Milling Stickers

[Sawyer Rob]

We've had some nicer days here lately, so i thought i'd crank up the sawmill, and mill an old short oak log i cut out of the top of a tree, LONG time ago... This log has been laying around here "at least" a couple of years, but it will still make decent "stickers"... I already had a nice maple on the mill bunks, but i have enough track so i can easily set the short oak on the mill too...

First i sawed a slab off the log, then turned the log 180* and took the second slab off...

Next i took a couple 1" flitches off (i saw my stickers 1"x1")

Setting the flitches aside, i turned the log 90*, and took the third slab off, and with one last turn the last slab also came off...

Now i loaded some of the flitches/boards back on the mill and started making 1" cuts, getting several 1"x1" stickers with each pass...

Untill i had a pile of stickers all sawn out,

Now, all that was was left, was to put some straps on the stickers so they will dry reasonably straight to be ready for use at a later date!

Next, will be to get that maple milled up!!

Rob

 

[Backwoods]

Hey Rob just a thought,
What I have found works good for drying stickers is to stack them on a pallet and sticker every layer with 4 stickers, this allows for even weight and airflow, just like stacking any other boards.
Kinda nice to be able to mill a log with out having to roll the last one that you got ready out of the way.

 

[BlueRider]

when it comes to stickers that is where I realy envey you guys with the band mills.

 

[stipes]

Me too..

when it comes to stickers that is where I realy envey you guys with the band mills.

Thats something I been really running short of...Nice mill you got Rob..

 

[striperswaper]

I've heard that you should use stickers of the same wood that you are drying,
different types of wood stain another
any truth to that?

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Thanks guys... I really do like my mill, it is one of my greatest tool purchases!

Here's how i "normally" stack my stickers as they come off the mill...

But i was in a hurry this time, as it was supose to rain. So i bundled them together and put them in the shop... The oak was pretty dry, so the stickers will be fine by the time i get to them...

Rob

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I've heard that you should use stickers of the same wood that you are drying,
different types of wood stain another
any truth to that?

"IF" the stickers are "dry" when you use them, (and they should be) the chances of them staining is almost nil...

Rob

 

[woodshop]

"IF" the stickers are "dry" when you use them, (and they should be) the chances of them staining is almost nil...

Rob

I second this, it really doesn't matter much what kind of wood you make the stickers from, certainly doesn't have to be the same wood as you are drying. However, the stickers have to be dry as a bone or they will stain. Some wood does make better stickers... I found poplar makes superior stickers. It dries quickly and with little twisting or shrinkage, is light and easy to handle, and relatively cheap wood compared to using good hardwoods. As for having a bandmill making it easier to make stickers, yes, but I've made many stickers with my table saw and bandsaw in the woodshop. If you have these two machines you are in business.

 

[BobL]

Nice sticker stack Rob!

Very few if any of the logs I mill are suitable for stickers (too hard) so I get 90% of my stickers when I raid building site dumpsters. The usual timber I pick up is short lengths of 2 x 4, or 3 x 2, treated construction pine (Radiata) which I rip into 3/4" thick strips using a 12" table saw. Recently at the tree loppers yard they broke up a number of tree transportation crates made from treated radiata and I got a heap of stickers from that exercise.

 

[DRB]

That looks a little faster than sawing them up on a table saw like I do. When I edge boards on my table saw and if there is enough left I will make stickers from the waste. Sometimes I make stickers from the half round slabs.

Looks like a nice day in your neck of the woods. I doug out my mill from knee deep snow this past weekend. Now I have to find the logs.

Thanks for posting

 

[Backwoods]

Much better stack of stickers Rob.
I ran out of stickers this last week so milling stickers is getting high on my list of things to do. I like to use a log that is 10’ 7” so I can get three stickers out of each on that I pull off. I set the chop saw up on the flatbed trailer and trim four at a time to length. The last few times that I have cut stickers I milled them 1”x 1 ½”x 42” They just seem to lay out quicker then 1”x 1” sticker, however you do get less out of a log. When I cut sticker I like to cut about five pallets full, three of this size and two pallets of 4x4’s. I seem to run out of both about the same time that way.
As far a type of wood to use, I had one kiln operator that swore by Oak, and one that did not like Oak at all, he liked dry Doug-fir for all types of wood. I have set aside a few Doug fir logs just for cutting stickers out of.