First time working with green lumber

I’d mill it up asap into the longest length needed for the table. Then seal the ends until dried. Sticker the rough sawn lumper laying flat. If possible get it quarter sawn. Get length at least 12 inches longer than finished length. Even with sealing the ends you’ll get some splits.

I d mill it up asap into the longest length needed for the table. Then seal the ends until dried. Sticker the rough sawn lumper laying flat. If possible get it quarter sawn. Get length at least 12 inches longer than finished length. Even with sealing the ends you ll get some splits.

- WhyMe

WhyMe,

Great suggestion to leave ends long for splits that will happen.

Dave

-- Dave, Vancouver, WA

Seal the log ends with Anchor Seal as soon as possible after cut or at least within 24 hrs. Don’t delay. It’s easier than sealing milled boards anyway.

Length and width would depend on what you want to make out of it. Have it milled at least 1/4 ” thicker than what you need finished.

I cut anything 20 in dia to 12 in dia usually to 8.5 foot. That should leave me with 8 ft boards after some end grain splitting. I use a Granburg chain saw mill and mill the boards myself. I lose a lot to sawdust though with the thick chainsaw kerf, but I just mill a tree here and there and paying someone with a portable mill would be cost prohibitive for me. 10” to 12” dia I cut to about 24-30” length and slab out on my bandsaw. Less than 10 in dia is forest floor litter.

You may be able to pay to get them kiln dried. I air dry and it takes at least a year per inch of thickness. And it takes up a lot of space.

I think it’s really cool to make things out of lumber from my own forest, and the price is right.

Here is a nice Cherry blow down I dragged out of my woods. German Shepherd helped.

-- Have a hobby? You should have a business.

I d mill it up asap into the longest length needed for the table. Then seal the ends until dried. Sticker the rough sawn lumper laying flat. If possible get it quarter sawn. Get length at least 12 inches longer than finished length. Even with sealing the ends you ll get some splits.

- WhyMe

Is it an issue if there is a delay between when it’s bucked and when it is milled, as long as I apply the sealant immediately after bucking? I assume it’s just delaying the drying process, but do I risk any defects not getting it milled asap? Since I still don’t have someone lined up to do the mill work I have no idea how long it will take me to get that coordinated.

Seal the log ends with Anchor Seal as soon as possible after cut or at least within 24 hrs. Don t delay. It s easier than sealing milled boards anyway.

Length and width would depend on what you want to make out of it. Have it milled at least 1/4 ” thicker than what you need finished.

I cut anything 20 in dia to 12 in dia usually to 8.5 foot. That should leave me with 8 ft boards after some end grain splitting. I use a Granburg chain saw mill and mill the boards myself. I lose a lot to sawdust though with the thick chainsaw kerf, but I just mill a tree here and there and paying someone with a portable mill would be cost prohibitive for me. 10” to 12” dia I cut to about 24-30” length and slab out on my bandsaw. Less than 10 in dia is forest floor litter.

You may be able to pay to get them kiln dried. I air dry and it takes at least a year per inch of thickness. And it takes up a lot of space.

I think it s really cool to make things out of lumber from my own forest, and the price is right.

Here is a nice Cherry blow down I dragged out of my woods. German Shepherd helped.

- Russell Hayes

Ok that all makes sense thanks, 8.5 ft is probably a safe length. Hopefully i’ll be able to figure out a decent way to roll those logs around. I guess worst case I drag them across the yard with my truck.

The longer it sits on the ground, the faster it’s going to rot. I think Woodmizer has a list of people in your area with a mill.

Chain and a 4wd pickup does it for me. I just pulled couple of 25’ x 30” Ash trunks about 40-50’ out of the woods so I could better get at them for firewood. Better yet if you are in an area that gets hard freezes, that’s the best time so you don’t make a rut. Either way try to drag it so the leading edge is “surfing”, not digging in.

-- Have a hobby? You should have a business.

Well a bit of a frustrating miscommunication between the tree guys and myself resulted in one of my two trees getting chopped up into firewood instead of leaving it in logs, but I partially blame myself for not reiterating to them what I wanted. I assumed they would have read the original work order, but obviously they didn’t. You know what they say about assuming…

Regardless, at least i’ve got one tree to work with!

With the exception of destroying my yard, towing the logs out with my truck went smoothly.

Mini chainsaw mill $100. 20” chainsaw – should have one anyway with all those trees! Oak boards – free! You only need a professional tree guy when the tree is eminently going to fall on your house. Plus its cool when they drop and the ground shakes.

-- Have a hobby? You should have a business.

Yea I do have a 14” chainsaw for firewood and stuff. I was thinking about one of those chainsaw mills but I just recently learned after asking around that one of my coworkers has a full portable saw mill that can do up to 24” and 16’ logs.

But yea I would have given it a shot taking these down myself but they are both within 15’ of the house and leaning directly over top of the roof.

Find some one with portable band mill,it won’t cost that much $ .22 bf