Making Boards from Logs

[nboucher]

I have a few very majestic Atlantic white cedars growing in the woods just behind my house, and one of them blew over during a recent windstorm. Rather than letting it just rot, I have been thinking about cutting it into 4 or 5 foot logs and trying to make rough cedar boards out of them that I could then use to make a garden bench and other such things. I have zero experience cutting and drying boards out of logs and wonder whether anyone has any advice on this. Aside from chainsawing the logs, I'd probably be restricted to a splitting maul and wedges.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Wow I grew up in Brooklyn I didnt even realize boards came from logs I thought they came from the lumber yard!

[nboucher]

You probably never saw them coming, just the stars after you got whacked.  ;D

[fishbear]

You can rent portable saanother sitells to saw your logs into lumber, or there are companies out there that will come to you and do it for you... for a price of course...   ;D ;D

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

You probably never saw them coming, just the stars after you got whacked. ;D

LMAO!!!  

One of muddy's funnies finally came back and hit him square in the face,....literally1 lol

Norman, Do you remember on the way to the lake, the place where the guy sells the goat cheese?  Small farm with sign out on the road?  He has a hommade planing mill, want me to talk to him?  He works the night shift a UPS.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Norm definitely bounce worthy

[Guest avid]

Norman, Do you remember on the way to the lake, the place where the guy sells the goat cheese? Small farm with sign out on the road? He has a hommade planing mill, want me to talk to him? He works the night shift a UPS.

Question#1 - when you milk a goat how can you tell if it's male, or female?

Question#2 - Do you shake hands with a guy who can't answer question #1

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Question#1 - when you milk a goat how can you tell if it's male, or female?

Question#2 - Do you shake hands with a guy who can't answer question #1

#1 Is it smiling?

#2 You really think he's wants to shake mine??? I got friends that milk goats, plane their own wood and load cardboard at 2am for a living.

[nboucher]

My kind of people, Russ!

Sure, talk to him. I was thinking I might saw up the wood into logs, borrow somebody's pickup and take them to a saanother sitell around here. See what your guy thinks.

And thanks!

[MyKeyBe]

I am no craftsman and have very little experience with wood working but I do know that it takes some time for wood to dry. I would cut it into 4-5 foot sections with a chain saw and let it set in the back of the garage for a while. If wood is cut right away into planks it will warp. It has to dry first.

Since I am not a craftsman I will relay this story to you.

When I was in High School wood shop, this was about 15 years ago so maybe wood drying has advanced since then , I wanted a nice piece of wood to make my mom some Christmas ornaments on the lathe. Well my woodshop teacher was also my track coach and knew my mom because she was the bartender at the bar the school held their Christmas party at. Needless to say the teacher liked me.

He told me he had the perfect piece of wood in the back of the shop. After some digging around he found it. Told me it should be perfect, it had been sitting there for about ten years and should be dried to perfection!

Will you have to wait ten years for your project? No. Will you be making your project this spring? Maybe if you have a nice heated garage to keep it in, if you have to keep it outside it may end up being next winter's project.

Hope this helps!

[John in NW PA]

My father does this with oak and cherry trees on his property.  Try to cut them longer, eight feet is a better length.  Once cut to length, find somebody with a portable saw mill.  They are like a big band saw.  This person can cut them into boards for you.  Once you have it cut into boards it will have to be "stuck" - stacked to dry with small sticks between the boards so air can circulate.  The person that cuts it for you should be able to tell you how to do it or do a search on the internet.  Once it's dry you will probably have to have it kiln dried.  It sounds like a lot of work, but it's worth it.  I helped my Dad do this to a big cherry, and he used it to make all the moldings for the baseboards, windows and doors in the house he built - it's beautiful.

John

[nboucher]

Thanks, all.

John, welcome to BR. Do you have any sense how long the boards take to dry? Also, any idea how to find a kiln? Maybe your dad will know. The idea of making something out of wood that fell right out behind the house is very very appealing.