Gerald

I originally created this topic because my son and I were planning on getting a small mill and I had a few questions. That has not materialized yet but maybe in the future. I also think that my son's concept of a small mill compared to mine is totally different.
The issue at hand now is my son has brought home from work (works for the county) a few very large maple logs (38" to 42" dia. --6 ft to 8 ft long) and he tells me there are more to come. They are large enough that the equipment I have is unable to handle them. My guess is they are 3-4000 pounds each but thats just a guess. I would like to get these to a mill to be sawed. If I quarter or half these logs am I screwing them up? or Do I try and cut some kind if cant to lighten them up? (Chainsaw)
This maybe not the most effcient way of max. the yield but I could handle them better. The next question is how long can I let them sit before they start to rot? These were fresh cut yesterday. I don't know what type of maple they are?
Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Gerald

TexasTimbers

You're pretty close on the weight. Closer to 3000 if Big leaf and closer yo 4000 if Sugar.

Maybe not screwing them up, but certainly not getting the wide stock that would bring a premium compared to less than half the width you'd get otherwise.


This gets my vote if you can get it done, and halving them won't get the widest stock either cause you won't find a band mill that can cut them parallel to half. Though a circle mill could, if you can find one that'll cut it ......


I don't know cause my Maple can't be compared to your hard Maple and my region is vastly different. I suspect the Maple guys will tell you to get them dried as soon as you can. ???


Pictures man. Pictures. You had to know that was coming. And if they have any spalt I guess you'd know that if you saw it correct?

I'm not usually greedy - I mean, I have so many great species down here, but I still wish I could stumble across a grove of hard Maple one day. A man can dream . . . . .

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Flame Box Elder

Gerald

TT thanks for the reply.
Spalting --Didn't really see any on the end cuts looked to be very solid and very clean/white. I'll have to get some pictures posted.

thanks

dirtclod

Gerlad,
Three kinds of maple are native to your area: sugar, red, and silver. All three are very prone to rot. Coat the ends , get them off the ground and under an airy cover until you come up with a plan. They'll do ok through winter, although the white wood will yellow/gray some, but about late April the degrade will accelerate. By August expect to see some light spalting and by the following summer they will either be fully spalted or outright punky.

Check out the mills available in your area before you touch them with a saw. We had a big Amish circle mill here (closed now) that could take a 40" log. But moving those beast to the mill is a challenge and, even though they can in theory cut them, they didn't like to max their mill becasue those beast are hard to move/position.

Your best option is to find a swing mill to break them down in place so you don't have to move them. But it depends on what you want to make from them. Maybe a swing mill w/slabber attachment would be best as it can make both thinner flitches and thicker flitches/cants that can be finished off on a band mill. You may get lucky and find an operator that has both a swing mill and a band mill that can both break them down in place then move them to the band mill to finish them off with max yield/quality. But don't partially process them and leave cant's too long before finishing them off or you'll get large checks/warp/bow/etc.

Pictures would be welcome. But it can be hard to tell sugar and red maple apart at this time of year. Get some end grain and bark shots. Twig/bud and leaf shots would also be helpful.

Daren

Your question about how long they will lay this time of year dirtclod answered, you have all winter. Here is one way to mill logs in the size range you are talking about Working with logs "too big" for the mill

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Gerald

Dirtclod,
Thanks for the help.
I'll let you know what I find/figure out. I'll have to look around. All I ever see around my area is band mills. But I never have looked for anything else so who knows?


Daren-
I looked at your link to sawing large logs. Did you free hand rip saw that log or did you have some type of fixture to keep the cut fairly even? Also once I figure this out and see how it goes I will need to purchase your kiln plans. One step at a time though. I have to many irons in the fire already.
I am figuring I could get these logs sawed and store them inside for awhile. (I have a pole barn)
Then at a later date finish them off in a kiln if necessary.
Any concerns with that plan?

Last night my son was over hooking up the gooseneck to his truck. My guess is I have more "logs" heading my way.
Not complaining, it's all good.
He is going to be redoing a house and I think he is looking for some custom built kitchen cabinets etc.

Thanks again for the help.
Gerald

Daren

I freehand rip big logs. But if a guy is not comfortable he can get a straight cut they make an attachment that just clamps on your bar and rides down a 2x4 you fasten to the log. One is called the Beammachine, I see others on ebay too $25-$30. I have never used one but they look like they would work to me.

There is no problem at all with air drying first before you kiln dry. As long as you know what you are doing air drying, especially maple it is prone to sticker stain. We have links to air dry info here in a reference thread. I will just copy it here in case you need to do some reading on it.

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Gerald

Daren,

I will look into a Beam Machine or something like it. Not sure I could keep freehand the two cuts straight enough to make an easy split.

Thanks for the info on drying also.
Let you know how things work out.

Gerald

sdefoe

Big logs are no problem for the Lucas. I purchased the smallest one they had 3 years ago. (13 horse motor, cuts a 6.25 x 6.25 cant) I purchased the slabber with it. (At my wife's insistence!) I have cut 48" wide slabs from cedar, sycamore and walnut with no problems. Handling the logs was no problem because I was able to cut the logs near where they fell. (Rolled the cedar and the walnut under the saw.) The sycamore was for a city near me which wanted to do something with the trees they had cut to clear room for a library. The city hauled them to the landfill and laid them out like cigars on flat ground.) They were big (30"-48" diameter) and very heavy. Easily the heaviest I have cut so far.

Also, I am not a logs to lumber pro. I am a hobby woodworker who saw an opportunity to pick up wood for less expense. The wood I have cut has paid for the saw and all accessories about four times over. It takes work, but I am now have several thousand dollars worth of beautiful wood, cut to my own specs. I have assisted the City to utilize the wood cut from their trees.

If you want more info, I am an infrequent poster to this site, but will watch more closely. Steve

Daren

Hi Steve. Glad to have a guy with a swing mill aboard. I have always wanted one myself, may have one soon. Yep they are the berries on the big logs that's for sure.

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