@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama Seriously. I really like and enjoy your channel. I just couldn't resist teasing when the dog jumped under cover to stay comfortably dry and you were out in the rain.
I am so impressed at your professionalism: wonderful to see that these older trees are being used. I have no doubts that these slabs are worth a small fortune to numerous folks/companies. Such beautiful material! Thanks as always, for this video. Stay safe my friend.
Thank you very much! Yes, it was a big dog, and I've got one bigger in the log yard waiting it's turn. I'm not sure if it's going to be as nice, but it should be fun to saw up, no matter what.
Awesome slabs sir, Nathan Elliott sent me on over to check your operation out, that log was a MONSTER, you mentioned it was a lightning strike? is this common in these monster logs? I am not quite sure I understand, Yes we grew up knowing, get off the water in the canoe and don't stand together under a tree, everyone split up so someone will live to go get help if we do get a hit strike.
Its actually pretty common, big logs come from big trees and they get hit pretty often, surprisingly often. They say lightening never strikes the same place twice, but I've seen trees that have suffered multiple lightning hits through the years. Another thing to know is that when trees get hit, their bark and wood fibers blow off like shrapnel, so it's definitely a good idea to spread out a little.
Robert, I would contend that if you took one more full width live edge slab off the face that had some connected wood and some hollow showing, that might have been the most valuable slab of them all. It could have made a nice river table slab, and the customer could visualize it. As you know ugly logs make pretty slabs, or at least interesting slabs. I'm excited if I get an ugly walnut log. I don't sell anything, but I know I've got a good shot at one or more interesting slabs. We all have to make choices though and you never know. Brad_bb
You may be right, sometimes I just dislike sawing boards with holes in them, but they do sell. We had a customer complain a couple years back that our slab wood was "too clean" and we needed more knots and holes! So it's a thing I have come to grips with. Ugly slabs are what people want. Thanks for watching!
These are fluted stickers that allow airflow when drying. I will air dry depending on the species of wood and the thickness. Generally from 6 weeks to many months, depending. Yes, I aways cover my air dry stacks, they are put in open, covered sheds. Thanks for watching!
Hey Mr. Milton. I need to drive back up and restock soon. What do you do with the 'unusable' center part? I bet that'd make a lot of nice tool handles. :)
I'm having trouble with stacking pine , and getting blue stain where sticker are, the stickers are dry as can be, and the boards still stain, guess I need a kiln, any suggestions besides that?
@@dubya2514 It can be difficult this time of year. Place your stacks where they can get good ventilation. I also use several fans to blow air through. Normally sticker stain is just on the surface and will plane off.
We mill and sell about 40 different species, and of that we sell 4/4, 6/4, 8/4/ and 12/4, depending on species and lumber desirability. These larger logs typically won't make 95% clear lumber, because they won't have a straight and streamlined grain (this one didn't as expected) so it is sawn into live edge slabs. Straight veneer grain logs are sawn into lumber, crooked or otherwise defected logs are sawn into live edge slabs. I hope this answers the question, this would be a good topic for a video, deciding how to saw and produce different and profitable product from logs of the same species.
If you Google "Fluted Stickers" there will be several sources pop up. They are heavily patent protected, so as a business, I can't manufacture my own, so I have to purchase them, by the thousands. Depending on source, species used to make them, length, and shipping, they will come out $0.75 to $1 per stick, and are a significant investment.
All this cut walnut looks pretty and all when it's stacked up and wet, but what I'd like to learn is (1) how you arrive at the thickness of the cuts, and (2) how are they subsequently used by craftsmen or home builders? Surely you don't just cut up these pieces with no regard for their length or thickness. Who uses them after you mill them and how?
We mill and sell about 40 different species, and of that we sell 4/4, 6/4, 8/4/ and 12/4, depending on species and lumber desirability. These larger logs typically won't make 95% clear lumber, because they won't have a straight and streamlined grain (this one didn't as expected) so it is sawn into live edge slabs. Straight veneer grain logs are sawn into lumber, crooked or otherwise defected logs are sawn into live edge slabs. Live edged slabs of this thickness are used in everything from tables, bartops, restaurant tables, mantles, etc, and are just one cut of several products we sell of this species. Of course, they can later be edged on our Baker edger or SLR to be converted into edged lumber, after drying, if necessary. The thickness of the cut, plus the overcut margin, is based on the predicted defect rate when drying, the condition of the log, the grade of the log, and the size of the log. I make our judgements on how I will mill the logs, after selling millions of dollars of product, and have it fairly optimized. Good question, and thanks for watching.
@@HobbyHardwoodAlabama Reading your detailed response, I never factored in the amount of shrinkage when guys cut slabs. One might assume a huge log sitting in a pile for a few years would be past the need for drying time. I would ask aloud, "Why cut it so thick?" Now I know. I don't know what it is, but I am fascinated with the equipment, the wood, the process and the work. Carry on, my good man!
Some people do not like quarter sawn wood patterns in walnut, the cathedral grain sometimes looks better. However, sure, it can be quarter or vertical grain sawn. I do either or both as the log warrants. Good question.
I joke with Nathan all the time about doing it (he's a good friend of mine) and sometimes I do it just to aggravate him. He's a great guy, and we talk about once a week. I'm not much on watering wood, but it does bring the grain out, so sometimes it's a good thing, if the wood or video can benefit from it. If I'm doing sawing technique videos, the only water I use it to drink. Most times my wood gets wet it's because I'm sawing in the rain. Thanks for watching!
