Sawing Walnut Part 3

[Sawyer Rob]

When i started milling this walnut tree, somehow i got started milling it from the top down! That's the opposite way i usally saw, as i always try to mill out the "highest" grade lumber first, and that's almost always in the butt log.

Anyway, now it's "finally" time to mill the butt log!! So off i go to get the butt log that's behind some other logs. This is where the grabble really shines! It allows me to reach over other logs, and pick up just the log i want without moving the others...

So i carried the butt log to the mill, and set it into place...

As you can see, this is a really nice log, and i have it rotated to where i "think" i'll get the highest grade lumber...

Once i opened it, it was plain to see, this log is going to produce some really nice lumber!

So i took a couple 5/4 boards, and turned the log...

Then after takeing the second slab off, i took more 5/4 boards...

With that done, it was time to turn the log again... My mills cable log turner sure takes the work out of turning logs or cants!

 

[Sawyer Rob]

With the log turned, i took the last slab off...

And i started takeing more 5/4 boards off the "cant"...

This "cant" sure was putting out some niiiiiice lumber!! Check out how clear this cant is...

UNTILL i hit these nails!! So much for the sharpness and set in this band!

So i removed a bit of wood around the nail, and snapped on some visegrips, and pulled out both nails.

Here they are, the heads were still in the board, so i popped them out of the board and laid them next to the nails...

 

[Sawyer Rob]

And, here's the lumber from this log...

As you can see, i'm starting to get a very nice stack of walnut, and many of the boards are clear and wide!!

Well, that's it for "part 3"... Next time there will be a few limbs to deal with!

Rob

 

[rmihalek]

Beautiful lumber you got there.

Did the nails leave any discoloration in the boards?

Is there a market for this wood or are you going to use it for your own projects?

 

[slabmaster]

That's the problem with trunks.They seem to be where the nails are.I try to de-bark my trunks before i mill them for that reason.Great job!.You got some nice lumber there.

 

[johncinco]

Nice lumber. New blades or old? Looks like you need the set fixed, your getting a lot of blade marks for that band saw.

 

[deeker]

I usually have one or two teeth that get out of set like that too. That is why all wood (rough cut) is over sized, to allow for warp and drying. It is fixed by planeing the dry wood.
I don't mind sharpening teeth, but would rather scrub toilets that set teeth.
Wood looks great though.....
I am going to edge the English walnut I cut last January and post pics.....

Robert, I want the pics you have not sent yet....

Kevin

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Thanks Guys, i'm glad you liked the picts...

Did the nails leave any discoloration in the boards?
Is there a market for this wood or are you going to use it for your own projects?

No, there wasn't any discoloration in the boards... Yes there is a market for this lumber, but i always say that i'm milling for myself. But, every once in a while someone will come over and want to buy some lumber, and away it goes...

That's the problem with trunks.They seem to be where the nails are.I try to de-bark my trunks before i mill them for that reason.

Debarking this one wouldn't have made any difference, as the nails were deeper than that... They were several inches in, and there was no discoloration at all...

Nice lumber. New blades or old? Looks like you need the set fixed, your getting a lot of blade marks for that band saw.

I'm with deeker on this one, The marks would have to be pretty bad for me to get too worried about them. For the most part, i saw 5/4 lumber and thicker, as i don't know how i'll want to use it later. Over the years i've seen way more wasted lumber from it being sawn too thin, than was sawn too thick... Anyway, i then plane out any warp or marks later, so no big deal...

Robert, I want the pics you have not sent yet....

Hop Sing my friend... You need to get Ben Cartwright to pay you in gold, so you can send me some for the picts you want...

Rob

 

[Woodsurfer]

Yeah, great pics. I'd love to get some walnut to mill. Looks like you have a good arguement to mill the but log last since it could be the most likely to have nails...

 

[woodshop]

... I'd love to get some walnut to mill. Looks like you have a good arguement to mill the but log last since it could be the most likely to have nails...

Actually, I do this when I can... if I have a few logs to mill, I do the butt last because that is more likely to have hardware buried deep inside. Some woods you can tell better than others if there is hardware, depending on the metal. Soft ferrous metal like nails in wood like oak almost always leave a wide black streak that reaches way up and down the trunk. But some harder metals, like some screws and spikes, don't seem to discolor as much. Then, some woods like black walnut don't seem to show the discoloration as well even if it's there.

Beautiful black walnut lumber there Rob. Some of those clear boards look about as good as it gets, top grade, brings the highest price. I still find though that here in SE PA cherry seems to sell better than walnut for small furniture. That said, I still value it above many other woods and don't turn down a chance for a walnut tree when I'm offered or find one.

 

[Backwoods]

Nice milling presentation.
The longer I hang onto boards like that the more projects that I want to build with the wood the higher the price gets. To bad all logs are not that nice.

 

[Dai Sensei]

Beautiful timber. Shame about the nails.