Cutting planks

If this tree was in your yard, or in town, make sure to give it a quick scan with a metal detector before you do any cutting or turning.

You can slap a resaw blade on your bandsaw and it will cut it. However, with only a 7 inch max capacity, you’d almost have to split it to get it in. The only other options you may have are a chainsaw with the milling attachment, or you could take it to a local mill.

Here's a link to a log sled if you decide to do it on your bandsaw. I have a 14” Rikon, and it has a 13 inch resaw capacity… I cut oak with a resaw blade often to make planks from logs, it’s not as difficult as it sounds.

You may consider looking at the top of the log, where it is a smaller diameter. Even if the log is 9-10” round there, after you trim off the four sides to make an oversized post, then you may have it down to 7” to plank it.

One option to consider, is to keep some of the small logs (maybe 6-8 inches long, 12” round) to dry in your shop, don’t cut them or split them. You could knock out a couple bandsaw boxes with the short logs once they are dry. That could turn out to be a nice project.

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

You might consider trying to find a mill to saw it down for you. The local miller I found near me charges 50cents a bf if you bring the logs to him…...Just an option.

-- Adrian ..... The 11th Commandment...."Thou Shalt Not Buy A Wobble Dado"