Preparing your logs for a portable bandsaw
- This is in fact my wish list as a sawyer.
- Don’t worry if your log pile isn’t perfect. We can still cut them.
- It is very important that if the mill is backed in beside the log pile, the log pile should be on the drivers side as that is where the log loader is on the mill.
- Logs should be cut to length, max 21’, and all limbs removed.
- They should then be stacked on some dunnage such as small logs or 4×4’s. Be sure to cut the knots off the dunnage logs and place them about six feet apart, perpendicular to the roadway, and if not level then slightly downhill toward the road. It can be quite difficult to roll large logs uphill toward the mill. The dunnage keeps the logs clean and dry and also makes them roll easier.
Mill site layout
Download the Print Version Here
Stacking your lumber
- We do not do the final stacking of your lumber.
- It is best to do your stacking after all logs have been cut so that you know how much you have of each dimension.
- The three main points when storing lumber,
- Keep wood off the ground, bugs and moisture are the enemy.
- Use stickers(thin strips of wood) between each layer of lumber. Align each layer of stickers with the dunnage to avoid warping.
- Cover pile but DO NOT suffocate by tarping right to the ground, leave plenty of places for the air to flow through. Wood can handle getting wet then drying again, but if allowed to stay wet it will rot. Sun is also the enemy to wood, it will warp and crack unprotected lumber.
Suggested plan for stacking lumber
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