Chainsaw Repair

Chain - Grinders - Filing - Wood Milling - Tools - Welding - Machinist - Mowers - Tillers => Wood Working Milling => Topic started by: dpjones on November 04, 2017, 12:57:10 pm


Title: Hickory boards splitting
Post by: dpjones on November 04, 2017, 12:57:10 pm
I guess I may ask too many questions but here's another. I got four 8' hickory logs too cut, only cut one so far but it starts splitting down the center when I get about half way down the log. Am I doing something wrong? these boards sure would be pretty if I could leave them wide.
Thanks
DJ
Title: Re: Hickory boards splitting
Post by: mdavlee . on November 04, 2017, 11:31:08 pm
It must have stress in it if it's cracking that fast.
Title: Re: Hickory boards splitting
Post by: dpjones on November 05, 2017, 10:10:25 am
It was growing on the side of a branch and a storm took it down, I cleaned it up. This was the but cut, haven't cut any more yet.
Title: Re: Hickory boards splitting
Post by: jmester on November 05, 2017, 05:39:25 pm
I have heard that hickory splits pretty easy when milling. Try to flip the log from side to side as you are milling to help relieve the internal stress. You may need to mill from all four sides to keep it from splitting.
Title: Re: Hickory boards splitting
Post by: dpjones on November 06, 2017, 09:37:35 am
Thanks a lot, I'll cut the next one like that, when the rain stops.
Thanks Again
DJ
Title: Re: Hickory boards splitting
Post by: jmester on November 06, 2017, 08:09:39 pm
Let me/us know how you make out with it. A pic would be cool if you can.
Title: Re: Hickory boards splitting
Post by: Al Smith on November 09, 2017, 06:06:44 pm
If that hickory was a wind fall it probably has splits in it .
This summer a straight line wind blew 60 feet out the top of a 100 foot bitter nut hickory .Where broke off was 2 feet in diameter .That top even at 2 feet had splits the entire length of it .I still haven't got that thing split and stacked .
Title: Re: Hickory boards splitting
Post by: dpjones on November 09, 2017, 06:48:02 pm
Wind got this one, not as big as yours though, maybe 2 foot or so at the butt. It stayed together roots and all, may have **** it though and stress too I guess. I got 4 logs and around 2 ricks of firewood out of it. I call a rick around 16 inches wide, 4 feet high and 8 feet long

I'm going to try what jmester said about flipping it. I'll post how it does.
Title: Re: Hickory boards splitting
Post by: Al Smith on November 11, 2017, 06:02:04 am
I think what you will find is that salvaging lumber from wind falls or dead falls you are going to have a lot of internal damage .You will get some good lumber and what's left is just high priced firewood more or less .
Even on a green fall you can get structural flaws just from tipping it over .
With my little accumulation of hardwood,3,500 BDF I might start out with a 1 by 12 16 feet long and if I'm lucky enough I might end up with a 1 by 8 or 10  by 12 foot the time I rip it and square it .It could be 6 inch wide stuff too . Then again I don't have 3 bucks a BDF in it either  ,about 20 cents and my time .
Title: Re: Hickory boards splitting
Post by: dpjones on November 11, 2017, 11:46:40 am
All the trees I've cut are wind/storms fall, I don't want to cut any of my standing trees. All the wood in the pictures are from storms here in my yard. All but the hickory, it came from my brothers yard. This is also all the experience I have from chainsaw milling

Why would my reply #7 be censored? (May have **** it though) I didn't say anything ugly.I said  "'May have c r a c k e d it though" had to space the letters or it censored it too??
Title: Re: Hickory boards splitting
Post by: Cut4fun . on November 11, 2017, 02:57:15 pm
@dpjones its the stupid auto censor software for some reason CCracked with one c does it  c ;)

**** crack see ;) 
Title: Re: Hickory boards splitting
Post by: dpjones on November 11, 2017, 07:45:39 pm
I thought something was going on with the censoring, usually when I talk ugly I remember it.
Thanks for telling me.

jmester,  This is a picture I took of the slab cut and a board cut on the Hickory. Only cut one board today, just too tired for any more, I'll cut the rest of the log tomorrow, if it splits I'll flip it. Anything wrong with how I'm cutting it?



Title: Re: Hickory boards splitting
Post by: Al Smith on November 12, 2017, 06:19:16 pm
You're doing it okay but my word is that a hard way to get lumber .I've only done a very little bit of chainsaw milling and could get about a foot a minute in 18"  oak using a McCulloch  SP 125 ,that's 123 cc .I cut a few 4" thick 12" wide planks 8 feet long and didn't do any more after that .Those things were heavy as lead 10 years ago and haven't gotten any lighter since .
Title: Re: Hickory boards splitting
Post by: dpjones on November 12, 2017, 07:50:09 pm
That mill looks different than mine, what kind is it? It is hard but the loader helps and I wouldn't want to do this all the time either


Title: Re: Hickory boards splitting
Post by: Al Smith on November 13, 2017, 06:30:14 am
It's called a Granberg mini mill .You nail a straight edge on the log as a guide ,this case a straight 2 by 4 . It was a freebie to me .