Milling Cypress

[suprherosndwch]

I have just finished framing out a shop, have most of the insulation and electrical in, and will be needing boards to panel the insides. I have access to a few different kinds of trees that have blown down this summer, and was thinking of having somebody mill them out for me. One of the possible trees is a tree called a Baker's Cypress. They are about 60 feet tall, 3 to 4 foot wide at the stump, and have large knots throughout the stem. I hand ripped a board with a chainsaw a couple of weeks ago and have had it here in the house to see how it would dry. So far it hasn't done any crazy warping, cracking, or twisting. Has anybody had any experience milling cypress wood and would they recommend it, or would I just be better off having something else milled out. I was thinking of using the cypress just because it is a rare tree around here and would be something interesting to talk about. But if it is just going to be a headache, I'll have something else milled out. My other choices are sugar pine, ponderosa pine, white fir, or Douglas fir. Thanks for any help.

S

 

[Backwoods]

I have milled some of each of these species, Baker's Cypress, sugar pine, ponderosa pine, white fir, and Douglas fir.

The Cypress characteristics are very similar to western red cedar, cuts like butter (slow down for the knots) and as long as it dose not get direct unprotected sun it is very stable.

Both the pines will give you more trouble in drying, and the Doug fir will give you trouble milling (when it is dry, it is harder to cut then Oak)

Are the knots tight on the board that you cut?

 

[suprherosndwch]

Thanks for the help with this backwoods. Yea, it appears that all the knots are tight, at least in the short board I cut. What do people normally use the cypress for that you mill for them. It's a pretty rare tree for us down here. The timber company I work for has one of the most southern groves of the stuff. I have been told that there is a lot more of it up in Oregon. Going off what you said, it sounds like it might work for what I need, doing ruff cut boards to finish the inside of my workshop. For drying it, I was going to wait until the summer heat had passed, have the wood milled, and then just take the boards and use them right away. Screwing them in place in the shop and letting them dry on the walls. I will probably have to move them around a little after they dry because of the gaps that will form between the boards from drying. Does this sound like it would work to you? Thanks again with the help.

S

 

[Backwoods]

Absolutely: You will end up with ½” to ¾” gaps when it dries. If you air dry it over winter and put it up late next spring you will have smaller gaps by the end of the summer. However, it would be completely dry by the end of the summer.
I use quite a bit of wood green as you described and never worry about the gaps unless they are on the out side of the building. Then I will put up a 1”x 3” bat to cover the seem nailing it only in the center between the boards. I only put two nails wide on the boards as well so that they can move.

The Cypress grows along the coastal area here in Oregon, but not inland. Most of what I have milled has been into as wide of 1” boards as the log will allow up to 24”. I use a 13* hook angle on 1 1/2” bands with a set of .029 and it cuts great, just slow down as you enter the knots and speed back up as you exit.

 

[BlueRider]

I'm a bit south of you and get a fair amount or monterey cypress. I don't know how similar the two are but the monterey cypress is a bit prone to end checking, at least in compareson to the two pines you mentioned. It is also prone to radial checking along the medulary rays. It dries beautifuly in a kiln.

 

[suprherosndwch]

Unfortanitly the only guy that I new that worked at the local SPI saw mill has moved. Otherwise, I might have been able to get the wood into one of there kilns. So I am going to have to dry it another way. I'm open to any suggestions. I'm liking Backwoods suggestion of letting it dry through the winter and then putting it up in the spring. That should give me some time to use the shop a little and see if I like the way I have done all the electical work before I seel up the walls. I am having trouble finding someone to mill it for me right now. Two local guys that have good sized mills have gotten so old that they don't like doing it anymore, so that was a dead end. I think I might have a line on a third guy, but his mill is pretty small, so I think I would have to rip the logs in quarters for him to work them.

 

[logbuzzard]

Sounds like you need to build yourself a mill!

 

[suprherosndwch]

A mill would be nice, but if I start another project around here my wife is going to kill me.