total novice!?! HELP!!

[davvyd]

I am very new to not only saw milling, but this hole forum thing too. Please bare with me.
I was reading a recent "thread" about starting a mill by a John Paul Sanborn and i was reading words like piff, pith, "cant", grade, heart etc. and I have no idea what any of these words mean.
I have recently become interested in saw milling because I have also become very interested in woodworking. How much of either have I done? Well no saw milling (obviously) and only 3 peices of woodworking and they were all made out of plywood. easy stuff.
Much like many of you though, i have really enjoyed spending time with tools and definitly enjoying the finish product. someone said in the other "thread" i was reading, that milling/woodworking is addictive; "find a drug". Well that is the truth.
If someone is willing to take the time to reply to a complete beginner, I would really appreciate it. Thanks a lot.

any good books to read?

 

[oldsaw]

I am very new to not only saw milling, but this hole forum thing too. Please bare with me.
I was reading a recent "thread" about starting a mill by a John Paul Sanborn and i was reading words like piff, pith, "cant", grade, heart etc. and I have no idea what any of these words mean.
I have recently become interested in saw milling because I have also become very interested in woodworking. How much of either have I done? Well no saw milling (obviously) and only 3 peices of woodworking and they were all made out of plywood. easy stuff.
Much like many of you though, i have really enjoyed spending time with tools and definitly enjoying the finish product. someone said in the other "thread" i was reading, that milling/woodworking is addictive; "find a drug". Well that is the truth.
If someone is willing to take the time to reply to a complete beginner, I would really appreciate it. Thanks a lot.

any good books to read?

The terms will come. Pith is the middle core of a log which is made of very bad wood from a woodworking standpoint. A cant is a log that has been squared off for milling...instead of round, it is square. Grade is high quality wood that could be graded and sold. You can cut a log to improve the number of "grade" yield boards, thereby increasing the value of the wood from the log. Heart is the inner part of a log or tree. If you look at most logs, there is a darker inside closer to the pith, and a lighter outside. The outside is the sapwood. Walnut for example has a dark heart, but a creamy white sapwood and is the easiest to see what is meant.

There are dozens of books and dozens more websites that will help you with the terms. There is also us, we are open for questions...especially ones that make us look smart.

mark

 

[davvyd]

Thank you!! More questions though

Thanks for the vocab lesson. I am sure that I will refrence that reply many many times. I continue to read thread after thread, looking at pictures, reading about all the different types of mills, etc etc. and i am very curious how on an "alaskan mill" you keep the saw level. I saw pictures with the green brackets as guides, or 2x6 boards set up as guides, but i am not sure how they stay level. What are they mounted to or rather how are they mounted to the log? w/o moving?

Thanks for the support!! I will probably become very annoying very soon as I continue to read and research.

One more thing. I have noticed the term board foot (bf). in local woodworking stores i see that term a lot too and never asked what is a board foot. why is it different from a regular foot 12"?

 

[woodshop]

One more thing. I have noticed the term board foot (bf). in local woodworking stores i see that term a lot too and never asked what is a board foot. why is it different from a regular foot 12"?

Quick and dirty, a board foot is 1 x 12 x 12, or 144 cubic inches. In fact though, a bd ft according to the wood industry, as when you buy x number of bd ft from a lumber dealer, is a bit more complicated. You basically take the Surface Measure of a board, multiply it by the length in feet, and then by the thickness. But there are rules of exactly how you do this, what you can round, what you can't etc. But if you're milling up lumber and want to get a quick and dirty figure on how much you milled that day, do the simple length x width (in inches) and divide by 144 and you will be close, but not accurate nor could you sell your product by the bd ft that way.

 

[dustytools]

You have come to a great place for answers davvyd, much like yourself I didnt and still dont know a great deal about milling. But with a lot of practice and asking a lot of questions it will come to you . The guys in here are great people and will help you in any way that they can. Good luck and welcome. BTW the milling brackets that you have seen in the pics are for the first cut only (unless you goof up really bad) and they mount to the log with nails or screws. After the first cut is made the flat surface of your log serves as a guide for the alaskan to ride on. Actually quite simple after you do it a time or two.

 

[Adkpk]

I saw pictures with the green brackets as guides, or 2x6 boards set up as guides, but i am not sure how they stay level. What are they mounted to or rather how are they mounted to the log? w/o moving?

The 2x6 is probably nailed. The nail dosen't need to be too deep into the wood and the first inch or so is waisted away anyway. But it is important to not hit the nail.
The green stuff is strut. That you can just lay on the log. If it isn't stable I nail it on the ends.

Like this.

 

[CaseyForrest]

I saw pictures with the green brackets as guides, or 2x6 boards set up as guides, but i am not sure how they stay level. What are they mounted to or rather how are they mounted to the log? w/o moving?

The 2x6 is probably nailed. The nail dosen't need to be too deep into the wood and the first inch or so is waisted away anyway. But it is important to not hit the nail.
The green stuff is strut. That you can just lay on the log. If it isn't stable I nail it on the ends.

Like this.

I use a level on my Uni Strut guide. Level one end, and nail into place. Then repeat on the other side.

davvy, welcome, nice to see another Michigander around. Wereabouts are ya in MI?

 

[hautions11]

Guide

The guide can also account for taper in a log. Measure the top of your rail to the center of the log on each end. That will orient your cut parallel with the centerline of the log. Welcome aboard!

 

[CaseyForrest]

The guide can also account for taper in a log. Measure the top of your rail to the center of the log on each end. That will orient your cut parallel with the centerline of the log. Welcome aboard!

Excellent point.

 

[woodshop]

The guide can also account for taper in a log. Measure the top of your rail to the center of the log on each end. That will orient your cut parallel with the centerline of the log. Welcome aboard!

I agree... somebody is thinking...

 

[poleframer]

The local mill- Rough and Ready- usta sell a lot of 1x12 boards made from the low grade stuff (before chipping waste wood was more profitable). Called it "hippie siding", went for $120 a unit (1000bf), ie 12c a board foot.I remember being pissed as it went up to .20 a board foot.(Doug Fir, Pine was cheaper)
Last I bought was .34 a bf and decided to start cuttin my own.
Russell

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

...do the simple length x width (in inches) and divide by 144 and you will be close,

Assuming it's 4/4, of course

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Welcome to AS, davvyd. We all had to start somewhere so don't be shy about asking questions. I wish I had known about this and other sites when I started woodworking as they could have saved me a lot of trouble. Most members here are more than willing to share their knowledge, experiences and opinions and I learn something new nearly every time I log on. It's why I keep coming back.

 

[manual]

Assuming it's 4/4, of course

National hardwood Lumber association says
4/4 is 1-1/8" thick but measured as 1' thick.

West Coast lumber Inspection Bureau Says
4/4 is 1' thick

Pift > the heart showing in a board surface.
Heart > center of wood.
Scant > whats left of the log after grade is pulled off then cut to disired
measurements for sales.
Wayne > bark left on the board after milled or edged.
Slab > wood milled off to make first cut for lumber.

Grading lumber is a world of its own. you are basicly looking to pull the best lumber off a log with no knots and minimal wayne for a select grade.
For a #1 grade lets say half or better is clear.
from there on down is alot of surface measurements. A pin knot can knock your grade down.

 

[manual]

The guide can also account for taper in a log. Measure the top of your rail to the center of the log on each end. That will orient your cut parallel with the centerline of the log. Welcome aboard!

Yes and no.
If you are just flat board cutting and only want 8' boards out of a 8'6" log.
you could but you will end up with alot of waste.
Also not all logs are perfect.
Look at your log and think " Can I get a 4' board first then go for the 8 footer"
mill the 4' off and cut the beaver tail off.
Now your making lumber.