From Logs to Lumber

One of my great passions is to salvage logs from local areas that have fallen down or were being removed and save them from being burnt and releasing extra carbon into the atmosphere. Perhaps one day I will build/buy a large bandsaw mill and a drying kiln. In the meantime I am working with a 4x6 trailer to collect logs (maximum capacity 500kg), a chainsaw mill to cut them and the great outdoors to dry the slabs. That doesn't stop me from pursuing my passion while I am still learning and experimenting.

My chainsaw and mill

The repurposed livestock feeder which serves as my lumber drying shed

Equipment

Roughly 2 years ago, I bought a broken Stihl 029 from gumtree for $250 under the assumption I would be able to repair it. A few spare parts and learning about 2-stroke engines, I had a chainsaw that was running as though it were new.

The Stihl 029 is a 54cc powerhead, and I have installed a 30" bar (which is pushing the capacity of this particular saw). I also bought an alaskan mill that can handle a bar up to 36" bar, which has been sufficient for all logs I have encountered so far (foreshadowing).

When making the first cut on the log, I screw a straight edge to a face then reference of that cut for future slabs. Currently my straight edge is an old ladder I purged from my late Grandfather's shed, which is 2m long.

As a result the maximum capacity of my equipment is currently 550mm x 2000m slabs.

Drying facilities

A significant challenge in milling my own lumber that I have encountered is drying the lumber to be straight, flat and with minimal cracks. The first step is to facilitate drying, we places wooden sticks between the slabs to allow air flow. When the timber dries too fast, it can crack and/or twist significantly. For this reason I paint the end grain with a wax paint to get a more even drying across the whole slab.

My father-in-law owns a property in Lewiston and I have repurposed a section of his old livestock feeder as a wood shed. as a result we have a 1.5x1.5x6m space with that is raised off the ground and clad in corrugated iron. To ensure the timber is flat, I have two 50x75mm RHS steel spanning the gaps are are welded to the structure, ensuring the steel is planar.

One of the most important features in this wood shed is that the timber is protected from the wind and rain. In Adelaide we have very dry winds and this will wick the water off the surface of the slabs, causing the slabs to dry too quickly; leaving cracked and twisted timber.

Here are some tricks and techniques I have learned along the way:

Cut oversized slabs

It is important to remember that wood will shrink as it dries (and potentially crack and twist). You will also inevitably lose material when thicknessing and flattening the timber before use.

Cut soon

You should cut the logs into lumber reasonably quickly after it has fallen, certainly paint the end grain as soon as possible (any paint will suffice, but wax paint is ideal).

Time until dry

The rough rule of thumb when drying lumber is to allow 1 year for each inch of thickness. I generally cut slabs from 30mm to 80mm, so this process is not ideal for those of us who are impatient.