get out of that!

 

[DaveO]

Dave, unfortunately the stump went to some funky dude that lives down the road from the site. I think that he's going to make some type of yard art out of it... Wish that I'd known that you were interested - I could have grabbed it for you.. Scott

That's cool, I like funky dudes, and funky stump yard art. I still would like in on some of the boards. The wide QS stock is what popped in my mind when I saw the size of that tree. Maybe even some book matched 6/4-8/4 slabs with natural edges :eusa_pray

Dave

 

[jeff...]

Jeff - it measures six feet five inches across the base of the log... The two logs on the trailer weigh over six tons... each!

There's over 2,800 board feet of lumber in those two logs.

And then there are the red oak logs from the other four trips that I made... they're not quite as large as the pin oak but are still in the 36 - 44" range.

Not a bad couple of days work!

Must be some big ones you look like a little guy standing on that stump :-D You and the boys planning on quartering all that oak? Old trees like that should produce some nice ray flakes.

Been thinking a little about what you mentioned above and leaving a 6x6 pith ridden cant. The more I think about it the more it makes lots of sense on those bigger logs, so I drew it out and it looks like it'll work out great.

 

[scsmith42]

Must be some big ones you look like a little guy standing on that stump :-D You and the boys planning on quartering all that oak? Old trees like that should produce some nice ray flakes.

Been thinking a little about what you mentioned above and leaving a 6x6 pith ridden cant. The more I think about it the more it makes lots of sense on those bigger logs, so I drew it out and it looks like it'll work out great.

Jeff, I'm thinking about milling it in a slightly modified way from your drawing. I'm afraid that my computer drawing skills are not quite as nice as yours, but you get the drift. This should generate an even higher percentage of the premium figured boards (PS - the bottom would be milled similarly to the top; I'd just have to rotate the log 180 degrees after I milled off the top 60%):

 

[scsmith42]

Dave, consider some bookmatched boards "reserved" for you. Send me a wish list so that I can set it aside.

I may delay on milling the largest logs until I obtain a dedicated slabber. I'm in negotiation on purchasing one right now...

 

[cskipper]

wow!!!! Anything else seems inadequate!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Will Goodwin]

Holy chunks of wood Batman! :err: ... That would be one thing in Texas, Scott, that they don't make bigger! (Although the cypress trees in East and South Texas get pretty big) Nice score....can't wait to see pics of the milled stock.

Will

 

[jeff...]

Scott gotcha, there is more than one way to skin a cat, sawing diagrams are nice in theory, but my limited experience tells me no tree is perfectly round nor pith centered and straight. I think half the battle is lining up the blade at the right angle and depth on the log when you cut your initial quarters. Every log is a little different because every log is different. I redrew a quarter with some perfectly round grain which is not anything like reality but it does help visualize what might be, looks like it'll work well.

I've seen quite a few pictures of people QS'ing saw this way, there must be 1001 different ways to QS. The second 1/2 of the battle is sawing out boards with end grain running as close as you can to 90 degrees with the faces. There are very limited things you can without creating a bunch of waste to bring the grain back in line if it wonders off. Take two board off one face sometimes helps to bring the figure back and the grain close to 90 degrees.

You have a way different mill than I do, mine is a toy compared to yours... I haven't even seen you mill run before - so it's real hard for me to visualize what'll work best for you and your mill. But finding what works best for you and your equipment is really the key, there is no right or wrong answer as long as the flakes fly that's all that counts hu?

Anyways let me know when your ready to cut, I would love to bing my wood mizer over there for and saw up some quarters.


Thanks