Every time I hear about a tree that has to come down in my neighborhood, my immediate thought is “cha-ching!” because chances are good that I will get some nice, free lumber from the tree. I don’t have a “real sawmill”, but instead just cut up manageable sized logs on the bandsaw in my shop.
I’m not set up to cut full length logs into boards, but I cut what I can safely handle, which usually means 20 – 24”, depending on the diameter of the log. I find this size of stock to be in high demand in my shop.
It’s fun and simple to do this on your 14” or larger bandsaw by following a few easy steps:
Choose the right blade. I like coarse blade, such as a 2 or 3 TPI tooth geometry. You can even find some blades that are specially designed for cutting green wood, and you should be cutting logs while they still have plenty of moisture remaining.
Build a simple jig. Use some scrap plywood to build a simple jig that helps your log ride along the fence without rockin’ (bad) or rollin’ (worse). Attach the jig to your log with some deck screws.
Align for first cut. Be mindful of the location of the pith in (or near) the center of the log, because you will want to remove it before drying the wood.
Slowly make your first cut. Take your time and don’t push too hard. Let the bandsaw do the work, and it will tell you how fast to feed the log. If you feed too aggressively it will compromise your cut quality.
Remove the jig and establish a base. The jig is only used to steady the log for your first cut. After that, remove it and place the edge of the split log against the fence and remove enough of the log to create a flat surface that is wide enough to serve as a base for your board cuts.
Position the squared surfaces against the table and fence and start slicing boards! Set the fence to whatever thickness you desire (I went with 5/4 boards here).
Slice each board, checking for flatness of cut after each pass. If you aren’t getting a flat cut, adjust your federate, or your bandsaw for drift compensation.
Remove bark. This is strictly a personal preference, but I like to remove the bark before I dry the wood. I dry lumber up in my attic, and removing the bark gives me higher confidence that I won’t have bugs up in my shop.
Sticker, stack, seal. Stack your wood neatly in a pile, putting spacers between each board to ensure air flow. Seal the ends of each board with your choice of paint or a wax emulsion that is specifically designed for this.
I find that either product works well, as long as you seal the wood immediately following cutting. It is also best to cut the log into boards within a few days of cutting up the full tree into shorter sections.
The longer it sits, the more likely it is to crack. With short pieces like this, you don’t want to lost a few inches off of each end due to checking.
Get yourself a moisture meter and wait until the boards achieve equilibrium before you use them in a project. I normally dry boards to 8-9%, but this will vary from region to region.
Enjoy your free lumber!
For more details on this process check out the video here: https://youtu.be/INBteQ-RpcE
Paul Mayer is a guest blogger. He operates under the name "ToolMetrix" (because of his passion for detailed tool analysis) and his work can be found on his:
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