Thread: noob to big logs, strategies and advice please?

What sort of wood is it?

What is your intended plan for that wood?
Thats a lot of crotches in one piece.. Are you looking for crotch burl or trying to avoid it?

My first thought is that you better hurry up and get that end grain coated before it splits to pieces any further...

Ironbark of some sort?

whattyawannadowiththawood?

Cut for value? Cut for stuff you'll use? Cut for stuff that will sell?

I'm looking at all those branch stubs in the first picture. It aint going structural near them due to slope of grain issues. So if it was me I'd be looking to put that side up and rip a couple slabs out first for want of anything better. (Actually if it was me I'd slab nothing but it might spit out a couple nice slabs there)
The rest if it's clean I'd be chasing structural -but thats me and thats what I do. Appearance grade Class 1 10x2's always sell.

This class of log would normally be rejected by a commercial miller, due to the lack of structural timber available. Decorative grain would be the best option to be chasing.

Thanks for the replies. I was told one was ironbark and the other blue gum. My neighbour got them free and offered them up to me to have a crack at. I've never slabbed anything that big so I wasn't sure if those branch stubs are any more stable or just give you bigger splits or if it was even worth the wear and tear on the chain. I'm probably just overthinking it because there will likely be a peanut gallery with lots of opinions. Everyone sees those $5K slab dining tables at the field day expos and thinks any slab is worth a fortune.

Cheers!

Yah you got that right on the thinking they're worth a fortune part.

Real big slabs - 1.2m+ wide by 3.6m+ long - are worth money if they're good. But you cut a lot of logs between them.
Bartop sized slabs... say 700 wide by longer the better... will shift pretty quick if they're good.
The market is oversaturated with small and/or poor quality slabs.

look at it this way... if you get some nice slabs and they sell you'll do great. but if you dont then you'll get some experience which will be worth a whole lot more when a log with those potential 5k slabs comes along.

Since you will be slabbing I'd be rolling the logs so that the large forks horizontal, or the widest form horizontal in the case of no branches.. I cut a decent cant off to start with, then 50mm slabs down to 100mm from the centre of the pith. I'd then do 2x 100mm slabs, that I would cut into 100x100 boards for table legs/framing etc, as they would crack anyway. Then continue the 50mm slabs leaving a decent cant behind. Hard to tel from photo but I'm guessing you will probably only get 4-6 decent slabs from each log. If you don't have any stickers, cut the cant into stickers, stack and strap well to dry.

If you are going to slab these logs, take the bark off first (particularly the ironbark). The bark traps a lot of grit and your chains will last longer without the bark.