BYO How to 'Mill' A Log

Bones

Hi all the builders out there,

I have a fallen black acacia that is just big enough to get back and sides out of but I have never milled a whole log.

Does anyone have any experience/tips? It looks like a nice piece with lots of heartwood so I don't want to screw it up.

thanks

slowlearner

If I were going to use the wood for guitar parts I'd buck it to a bit longer than what you will need for length. Get some paint or end-cut solution on the ends pronto...it will start to check right away.
A medium to large bandsaw would be the tool of choice to rough out the blanks. Then carefully sticker the short planks you've sawn and wait. I'd give it at least a year to air dry unless you know a local woodworker with a drying kiln. You can check moisture content with modestly priced moisture meter to monitor the drying progress.

noodlenot

I´m not a miller (not by far), but if the log´s big enough and doesn´t twist too badly you should try to get it as close as you can to quarter-cut ( clues here for instance, but lots more around the web). as you may know, quarter-sawn timber will be much more stable under humidity fluctuations/cycles. the main problem will be to accommodate the tree´s growth twist with quartering, as the twist will turn into long-grain runout on the sawn boards ( http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/General ... unout.html) ). i agree with slowlearner that a bandsaw will be your best bet, but you´ll need a BIG bandsaw to cut through a log - better to find a local mill and have it done for you.

good luck and keep us posted!

Bones

Great links!

Yeah grain runout is an issue with tops for sure but with figured wood like on back and sides I don't think that there will be much that I can do about that. This stuff looks pretty twisty which, like flame maple, is what gives it that nice look. Consequently, I'm sure that the grain will runout like crazy. I'll for sure quarter saw it though.

I've found a guy with a band sawmill for $100 per hour that will mill it into boards for me and then I'll need to resaw it on a large bandsaw.

thanks

noodlenot

yeah, runout is not too much of an isue with backs (or sides) - i mentioned it because i have bought a brazilian rosewood board (yay!) and after scraping/planing discovered the runout is almost 45 degrees (!!!) so the stuff will be a PITA to plane and will be considerably less stiff because of it - will have to brace accordingly. runout will make the sides more prone to cracking while bending, though.

IIRC there´s a rule of thumb going around the luthier´s forums that you should give a board an year of drying for each inch of thickness, so you really should resaw it into the thinnest you can and let it stickered, as (again) slowleaner has mentioned.

can we have pics later on?

Bohemian

How big is the log... length and diameter ?

There are sawyers who specialize in cutting trees for instruments..
What is your locale ?

Black Acacia.. California... call Rick Turner in Santa Cruz.


As mentioned previously... very important to paint the ends opf the log... or wax or Tree Seal...

Anything to slow the drying down at the ends.

colorado_hick

I am not a big taylor fan, but great video about going from log to tone wood. They start with wedges and splitting mauls:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EpVIEyYiSs

Bones

Noodle,

Yeah the grain runout is a real issue for planing, carving, and side bending. Carving and bending highly flamed big leaf maple is a real PITA. The grain runs out like crazy at every curl.

Bohemian,

The logs are about 18" and 24" diameter. Looks like mostly heart wood so should be able to get 2 pc backs out of it (may have to go 3 pc if it ends up small). I'm planning to cut them into 3.5' lengths to mill if the miller will let me since I need to manhandle them out of the location like 50' over uneven terrain to get to the truck. The local mill said they prefer 10' length to mill but I don't know how I could get them out. Too heavy.

Hick,

Great vid, thanks!

Jazzaferri

there is a methodology for maximizing quarter sawn lumber from a log. ihave it in a book by Bruce Hoadley but i bet you can find it online. it isnt straightforward and unless you have a sliding frame bandsaw..might be easiest to take it to a small mill and have him cut into baulks the right shape for quartersawing on a home bandsaw.

Bob Holo

Bohemian wrote:

How big is the log... length and diameter ?

There are sawyers who specialize in cutting trees for instruments..

Black Acacia.. California... call Rick Turner in Santa Cruz.

You're going to need to mill it into rough billets, end-wax it, and store it for five to ten years or more. Don't use the synthetic poly end-wax, the wood may aspirate and you'll wind up with white streaks.

The thing is... the answer to the question is: "you don't"... because milling instrument wood is a very specialized task and the equipment required is expensive and dangerous to use and the work requires a lot of strength. Find a sawyer who specializes in instrument wood and pay him a bit of cash to come take a look at the log. He might say: "Not worth it" or if it is a good log, pay him to retrieve it, mill it etc... Sometimes these guys will work for a percentage of the wood - mostly they require cash.

Bottom line, it's dangerous and hard to do right. Hiring someone who knows what they're doing might cost you, but you'll keep your back and your fingers in good working order, and in five years if it's a big log and very productive, you might have a hundred sets of Black Acacia worth $200/per... or it might have flaws and you'll wind up with 20 "C" grade sets. You just never know, wood can delight you or break your heart and you never know till it's in billets. But hiring someone who is good... will help you from start to finish. I would never consider rough-milling my own tonewood from felled trees. It's a whole different sport from building guitars. The few times I've done it, I hired a gent and had it cut to billets. Better yet, if the guy is a specialist wood sawyer, trade him the tree for some billets he's already cut and aged. That's actually what I did, the second time. Wood takes time. I'll probably be totally gray by the time I use the wood I've had milled. FWIW, my advice is to sell the tree & buy billets.

Bones

Edit: Bob posted at the same time...

Hi Bob,

Yes, I figured out that there is no way I am milling it myself (even if I wanted to buy a portable mill, NOT).

I did find a guy who will mill it but I don't have any experience with him so I'll probably have to meet with him and see if he knows what he is doing and what the 'deal' is.

Hey Jazza,

Yes that's the plan, get it cut up and then I can resaw it on a big bandsaw.

Can you scan a few of the key pages out of that book (if it's not too much trouble and you have a scanner).

Thanks