It’s surprisingly easy to mill short, small logs into furniture-grade boards, right in your own workshop, all without special equipment. “I’ve had good results using two methods for milling lumber from small logs in my shop. The simplest involves a hydraulic wood splitter – the kind used to turn logs into firewood. Clear, straight-grained, easily-split species of wood are easy to cleave into board-like billets. Most firewood splitters handle blocks up to 24” long, so when you find a good log, cut blocks to this length, even if you’re making your firewood shorter. “Regardless of how you mill your micro lumber, drying involves the same process used with other kinds of rough lumber. No matter how long it’s been since your logs have been cut, the wood is still too wet for woodworking if those logs have not been sawn into boards. That’s why you need to promote air circulation on all sides of every board, and a household fan really speeds progress. Stack your lumber with 1/2”-thick strips of scrap lumber between each piece, then direct air flow over the pile.
There are a handful of techniques that woodworkers use for processing lumber with a bandsaw mill. You have to saw the log at opening face almost half path. So that’s some basic techniques and approaches to safely use a bandsaw mill for lumber production.
Usually, lumber and logs that lie within a diameter range of 16 to 18 inches are able to be cut under a bandsaw mill. At this stage, we will take you through a 7 steps guide on how to cut lumber with a bandsaw mill. Once done with steps 1 and 2 of how to saw lumber with a bandsaw, it’s time to make the first cut on your lumber.
Backyard lumber milling I had the opportunity to scavenge two short sections of log from a silver maple tree that was cut down in my neighbourhood, which I milled in my back yard. Even though my saw uses a standard 93.5″ blade length, it really makes no sense to use a blade like that in ordinary 14″ saws, so I had to get this blade custom made from R&D Bandsaws. I find even resawing 2×6 lumber on my upright bandsaws, sometimes I have to scrape the gunk off the sides of the blade.
Logan has some great tips and techniques for turning smaller logs into usable boards using the band saw in your shop. “Making Boards. After cutting the reference faces, you can start making boards. How you plan to use the wood will determine how thick to cut the boards. Keep in mind that the wet, rough-cut boards may warp and shrink. So don’t cut the pieces to the final thickness. Instead, I like to leave some extra material to allow for jointing and planing the wood smooth and flat once it’s dry. Adding about a 1⁄4” is a good rule of thumb. Freshly cut lumber needs to be stored and dried properly to end up as stable boards.
If you are willing to learn how to saw lumber with a bandsaw mill, this is the right guide for you. Live Sawing- With this pattern, the bandsaw mill will cut the lumber to one-half at its opening face and continue cutting from the opposite end. Cant Sawing- With this pattern, the bandsaw mill will cut the opening face & sides of the lumber.
how to mill lumber on a bandsaw Related Question:
How do you cut wood for logs?
Similar to cant sawing, plain sawing begins with rotating and sawing the outer sides of a log into boards until the center is squared into a four-sided cant. Instead of leaving the cant as is, it is rotated and sawn to produce the maximum amount of lumber.
Is sewing your own lumber worth it?
Milling your own lumber can produce quality material for a fraction of the price of a lumber dealer. In fact, if you purchase your own mill, like I have, you can actually make a profit off of it by selling lumber to other woodworkers and by offering to mill other people’s logs.
How long should logs dry before milling?
Depending on the thickness of the lumber and where you live, weather and time of the year, it will take anywhere from 6 weeks to 4 months. Most lumber is in the 1” to 2” thickness and the time above applies to thicknesses.
Can you build with fresh cut lumber?
Building with green lumber for timber frame construction can save time, money and energy. With green timber, you can begin building right away without having to wait for the wood to dry, or having the added cost for kiln drying, which uses environmentally damaging fossil fuels during the drying process.
How thick of wood can a band saw cut?
Band saws are the undisputed champ when it comes to cutting curves and slicing through thick material. Many small band saws can slice though lumber a full four inches thick, and bigger saws handle six-inch cuts.
What are the disadvantages of quarter sawn lumber?
Quarter-Sawn Lumber produces much less usable lumber than Plain-Sawn lumber, making it more expensive. It is often still sought after becuase it is more stable. It is less likely to cup or twist and there are fewer surface checks and splits. It also wears more evenley.
How can I tell if my wood is quarter sawn?
A board with growth rings running roughly parallel—usually in arches—relative to the face of the board is called a plain-sawn (or flat-sawn) board. If the growth rings are at a steep angle relative to the face, the board is said to have quartersawn grain.
Why is a 2×4 not 2×4?
The simple reason why 2×4 is not 2 inches by 4 inches is that lumber mills trim off rough or warped surfaces of a 2×4 to give it a more polished and finished look. By planning the lumber on all four sides, the original 2×4 is now reduced to 1 ½ inches by 3 1/2 inches.
What type of wood is used for 2×4?
Fir. Douglas fir is one of the most common woods used to make 2x4s. It is one of the cheapest types of softwood 2x4s. This makes it easy to screw into but still strong enough to be used for any project, including a house.
What is the actual length of an 8 foot 2×4?
2×4 – 8: 96” Although not quite as common as the pre-cut studs I described above, my local Home Depot has a fairly good selection of 2x4s that measure 8 feet (96”).