Sawmilling

Magicman

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Do you check your logs with a metal detector before sawing?
No, I do not scan for metal/nails. I only saw customer's logs and I provide two metal scanners if they choose to use them. If I hit metal it cost the customer $30 for the blade so it is their responsibility to provide metal free logs. It is very rare to strike metal so the time spent scanning is basically wasted time.
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I sawed these logs today..
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And got 2533 board feet of 2X4, 6, & 8 framing lumber plus 14, 4X4's. It was a good day.
 
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Magicman

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Here are the first logs before sawing began:
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I sawed a bit over 7 thousand board feet of mostly 2X6 & 2X8 framing lumber from them last week in 3 days.
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The customer is skidding more logs this week and I will resume sawing beginning June 7th.
 
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GreensvilleJay

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so, in 3 days you paid for the mill I just sold......
as I lost my milling site, I didn't need to mill the 20ac of red pine I have free access to.kina saves me a lot of work though with 2by4s at 13$ up here, kinda rethinkning it.....KNOT.
 

Magicman

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I'll resume sawing at this site Monday (weather permitting). There are about 30 more logs left to saw .

I am 100% portable sawing at the customer's site.
 
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Magicman

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I finished sawing this framing lumber job Friday which will all be used in the customer's new 4K+ square foot home. The lumber prices have greatly increased the demand for portable sawing but I have not and will not increase my sawing rate.
 
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bird dogger

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View attachment 61387
I finished sawing this framing lumber job Friday which will all be used in the customer's new 4K+ square foot home. The lumber prices have greatly increased the demand for portable sawing but I have not and will not increase my sawing rate.
Sheesh! That's a nice stack of lumber!!
 

Magicman

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Thanks, here is what I sawed Monday and Tuesday:
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Eighty three 2X10's for another customer's new home.
 
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Papadiver

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Thanks, here is what I sawed Monday and Tuesday:
View attachment 61400
Eighty three 2X10's for another customer's new home.
Nice! How long should fresh sawed lumber dry before it can be used? and I notice it’s all stacked outside and not covered so that must be ok also.

Ron
 
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Magicman

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I recommend covering it with metal roofing but black "visqueen" is OK as long as it doesn't droop down and cover the sides which would impede the air flow which dries the lumber. A couple of months will dry Southern Yellow Pine quite nicely.
 
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David Page

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Our son is making a portable sawmill, might be a good idea. I just paid $15.61 for 2x6x8 PT #1 which was bad enough but also paid $16.43 for 2x6x8 KD grade #2. Thats the first time I paid less for one that was hauled up here from way down South than for some that are grown right here. And that wasn't even the good premium grade that they were out of. Makes bidding carpentry jobs a little tricky.
 

Magicman

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Last week I moved the logs to the sawmill for this morning's sawing. This was a humanitarian effort to help a widow lady eliminate a leaking roof and needed 2X4's for lathing.
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I hung a flag at the entrance.
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An early Saturday morning gathering.
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Sawing and
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Stacking the lumber on the trailer.
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I am wearing the leather waist apron.
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14 workers, age ranging from the 20's to the 80's.
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The first trailer load moves out.
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And we finished with this one. 1536 board feet sawn in 3 1/2 hours.
 
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Henro

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Last week I moved the logs to the sawmill for this morning's sawing. This was a humanitarian effort to help a widow lady eliminate a leaking roof and needed 2X4's for lathing.
View attachment 69638
I hung a flag at the entrance.
View attachment 69639
View attachment 69640
An early Saturday morning gathering.
View attachment 69641
Sawing and
View attachment 69642
Stacking the lumber on the trailer.
View attachment 69643
I am wearing the leather waist apron.
View attachment 69644
14 workers, age ranging from the 20's to the 80's.
View attachment 69645
The first trailer load moves out.
View attachment 69646
And we finished with this one. 1536 board feet sawn in 3 1/2 hours.
Commend you efforts!

But back when I was less knowledgeable I ordered some long 2x12s and the guy asked if green was OK, and I said sure...

Learned later that green was NOT OK...but it worked I guess...at least in the short term. Ended up having to make major adjustments to the roof later...but what did I know?

Edit: At that time 20 foot 2x12s were long. I guess today they may be long as well...
 

Magicman

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Actually for metal roofing lath, green is preferred. As it dries it shrinks and tightens around whatever fasteners are being used.

The above saw sawn 1 1/2" X 4"
 

Henro

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Actually for metal roofing lath, green is preferred. As it dries it shrinks and tightens around whatever fasteners are being used.

The above saw sawn 1 1/2" X 4"
Interesting!

But I would like to think that whatever fasteners were being used for metal roofing would be specified for use on dry wood, which is likely the most common wood available to contractors overall.
 

Magicman

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But I would like to think that whatever fasteners were being used for metal roofing would be specified for use on dry wood,
Why? Are you saying that different fasteners such as screws and nails are manufactured differently for different wood dryness?? 😲

As I previously stated, roofers have always preferred green wood for roofing lath because as the wood dries it shrinks and tightens around whatever fasteners that are used.... just a fact and the way it is.
 

Henro

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Why? Are you saying that different fasteners such as screws and nails are manufactured differently for different wood dryness?? 😲
Simply was saying that most wood available for construction (overall throughout the country) seems to be kiln dried. And if fasteners relied on green wood shrinking for a secure connection, then using such fasteners in dry wood would not be optimum. So fastener producers likely produce fasteners that are designed to work well in dry wood.

So if fasteners are designed for satisfactory performance in dry wood, if there is a increase in holding power when green wood dries, it may be of no practical benefit as a practical consideration.

Nothing more than that.
 

Old_Paint

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Why? Are you saying that different fasteners such as screws and nails are manufactured differently for different wood dryness?? 😲

As I previously stated, roofers have always preferred green wood for roofing lath because as the wood dries it shrinks and tightens around whatever fasteners that are used.... just a fact and the way it is.
This is particularly true if hardwood is used for the lathing/purlins on metal roofs, which is the primary roof type in most rural areas, especially on barns and shelters. Houses sometimes got the shingle treatement, but it was pretty rare and a newer home, usually. It's a WHOLE LOT easier to run a screw or drive a nail into green hardwood than it is dried/seasoned hardwood. Not a whole lot of difference on pine, but some. Keep the rain off it, and being under the sheet metal will dry it quite nicely. Since it's fastened to other lumber, it can't warp or twist. We used to buy green oak 1x4 purlins from a local saw-mill when we were doing roof repairs or expansions on any of our old 5V roofs or siding, mostly because rough cut hardwood was cheaper than pine, especially green. Kiln dried and planed was a LOT more expensive, and quite unnecessary.

Getting the nails out without tearing up the sheet metal was always a challenge, and I'll give you three guesses whose job that was. I HATED pulling nails out that were driven into green oak. The oak 'blues' them and not only shrinks on them, but corrodes them so they don't pull out so easy. Not enough to harm the metal, just enough to etch the metal in the wood. I've broken the head off MANY with a crowbar. I can attest to what Magicman is saying.
 

Magicman

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Being argumentative based on one's supposition rather than any actual knowledge of a subject is in poor form.

Stating that lumber is "kiln dried" says nothing until one states the lumber's purpose. Lumber dried for framing is dried to a much different moisture content than lumber dried for a cabinet maker.

Yes, 18% kiln dried lumber holds fasteners quite well, but not as well as that same fastener in green lumber after it dries. That is just a fact.
 
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Henro

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Being argumentative based on one's supposition rather than any actual knowledge of a subject is in poor form.

Stating that lumber is "kiln dried" says nothing until one states the lumber's purpose. Lumber dried for framing is dried to a much different moisture content than lumber dried for a cabinet maker.

Yes, 18% kiln dried lumber holds fasteners quite well, but not as well as that same fastener in green lumber after it dries. That is just a fact.
I assume you are replying to my post?

Anyone that thinks construction grade lumber is dried to the same level as wood used for cabinetry, needs to learn more about wood and its uses. Certainly true cabinet grade wood is dried more. But cabinet work was never part of the conversation.

If "18% kiln dried lumber holds fasteners quite well..." then perhaps the green wood is only marginally better, so does this make any real difference in a practical sense?

How about a reference showing the difference in measured terms. I would like to learn more, rather than just relying on general beliefs, which could be actually true, or actually be not true at all, but believed.

We all know that wood shrinks when it dries, and expands as it gains moisture. Now, just to continue this thought, a screw in green wood actually is a non moving plug, except for size changes due to temperature changes.

Now as green wood dries and shrinks, if it is doing this around a non movable object, is there a chance that the wood will split at the screw, as it dries, along the axis in the direction of the grain? If so, this would end up giving less contact to the screw threads to some degree. Perhaps reduce pull out strength of the screw as well. AS compared to wood that would shrink less, being kiln dried.

I likely will never use a metal roof, so I don't really care, other than intellectual curiosity.