A contract must be signed before any logs are sawn.
Safety
Children under the age of 16 are not allowed in the sawing or log loading area. Eye and ear protection are required in the area of the saw. Logs and green lumber are heavy, use cautionary measures to avoid back injuries and other excessive straining.
Helpers are expected to stay clear of the saw. Helpers are not to touch the saw, log, or cant (a cant is a squared up log) without the Sawyer's direction. The hydraulics on the bandsaw are capable of turning and loading most of the logs.
Sawing capabilities
Minimum Diameter: Minimum diameter of the small end of a sawable log is 10”. Special considerations can be made depending on circumstances. Lumber typically is not usable from a very small tree, but small trees are suitable for blocking.
Maximum Diameter: None. Though large logs can be challenging to handle, they can be split or sawn to more manageable sizes with a large chainsaw. Logs over 32” diameter will have an additional surcharge
Minimum Length: Typically 4 feet. If you have wood shorter, please contact me. Special jigs can be fabricated to hold shorter peices of wood on a limited basis.
Maximum Length: 20 Feet. If you need a longer piece sawn, please contact me. Special methods can be used on a limited basis for longer material.
Services offered
Grade Sawing: Grade sawing is sawing the log so that the board is always taken off of the best face after the log is squared into a cant.
Dimensional Lumber: 1x6, 2x4, 2x8, etc. Be aware that rough sawn dimensional lumber may not be of the same sizes as finished dimensional lumber.
Quarter Sawing: Quarter Sawing is not typically recommended unless the logs are over 22” in diameter. Due to the additional labor involved in quarter sawing, there will be an additional fee assessed.
Charges will be assessed on actual board foot yield, not scaled approximations .
Endsealing Logs: Logs sealed with a wax based emulsion remain easier to saw, and end checks are minimized. I can provide a wax based emulsion for end sealing your fresh sawn logs. Wax based emulsions such as “Anchorseal”, available from http://www.uccoatings.com,works much better than paint to keep logs from checking.
Chainsaw Sharpening
Bandsaw Blade Sharpening
Payment is expected at completion of job.
Log pile:
Logs are expected to be in a stack, as neat as possible. If the logs need moved, tools to assist in moving the logs will be available, however labor costs to move logs to the mill will be assessed.
General information
What to expect on sawing day. You will be left with slabwood, sawdust, and boards. Slabs are the material sawn off of the log that has bark on it. Slabwood can be used as firewood after sawn to appropriate lengths.
What to do with your lumber. If you are going to use it for woodworking, a general rule for air drying is 1 year per inch of thickness. You will need to have a level spot setup and stack the pile with ¾” x 1” “stickers” to allow for air flow through the pile. An open area is best to provide best airflow. It is also a good idea to cover the pile with plywood or other waste and put weight on the top of the pile. I can provide already dried stickers at a nominal fee. Green stickers can be used, but may cause lumber staining. Click here for additional information on drying .
Logs can develop stresses in them for a variety of reasons, such as species, growing at an angle, or on a slope or being too young when felled or having a curve in the log. Stresses inside of logs can lead to non-uniform lumber. All possible methods are used to minimize stresses which lead to non-uniform lumber. But be aware that sometimes, due to the log, some boards may be thicker or thinner at their ends or in the middle.
Some logs are better utilized as firewood than as saw logs. However, some “ugly” logs have beautiful character, but bear in mind that many of the boards from an “ugly” log may not be usable after drying.
How much wood can I get from my logs?
Bandsaws can typically yield the International Log Scale for Board Feet per log. Click here for a chart to approximate the yeild from your logs. Sawing charges are always based on lumber sawn, not scaled.
Dan Shade
Lexington Park, MD
ph.
240-298-4458
dshade @ shadecustomsawing.com (remove spaces)