Milling Logs

[ToddsPoint]

It’s cold enough to mill and I had two logs to do. The first was the top half of my pecan tree. It’s been in my woods for two summers and I was trying to get it to spalt. It finally has some spalt. I think it could go another summer but I’m tired of messing with it.

The pecan is history. Slabbed and stickered in my barn. Next up is this walnut. This log has rot and it’s a salvage job. I’m hoping there’s no rot in the crotch. That’s where the beautiful wood is hiding. I’ll have to trim this down or use a 36” bar. I need to sharpen chains and I’ll give it a try soon.

 

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[Cariboo5]

Beautiful grain ..

 

[ToddsPoint]

I’m back at it. Slow but getting it done.
I put the 28” bar up against the log to test the length. Too wide for the 28”.

So now I had a choice. Cut off the excess and use the 28”, or use the 36” bar. I decided to cut it and use the 28”.

I took my two chains for the 28” bar to the saw shop for sharpening. They were closing for the holidays and couldn’t get to my chains until after New Year’s. 😩 I didn’t think the weather would hold that long. Sometimes plans go haywire. I had two new blades for the 36” bar so decided to use them. Overkill but use what you have. This is the 660 with the 36” bar.

The slabbing went as planned. The new blades cut well, and I didn’t hit any metal. You never know with yard trees. I ran my AT Pro over the log when I brought it home and didn’t get any signals. Metal can go undetected in the center of a log this big. This was a 20” log at the base.

I ended up with four slabs, each 2 3/8” thick and 7’ long. Also one slab 1/2” thick I cut to remove a defect .

This tree was living when it was cut this past summer or fall. It’s still very green and the color will darken as it dries.

You can see the band of lighter sapwood along the left edge is narrow. That means this tree grew slowly. The growth rings are close together and it’s very hard, good quality walnut. If I decide to cut it into gunstock blanks, I’ll do that sooner rather than later. Stock blanks need to hang to dry, not stacked and stickered. Any internal stress is relieved when hung. The blank will sometimes twist a bit. Once dry with the stress relieved they are stable forever. If the slabs are stacked and dried, the stress is locked in the wood and can move yrs later when made into a gunstock. I cut my first walnut tree in 1985. I’ve had my own mill for 15 yrs and have milled a ton of walnut. A few others like cherry and hedge but not many other species. I’m selling my mill and saw and retiring from it. I have more nice stock blanks than I’ll ever use.

 

[Cariboo5]

That grain is just a wow factor and the gun stocks gorgeous. After 15 years of milling you may miss it for a short time but it takes a wise man to know when to let go. Thanks for sharing & Merry Xmas .....

 

[Chilli]

I’m back at it. Slow but getting it done.
I put the 28” bar up against the log to test the length. Too wide for the 28”.View attachment 2185078
So now I had a choice. Cut off the excess and use the 28”, or use the 36” bar. I decided to cut it and use the 28”.View attachment 2185079
I took my two chains for the 28” bar to the saw shop for sharpening. They were closing for the holidays and couldn’t get to my chains until after New Year’s. 😩 I didn’t think the weather would hold that long. Sometimes plans go haywire. I had two new blades for the 36” bar so decided to use them. Overkill but use what you have. This is the 660 with the 36” bar.View attachment 2185080
The slabbing went as planned. The new blades cut well, and I didn’t hit any metal. You never know with yard trees. I ran my AT Pro over the log when I brought it home and didn’t get any signals. Metal can go undetected in the center of a log this big. This was a 20” log at the base.View attachment 2185081
I ended up with four slabs, each 2 3/8” thick and 7’ long. Also one slab 1/2” thick I cut to remove a defect . View attachment 2185082
This tree was living when it was cut this past summer or fall. It’s still very green and the color will darken as it dries. View attachment 2185083
You can see the band of lighter sapwood along the left edge is narrow. That means this tree grew slowly. The growth rings are close together and it’s very hard, good quality walnut. If I decide to cut it into gunstock blanks, I’ll do that sooner rather than later. Stock blanks need to hang to dry, not stacked and stickered. Any internal stress is relieved when hung. The blank will sometimes twist a bit. Once dry with the stress relieved they are stable forever. If the slabs are stacked and dried, the stress is locked in the wood and can move yrs later when made into a gunstock. I cut my first walnut tree in 1985. I’ve had my own mill for 15 yrs and have milled a ton of walnut. A few others like cherry and hedge but not many other species. I’m selling my mill and saw and retiring from it. I have more nice stock blanks than I’ll ever use.View attachment 2185086

You did those stocks! 😮 They're beautiful! 👍👍

 

[Blak bart]

Brilliant !! im also hard at it slabbing mahogany down here in the keys. We are now about 5-7 years on some of our slabs, and now they are ready for working and selling.....long term goals and patience are a real virtue in this game !! The real rewards are being realized now, and it's exciting to have some of the most prized wood in the world !! We have become wood snobs, and really have become spoiled working with exotic species in the tropics !! This has been one of the greatest journies of learning, and creativeness in my life !! It has been the most profitable treasure I've ever been involved in, and is now a large part of my life!!

 

[ToddsPoint]

We have become wood snobs…!!

Wood snobs! I love it! I’m without a doubt a wood snob. I grew up seeing high priced guns with beautiful wood that I could never afford. I was determined to get my own wood and make my own stocks. I never let up until it happened. Bart, I’d like to trade a small amount of fancy wood with you for a small project. Keeping it between the wood snobs!🤣

 

[SD51]

Beautiful work! Ca'tt wait to see both your finished products and yours too blak bart!