Thread: How do you break down wood?

Chainsaw, wedges, bandsaw, hand saw, axe ..... whatever is suitable for the size or the situation.

If the log is too big for me, I get someone with a mill to break it down for me.

Theres some interesting things in the bush

Depends....

On the size of the log.
On the grain of the timber.
On what you wanted to make of it....
IE; -
Spindle blanks...
Bowl/platter blanks...
Boxes, turned or dovetailed.

I slab big logs with a chain saw.
I hack up the small stuff with a bandsaw.

Some timber is better quarter sawn, even in small pieces so slabbing doesn't always suit that.

I find that a lot of Aussie timber cracks from the heart out so try to get rid of the heart while it is green.

I tried keeping branch size pieces with sealed ends to make weed pots, candle holders, and boxes but I gave up.

I only keep small stuff if it has really good grain/features & I split it down the middle & if it is something that is really very unstable, I'll split it down the middle again into quarters.

Sorry again... should elaborate... I am breaking down into pen blanks (posted in the pen turning area). I have a small 14" bandsaw which I breakdown on. At the moment I cut into 20-25mm thick boards and then let dry from that state but was interested in how other people break down their pen blanks from small log form.

Get rid of the heart.

I only keep small stuff if it has really good grain/features & I split it down the middle & if it is something that is really very unstable, I'll split it down the middle again into quarters.

For small logs that I want to cut into penblanks, I first cut the log to a short easy to handle length usually in multiples of 125mm so if I've got one at say a 1mt, I dock it to either 2@500mm or 4@250mm and then run it over the jointer to get 2 square faces, don't have to get rid of the whole round bit, just enough to allow it sit flat on the bandsaw table and against the fence.

Then I preceed to rip it into boards and then into squares.

As Cliff said.

Occasionally, if I have a surfeit of a particular type of log, instead of cutting lengthwise I'll do "baloney cuts" off the end of the log to give me angled/cross-grain pen blanks.

Any baloney slices I make are sliced up into 1"(ish) wide strips immediately, so that if the heart cracks it only only affects the one slice [fingers Xed] and even then it doesn't automatically mean the blank is beyond use.

Using the bandsaw I thinnish slice the side lengthwise take a good look especially with Olive Wood that cracks and the vein of colour can start or appear any side or position,then use that flat to then slice the sides first working into the centre parallel or cross.I have a delightful Mulga log that I cut diagonally first up to pick up the yellow on the outside of the 3 inch to 4 inch round.Currently I am cutting about 1 inch square,putting the timber cuts in stack up in the roof.Aldi had an electronic scale to 3kgs,I use that to measure each week recorded in a book using selected marked blanks for pens.Certainly my experiences with a ton of Olive is to cut it to 1 inch about a foot long,it dries naturally in a few months for me in the workshop.When the blanks stabilise in weight voila it appears to be ready.,damp blanks feel cold to the skin and heavy as a quick check.

Read a good tip a while back to make a sled to screw the the opposite side of a log to the cutting side for that first cut to make it safe from rolling,jamming,release the screws then use that ist flat for the next cut.

I do like DJs flattening the log piece on the planer though,all methods are fraught with some danger.Take some time one day and come over for a yarn,see my set up.

Peter

Thanks for the comments and advice all... DJ, I would probably employ your method if I had a jointer... "Hey honey... I need a new bit of machinery". I have a few bits so might try the "baloney" cuts and some like Peter has said and see how they dry. They didn't cost me anything so no $$$ to lose but would like to salvage a fair bit of it. Ends are sealed on all bits so not overly worried at the moment.

Peter I have a posting in Jun over to Harman so things should slow down a little for me when I get over there, but I haven't forgotten about you... just busy landscaping and working at ADFA at the moment. Am going to try to get to a Guild meeting too.

Corbs

Originally Posted by corbs

... DJ, I would probably employ your method if I had a jointer... "Hey honey... I need a new bit of machinery".

Or a hand plane.