I have a large elm tree in my front yard that needs to come down. Since it's into power lines on one side and overhangs some power lines that go through the yard I have to hire it done.

   The tree service is also a saw mill with a portable unit he can bring to the house. I plan to have him cut as much as possible into usable planks for me. My current thoughts are to rent a storage unit that is close by, stack and sticker everything and let it dry for a year (I plan to have him cut everything to 1/2" thick).

   Any advise for me? Pitfalls to avoid?

   Thanks in advance.

 

I'm planning on waiting until the middle of winter to have it cut so I can keep the live edge. It's a big tree (50' tall, bottom is two trunks 17 and 20 inches wide at the base at least 8' long before they branch.

Add up the cost of having wood sawn and rental unit for a year to dry it and more to store it and the time involved.  Most likely you would be better off buying the wood.  You would then be free to buy which ever species you want for each project too.

This is the type of project I want the wood for:

 

 

 

 

 

If this was just project wood for my typical small fretwork boxes I would not even consider this idea, but slabs are hard to come by here in SE Idaho. This is a unique opportunity for me. I'm thinking I can attach the scroll saw to the miter stand and use the built-in supports instead of the roller stands in the video.

Wichman, that would/will be a great project and you are correct about it being a unique opportunity for you.

I did something similar when I had some oaks cut down in our yard.  So, a couple thoughts on your plans... and I will preface by saying I haven't watched your video, I've saved it to watch later today.

1.  Having the slabs cut to 1/2" doesn't allow you much wiggle room for any warpage or cleaning up of the slab.  What would your "final" thickness be?  That pic from the video above looks like a freshly milled slab in the 1/2" range, so if it's dry it has been run through the planner, or recently kiln dried.

2.  Stacking with stickers in a storage unit likely won't dry them out.  There needs to be air circulating around them to carry off the moisture.  If there is power at your unit you could tarp your stack leaving the ends open and have a box fan blowing through them.

3.  Get some latex paint and paint the ends to slow the drying rate to help the cracking and splitting that will occur as the wood drys.

4.  Leaving them live edge and allowing them to air dry "may" promote powder post beetle infestation.  From experience, I lost about 1/2 or more of my oak from beetles.    Doing it over, I would have cut the live edge off, or had them kiln dried from the get go.

5.  Using your miter stand should be a workable deal.  I would still look into a set of roller bars that you could adapt to your stand.  It would make moving and turning the board lots easier than a simple flat support - especially if the board is not planed smooth on the bottom side.

 

Haven't seen our buddy @Kevin Beitz in awhile.  I think Kevin has a portable mill and can likely give some very good advise regarding your drying plan.

 

Here is a pic of some cypress that I bought and had to dry down before using.  I set up a box fan and let it run for, I think, 3-4 months before I started using it.

 

Edited October 29, 20214 yr by Cal

If you stack them in a storage unit I think all you will have would be a BIG pile of mold... 

Outside under a tarp or roof and stickered would be the best if you don't have a kiln.

1 hour ago, Kevin Beitz said:

If you stack them in a storage unit I think all you will have would be a BIG pile of mold... 

Outside under a tarp or roof and stickered would be the best if you don't have a kiln.

So you're saying I could get spralted lumber!

If storing outside put a tarp over the pile but don't put the tarp down the sides.  The mice love the wind protection and build nests all through it.

12 hours ago, Wichman3 said:

slabs are hard to come by here in SE Idaho.

Having read all the comments, I can understand why!

I hope you find Elm better to work with than I did. Three woods I will not mess with is Elm, Willow and Mulberry. And for sure I won't waste my sanding machines with any kind of pine. 

agree with the above.

 

no air movement in a closed storage room.

 

1/2" seems too thin to start.  4/4 to start, then you can always plane down or resaw to thinner stock (if you have the tools, if so, think 6/4 to start, after planing and resawing, you'd have 2 pieces about 1/2" thick.  shouldn't warp as much either.

 

me?  I just buy what i need.  cost of doing business.

Agree with above . Outside-in the shade - only cover the top- seal the ends with latex paint or better yet Anchor seal. I too think 1/2 is too small as this stuff will likely twist , warp and crack just like a log will also do.

Having 2 cedars, a pecan and a black walnut curing in the garage for years, I have to agree with Cal, DAB and Gerald on sticking and sealing the ends.  My garage is not air tight, but if you are going to put it into a storage unit, find one that circulates the air to minimize mold.  That will help.  Also, agree with cutting into 4/4 and it can be planed or sawed into something thinner if desired.  I have not had any issues with anything other than powder post beetles with bark remaining on a few boards.  Boric Acid on them may do the job, but when spring comes, you can hear those beetles click to others.

 

Elm is wonderful to turn and work with.  A member from Idaho who used to frequent these forums sent me a big chunk of elm and I made about 20 pens for him from his elm.  Not as good as mahogany, but close.  And, the yellow wood is beautiful.  

I have worked with elm once many years ago. Very prone to checking. You probably have a better chance cutting it fairly thick, seal the ends and then dry very slowly. You might consider 8/4. You can always resaw it down to what you need. 
Paul

You realize I'm after 20" wide 8' long live edge planks for use with a scrollsaw, right? Right now, I can't find anyone willing (or able) to resaw 12" wide walnut planks. Any of you able to resaw 20"? Just smoothing out the planks will be a challenge, resawing them, out of the question.

 

Kevin, can you resaw seasoned wood with your mill? If you can, how thin can you resaw?

 

Cal, did you watch the video?

Pictures of the tree, yellow 4' level for scale:

 

Wichman, I did watch the video.  Very informative.  If this is your goal, it's good that you are practicing with the spiral blades now.

The video doesn't change any of my original comments, but I will add a couple more.

- I would look into the cost of having them kiln dried from the get go.  Some of the cost of that drying can be considered offset by the fact that you wouldn't have to rent the storage unit for a year.

- What is your thickness goal?  If it is 1/2" and you have them dried you might could have them sawn to 5/8 or 3/4, eliminating the need for resawing.  I have never worked with a portable mill, but I would be surprised if one could resaw a 4/4 stock in half.  Might be able to resaw a 3/4 off from a 6/4 or 8/4 slab though.  Maybe @Kevin Beitz will chime back in here for you.

- I might try looking for a wide belt sander, or a shop that has one that would sand it down for you.  Or sharpen and tune up the old hand plane and tackle it @steven newman style.

Depending upon the amount of lumber you realize from the harvest, and the amount you hope to end up with, you might be able to trade some for some of the needed services - sawing, drying, planing/sanding.

 

Another comment I will add.  I have purchased rough cut stock at 4/4 and have found it not too uniform in thickness.  Whether it was the blade, the mill, or the sawyer operating it when it was sawn.  Another reason not to have it sawn to 2/4 from the get go.

And another - if you don't have a back support brace, this would be a good time to get one!  They didn't mention it in the video, but a plank like you are talking, 20" x 8' x 1/2"+/- will be some serious weight.

Good luck with the project Wichman, I do hope you get to do it.  And, that you will keep us all in the loop with your progress.

Edited November 1, 20214 yr by Cal

Hey Wichman, it occurred to me the other day after watching the video - the pattern gave "suggested lines to cut"

But it does seem like a lot of that pattern could have been cut out with a jigsaw.

I had a couple other thoughts too, but have lost them

Cal,

   Thank you for your input, it does help. my desired thickness is somewhere in the 1/4 to 1/2 inch range. Any thicker and it will have issues cutting and then issues with the final weight. Any thinner  and there will be structural issues. If the planks are 12 12 inches wide or less I'll be able to run them through my lunchbox planer. But the wide ones are the worrisome ones. I won't be having the Elm cut down until late Jan, so I have time to make decisions.

   From what I understand, the bandsaw mills clamp the wood from the side to keep the log from moving, this limits how thin the last piece can be cut. When cutting a log into lumber there will always be waste, so the sawyer isn't to worried about it. It's all good, I'll just adapt and overcome.

   I'm not too worried about the thickness being consistent, to a point, I'm not planning to use these for construction or furniture. Some, just some, distortion would not bother me (as long as I can keep it on the saw I'm good).

   I posted the video so folks would understand what I want the wood for, that changes some things, i.e. why I want it thin. When I start discussing the actual cutting I will start posting in the scrollsaw forum.

   Getting any help from local shops is like pulling teeth.   When I had a couple of local woodworkers come into the shop where I used to work, I got into trouble with the boss for giving them too much help. I'm also sure that if the local Bishop called around on my behalf I'd get plenty of help, but I'm not in that dynamic.

    As for the weight of the planks I'm going to get help from some friends so it will be two people carrying each plank. I already have issues with my back (arthritis and bone spurs) so I'll be taking it pretty easy, probably a trip the the hot springs and plenty of rest after.

The prices on the storage units have gone up dramatically lately so I'll be storing/drying the planks in my yard. One Idea I have is to wrap the stacks with plastic/tarps and bug bomb them to kill insects, wait a week, then remove the wrap to allow the drying process.

   As for drying, the humidity in the local area drops to 40% in Aug. This should allow me to get planks that are dry enough to use in a year. I'll get a moisture meter to check, if I have to I'll wait another year. Since this is a one time deal, most likely, I can afford to wait.

 

Given the location, size and age of the tree I am surprised the tree service is willing to slice it up for you.  I'll bet there will be more than a couple of long forgotten pieces of metal in there...

As to the plan of wrapping, bombing and then unwrapping for the drying process - I would say to save yourself the time, money and effort.  Any insects those household bombs would kill/make sick wouldn't be in the stack.  The bombs won't touch a powder post beetle, and any benefit you might gain the day you bomb will be gone as soon as you unwrap it if not sooner.