Is there potential here?

[JTM]

I've been spying this cedar for some slabs. The diameter ranges about 30" to 36". About 6' from the base to the crotch, maybe less. It has some very long secondaries/bifurcated (limbs?) probably 20" diameter. It will be an ordeal to extract this tree because it's tangled up with what I believe to be a huge beech. What do you think? Would the cedar trunk possibly yield some nice slabs? I'll probably have to chainsaw mill it in place.

 

[sawfun]

I'd sure give it a go, you won't know until you cut a bit to see what it's like inside.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

You talking about doing live edge boards? In milling speak slabs are the waste when making lumber.

 

[JTM]

Yes, live edge. Thanks for the correction (I'm not a miller - want to learn though). This is going to be tough getting it down because of the tree it's tangled up with. I want to make some coffee tables. I planned on getting a CSM and doing it myself but I've decided I don't want something like this to be my first milling project.

 

[SeMoTony]

You talking about doing live edge boards? In milling speak slabs are the waste when making lumber.

Unless you see Logosol add that calls the thick planks in the photo "slabs" made on their set up.
In my experience w/older logs of red cedar persuasion ,there is usually nice red boards in there. Not every time. Trim a limb that isn't under tension ,what shows can be an indication. Good luck, Mill safe

 

[SeMoTony]

Yes, live edge. Thanks for the correction (I'm not a miller - want to learn though). This is going to be tough getting it down because of the tree it's tangled up with. I want to make some coffee tables. I planned on getting a CSM and doing it myself but I've decided I don't want something like this to be my first milling project.

Why not ?? Cedar is a soft, easier cutting wood. Once it is unentangled try to keep it up off the ground (bent back milling unpleasant) with an end 15" higher than other for down hill assistance.SHARP chain ppe and care. It doesn't take much for most folks to get hooked on milling Happy Holidays

 

[JTM]

...Trim a limb that isn't under tension ,what shows can be an indication. Good luck, Mill safe

I busted off a dead, self pruned, limb that had some really deep purple color. Another interesting thing that I have never seen was that the huge hack berry (what I thought was a beech) had grown around the end of the dead limb, engulfing it. Creepy.

 

[JTM]

Why not ?? Cedar is a soft, easier cutting wood. Once it is unentangled try to keep it up off the ground (bent back milling unpleasant) with an end 15" higher than other for down hill assistance.SHARP chain ppe and care. It doesn't take much for most folks to get hooked on milling Happy Holidays

Okay, that way I won't have to work to move the log out of there. I can get everything prepped and just drop it when ready to mill. I haven't decided on what saw yet. But there is still a lot of prep work in the mean time. This is going to be a project. The hack berry is going to get milled too, it should be interesting.

 

[JTM]

Ok, I've pretty much cleared a path for the tractor and have to do some cutting on this hackberry, the cedar is behind it.

 

[JTM]

Last week I cut off one of the trunks on the hackberry. Milled the bottom portion today. Probably should have let lay another week or two. I understand you shouldn't let hackberry lay too long. This wood is very heavy being full of moisture. Had fun. Got a lot of exercise carrying the slabs about 50 yards to my truck. Don't fret over Damocles limb, if you noticed.

 

[J & L Creations]

That doesn't look bad for a hackberry, wish I had my mill up and running, I would try all kinds of trees just to see what they look like inside.

 

[JTM]

Ok. I know it has been a while. Finally got this tangled up cedar down. Hollow on the trunk. Will mill it anyway. Some of the branches were 20” and will mill them too. Have to wait a bit for things to dry out before I can pull it fully out of the ditch.

 

[Marine5068]

View attachment 641619 View attachment 641620 Ok. I know it has been a while. Finally got this tangled up cedar down. Hollow on the trunk. Will mill it anyway. Some of the branches were 20” and will mill them too. Have to wait a bit for things to dry out before I can pull it fully out of the ditch.

Looks good. Nice live edge slabs.
What type of mill did you buy and where?
I'm just starting out milling too and wanted to know what you think.

 

[JTM]

Thanks. I purchased a Grandberg chainsaw mill but can’t remember from where. I like the mill and enjoy using it. Biggest pain for me is finding a spot to store the wood in the dry. If you haven’t already done so read the CSM 101 sticky at the top of the milling forum. It has good info that’s helped me quite a bit.