On the cuff stacking boards question?

[Teddy.Scout]

I have had the opportunity to be at my homestead when stacking and stickering boards off of my CSM. But I have 4 trees (13 logs) that I have saved to mill out in the woods after logging a small piece of my (THE FAMILY'S) property. The question I have is, what if any quick ways can I get to open the logs with the CSM and stack them till fall?
I have a feeling there really isn't. Seems as though I would be better off leaving the logs till fall till I can deal with them properly. I ask this since I will be there and able to mill them in the next month as I have other duties on the piece. Just trying to kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

Thanks guys

 

[oldsaw]

End seal them, keep them out of the sun, and wait until fall.

 

[discounthunter]

i would say if you cant properly store them then seal and leave em. if possible get them off the ground.whole form logs with bark seem to deteriorate less than cut wood.

 

[tomsteve]

i would say if you cant properly store them then seal and leave em. if possible get them off the ground.whole form logs with bark seem to deteriorate less than cut wood.

do you know why that is? i picked up a few walnot logs that had been laying for a year( the homeowner didnt know what they were and was going to cut it up into firwood). they had quite a bit of rot in the sapwood. but then i have had some pieces of red oak, pine, and poplar i have been using for hold downs on tarps for 5 years now that arent that bad. maybe it's because the boards for the tarps dont have sapwood?

 

[Sawyer Rob]

i would say if you cant properly store them then seal and leave em. if possible get them off the ground.whole form logs with bark seem to deteriorate less than cut wood.

I disagree with leaveing them in log form.

I'd mill them into "cants", as once the bark is gone, most bugs don't want them, AS LONG as they are kept dry. You can always resaw the cant's into what ever you want later.

"Anchorseal" the ends of the cants, keep dry, stickered and out of direct sun!

Rob

 

[Brmorgan]

I disagree with leaveing them in log form.

I'd mill them into "cants", as once the bark is gone, most bugs don't want them, AS LONG as they are kept dry. You can always resaw the cant's into what ever you want later.

"Anchorseal" the ends of the cants, keep dry, stickered and out of direct sun!

Rob

+1, at least for the climate and type of woods we have around here. Leaving the bark on a log just holds the moisture in under it and in the sapwood, giving the rot fungi a perfect environment to grow in. Around here if I were to drop a Birch on the ground and leave the bark on it, the wood would be totally useless and soft within two years, whereas I could cut it open and it would stay sound out in the weather for much longer, though warpage could be an issue. Same goes for Doug Fir, if the bark's on, the wet sapwood will generally rot right away within a couple years, but the dry heartwood can stay good on the ground for decades in the right environment.

I have mixed feelings about canting the logs and leaving the cants for months intending on milling boards later though... There is some logic to it, but most times the cants will bow or twist enough that you have to set-up the mill all over again to re-square them first, and you lose a fair bit of material. I've done it, but with mixed results, so I generally just mill the boards now and do what I can to mitigate warpage etc. afterwards. It's a lot easier to control warp and drying in a stack of lumber than in a single big cant. Just my 2¢ though, and I can only speak for what I mill here, I don't have much for hardwoods like folks farther south and east.

 

[john taliaferro]

yes the bark holds water and bugs . then if you could band it after milling it then cover you should have some nice stuff to play with . You are gonna need a real big saw for milling with

 

[betterbuilt]

I'd get the logs off the ground and wait till you have time. If you can get the bark off, it might help keep the bugs away.

 

[betterbuilt]

do you know why that is? i picked up a few walnot logs that had been laying for a year( the homeowner didnt know what they were and was going to cut it up into firwood). they had quite a bit of rot in the sapwood. but then i have had some pieces of red oak, pine, and poplar i have been using for hold downs on tarps for 5 years now that arent that bad. maybe it's because the boards for the tarps dont have sapwood?

You really answered your own question. I think the rot obviously is gonna start on the outside and work its way in. The Bark kinda creates a plastic bag effect and traps moisture in. The sapwood isn't as dense as the rest of the log so it's gonna brake down quicker. The boards your using for hold downs are probably drying out enough that they don't rot. I have some that I've been using for at least 10 years and they would probably still be usable as boards.

 

[Teddy.Scout]

Thanks guys!!
I have not decided what or if I will be able to mill them as I would like to here in the next month. BUT, will at least end (anchor seal) seal them and get them off the ground a couple inches. There is a cherry, magnolia, and white oak I plan on milling. The bark is still tight and not slippery like what I would see on a elm or tulip, so will keep checking if it will remove easy. The area that we logged is still pretty heavy in the canopy so there really isn't a sun light issue. I will keep post up in here if I do open them up or work on them.
Again thanks!!