Felling and Machining Your Own Wood

Greg G. · 2003-12-26T09:59:38+00:00

Hi Folks,While realizing that it is probably more practical to buy rough sawn wood from a local sawmill, (if there WERE one), I am interested inknowing if anyone has links to a good overview of selecting, cutting,splitting, and milling with regard to maximizing the best grainpattern characteristics and yield. I often run across trees that arebeing removed by landowners, and hate to see this stuff going into awood-chipper, when the going price around here for maple and oak is$4-$6 bd.ft - not to mention the availability of unusual species likeCornus and Magnolia.A friend recently had a nice, straight, drought killed Maple treeremoved from the back of his property and that is precisely whathappened. I could have gotten this 80' high, 2.5'-3' diameter treefor nothing - but it ended up as chips and stubs. This could havebeen turned into 200-300 bd. ft. of nice lumber instead.I have most of the tools necessary to fell and cut into lengths, aneanderthal splitter and sledge, and a truck. And a bandsaw, planer,jointer and other equipment to handle the reduced size pieces.Heck, if it yielded enough usable wood, a Woodmiser or other field sawcould be obtained. We want to build out own house out from the citysomewhere, and the process of clearing the site alone would probablyresult in many usable hardwoods being removed.Wood is a commodity that is quickly being depleted and I want to hordeup my own supply to last until check-out time. Please, no stories of dropping trees on houses or power lines. We'renot idiots...Anyone?Greg G.

Dec 26, 2003 22 Replies

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Charlie Self 22 years ago

Greg G responds:

Somehow, I doubt the cow will be any happier knowing it will be used in its entirety.

Charlie Self

"Man is a reasoning rather than a reasonable animal." Alexander Hamilton

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George 22 years ago

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Geoff M 22 years ago

There is a heap of info aroudn on chainsaw mills

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You need a mondo big saaw for it to work, and these don't come cheap. a bandsaw mill has less waste and cuts faster, but costs more. There are some homemandeones around if you google for them - know any good engineers of fabrication shops? The other alternaive i have done in the past is to get a protable mill onto site, or take the logs to a sawmill. Milling your timber can save a lot of money, in exchange for hard work G

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