making your own lumber

I have yet to see a tree that was not useing. For a pine tree 1’ wide you will not get alot of lumber out of it. Maybe to logs of 8-10’ long ang the max of 80 bf. If you can take the logs to a saw mill and have them cut it up. They should be able to slice those up in less then 30 minutes.

Thanks. I took another look and the tree is 16 inches wide. The tree was perfectly straight and no branches for the first 30+ feet. If the sap is too much trouble, I’ll just hack it into really rough boards to “frame” my compost pile. As they rot, they will just add to the compost. I’ll have to see.

Take some pictures. Otherwise, there’s a saying around here: “No pictures, didn’t happen” (NPDH).

-- Maplewood, MN

Every year, at our place in the U.P., I usually have a couple of trees, both red and white pine, fall in storms. I cut them into 8’ logs, gather them in one spot, and then call my bandsaw guy. He has a portable Woodmaster that he tows behind his truck. The logs are then cut into boards to my specifications, and then stacked to dry with stickers between them. I now have about 1500 board feet drying in my loft.

Look in the phone book, or inquire among neighbors, to find someone who has a Woodmaster. I have taken logs to a sawmill, however this is a lot more work and extra handling. I’m getting to the age where I don’t want to do this kind of hard physical labor anymore.

You will not want to leave the boards with bark on them very long. Insects get under the bark and begin eating. On a quiet day you can actually hear them boring holes in the wood.

-- "Heaven is North of the Bridge"

the sap can be a curse unless its kiln dried.

many a client has debated the merits of using fresh cut soft wood as beams on the ceiling and fireplace mantles only to see the sap drip onto their hardwood floors.

sap stabilizes at the highest temperture it reaches and if introduced to a higher temperature, it starts to run again. the only other way around that is to let it dry for 100 years.

another way is to avoid cutting the tree when the sap runs …....spring time

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

I used to have a protable sawmill. If you do get it cut into boards have then quarter saw the boards. Whith my mill it was quite easy to do. The big problem whith them cut in your yard will be the sawdust and slabs to clean up which can add up real fast. I would try and look for a mill with a regular head saw rather than a band saw you usualy get a straiter board that way as if the person cutting cuts to fast with a bandsaw it tends to waver and then you loose wood in the planer getting it straight.

Talk about some good advice. I’m going to take another look at the logs this weekend. I’l let you guys know what I decide. Thanks to everyone!