Sawing lumber is one of the world’s most exciting and interesting skills. People want to learn this vital skill, and I can reliably inform you that it is very possible to learn it. At the end of this article, you will have learned all the techniques of how to saw lumber traditionally.
It is important to note that the traditional lumber sawing process is straightforward and enjoyable. Here, I will show you the most common traditional techniques for sawing lumber within a few simple steps, along with various tips and tricks.
So, go through this article to learn the procedures of sawing lumber without any expensive modern tools. Let’s get started.
7 Steps You Need To Follow To Saw A Lumber In A Traditional Way:
Traditionally sawing lumber is a simple process that we should be excited to participate in. The process that it takes to saw lumber has been well highlighted below and at the end of the procedure, you will be experts at sawing lumber.
Step-1: Prepare The Logs
The first thing is to have logs on-site. This is when one gets to assess the logs very well before putting them onto the milling machine. Then ensure that they are of the right diameter as needed. Finally, check the lengths and confirm whether they are good for the use you want them for.
Ensure that the logs are trimmed to the correct dimensions wanted, and then cut the logs’ ends. This is because they may be untidy from the chainsaw that was used to cut them down. The best way to do the trimming is with a chainsaw because it is easy to use for those small jobs.
Step-2: Selection Of The Grain Pattern
It is important to begin by choosing the type of pattern wanted on the lumber, whether it’s a plain, rift, or quarter. All these patterns have unique designs that set them apart from each other.
All these different patterns have considerations that need to be made for them to be selected. One, therefore, will have to make an informed decision because they vary in the aesthetic value they bring to the lumber.
Step-3: Slice The Wood
The next step is to place the logs onto the mill machine. And before starting, ensure that the log is flat flush with the machine’s board. It’s done so that the woodcut is straight and not bent. If not, then turn the log till it is straight flat.
Start cutting the logs into slices, and then leave behind the barks on both sides. Proceed to then pull the lumber off the mill and place it close by. Finally, you then have to flip the log onto the other side and make sure to flip both sides for uniformity.
Step-4: Make Cuts Into The Log
Here someone removes the top cap of the bark from the log. The main objective of this is to get to the sapwood of the tree, which is usually very close to the bark of the log. By doing this, one can get a very decent length of clean wood.
Proceed to make adjustments to the machine based on the first cut that has already been made and the size needed for the next pieces. Finally, offload these boards from the milling machine.
Step-5: Center The Lumber
Centering the lumber involves inspecting the blade and looking out for a struggling blade as it is cutting the wood. One needs to look out for a struggling blade as it cuts the wood. The wood may also have wavy cuts all over, which is an indicator of a problem.
You should ensure that the center of the log is centered well, which will be particularly important in easing the tension on the log at that time. Centering is also important as it highlights the stress indicators on the wood, all wood has stress levels. It distributes the stress across the board.
Step-6: Dry The Lumber
There are many types of trees, and their levels of wetness need to be addressed differently for drying. This is also because they are not removed from the same areas.
The general rules for drying lumber are ensuring a well-leveled base, proper airflow, and protection from water, sunlight, and snow. You need to store them somewhere where there Is a proper breeze coming through because aeration is important.
To protect the wood from the weather elements like sun and rain, cover the wood with the tree barks that have been extracted from the logs. Ensure they are well covered and protected until they dry for a minimum of two months, depending on the weather conditions.
Step-7: Your Lumber Sawing Is Done
The lumber is now ready for use. You can decide to use the lumber for your use to make furniture or can use it for commercial purposes as well. However, traditional lumber sawing won’t cost you too much money.
5 Things You Should Consider When You Saw A Lumber Traditionally:
A few things need to be considered when sawing lumber in a traditional way that will help meet and exceed expectations. Below are some things one can look out for:
1. The Length You Need
It would help if one looked for logs that will meet the length targets. This is so that someone cannot choose logs that are too short for the purpose they intend to have for the wood. It would help if one was well planned and intentional with what they wanted to use the wood for.
Consideration will have to be made on the lengths of logs that the machine that is being used to mill can take. The reason is that different machines have different limits for the length they can take. It all depends on the way one wants to saw their lumber.
2. Quality Of The Wood You Want
The quality of the logs is a significant aspect to consider when you want to get the best quality wood out of the logs. One has to be very careful when picking them out. Ensure to be very intentional with the type of logs you are looking for, whether softwood trees or hardwoods.
The quality also goes hand to hand with the machine available. The available machine might not be able to produce the quality sought. If that’s the case, look for another machine to use or hire a quality mobile machine.
3. Purpose Of The Lumber
Basically, you should know what you are going to use the wood for. It can fall under the category of commercial purposes, and for this, one will have to choose the best cost-effective methods to use. Also needs to know that the types of logs to be used will have to be the same as what the market demands.
If the wood is for personal use, the owner can decide on the type of logs to use. The length of the logs also depends on this because one will know precisely the kind of result to expect, and therefore someone can make decisions that lean towards achieving the result targeted.
4. The Space Available
There is a need to have a decent amount of space available to be used. This is space to store the logs when they come and space to safely protect the fresh-cut wood. The other consideration will also be on the space that will host the milling machine and where it will be stored when not in use.
Space needs to be there because there is a lot of movement of long lengths of logs and wood. The traffic there should be well accommodated, and if there are strains on space, this will affect the wood in terms of damage. This is because poor storage leads to poor-quality wood.
5. The Pattern Of Lumber You Want
The pattern of lumber you want is dependent on what the targeted results are. If there exists a premium client that can pay highly for high-quality patterns, then one can choose to use the more costly patterns. If the purpose is for personal use, it’s best known to you the pattern you want to have.
The pattern will also depend on the type of machine in use. The reason behind this is some machines cannot make some patterns, or they may do them but at low quality. The pattern choice also affects the output because some patterns are more complex to make and thus have low output levels. Compared to others.
5 Tips That Will Help You To Saw Lumber Perfectly:
It is important to ensure that one saws the lumber as perfectly as possible. And to help you achieve this, I have listed some tips someone should consider to saw lumber the best way possible.
Tip-1: Get Extra Hands For Help
One will require to have someone extra to help in the process. This is because the logs can be pretty heavy, and getting them up a rank can require some strength that you might not have. It is therefore important to have someone available to help.
The extra person or people will also help remove the wood slices from the machine once completed with them. They will also help stack them against each other when storing them for drying.
Tip-2: Always Cut The Slices Thick
Depending on the use, one has for the wood pieces, they will cut. It is important that someone cut thick slices compared to thinner slices as thicker slices can be reduced later, but thin slices cannot be thickened later. This is because users may come up with a thin slice, and the thick slice may also get some use.
Tip-3: Ensure The Log Is Flush To The Board
When placing the logs onto the machine before cutting, one must check whether they are flush level with the board. The purpose of this is to ensure the wood slices will be straight and flat. It is important to try as much as possible to get the wood straight.
Tip-4: Ensure You Practice Proper Drying Technique
This drying part should be done depending on the type of tree. This is because different trees have varying wetness levels they possess. Some are very wet, while others are not as wet. You should also observe the basics of good airflow, lack of exposure to weather conditions, and the use of a flat base.
Tip-5: Select The Best Quality Of Trees
When selecting the logs to use, it’s important to try and get the best available logs. The main reason is that the quality is far superior to the other logs in terms of durability, color, and strength. Some of the best trees are oaks, hickories, and cherry trees.
Related Questions:
What Is The Best Way To Saw Lumber?
The grade sawing method is the best way of sawing lumber. It produces incredibly high-quality logs leading to the best wood quality. The grade sawing method uses high-powered machines with the best precision and high-efficiency levels.
The method is slow because the output volumes are pretty low based on the premise that it takes more time to produce quality lumber. This is because it usually turns the face of a log a maximum of five times. The result is usually beautiful, and the wood is just perfect.
How Do You Cut Lumber?
The lumber cutting process will begin by removing the top cap of bark from the log to reach the tree’s sapwood. The sapwood is inches away from the bark, so it is not far from the bark. And with it, you can get clean wood that can be very useful.
Finally, make some adjustments to the machine based on the first cut. Then adjust to the dimensions that you want for the other pieces of lumber. Here ensure you put in sizes that make sense, so you do not lead to losses.
What Is The Most Common Way To Saw A Log For Lumber?
The use of a chainsaw is widely accepted in most areas. It operates by rotating a fast-moving chain around a bar, which is a high-powered tool. It is used for felling trees and pruning. Almost everywhere in the world, this method is used to cut logs.
Most people use it to remove barks and saw using it as it’s more available, portable, and relatively cheaper compared to the other machines. This compromises the quality of the lumber, of course, but that’s not really what some people are after.
How Do You Saw Lumber With A Bandsaw?
First, begin by marking the miter bar areas by measuring the distance from the bar to the blade. Then proceed to attach the miter bar to the flat head machine screw on the bandsaw. You then proceed to make the first cut, and here, you will ensure it is stable to avoid cutting the wrong sizes.
Finish by proceeding to make a second cut. This comes off seamlessly if you did the first cut well. Proceed to make boards by cutting the boards up in the sizes you are after and dry them off. Finally, smoothen the edges of the boards gently for the best results.
How Long Does It Take To Saw A Lumber?
It can take 1 hour up to 10 hours depending on several factors. The duration will depend on the number of logs one intends to saw and also depends on the type of machine that is being used. The reason is that some machines can be extremely slow.
It also depends on the pattern someone has chosen to saw the lumber with. There are a few patterns that are very simple to make that don’t take much time, but there are some that are quite complicated. This takes up all the time to saw, so of course, this will take more time.
Final Verdict:
The sawing of lumber involves the use of serious machines as well, and this improves the efficiency levels of lumber sawing. Converting those bulky, ugly logs into wood that is very useful to make boards is something that should be highly applauded.
The traditional sawing of the lumber process is an easy and very enjoyable process that everyone should experience. Lastly, the steps on how to saw lumber traditionally are crucial to achieving a high level of quality.
