Any woodworker can enjoy and benefit from the experience of milling their own lumber. Whether you’re creating a new deck or a piece of furniture, utilizing your own milled lumber gives each project a special touch of individuality and creativity. Whether or not logs should be dried before milling is a crucial subject that frequently comes up for individuals who are new to the process. Yes, logs should be dry before milling, to put it briefly.
Logs are often quite damp and have a high moisture content when they are harvested. Depending on the type of tree and the time of year it was harvested, this moisture content might range from 50% to 100%. When lumber is milled from wet logs, it is more prone to warping, twisting, and cracking as it dries. This could lead to lumber that can’t be used and needs to be thrown out.
It is advised to wait at least 6 to 12 months before milling logs to avoid these problems. As a result, the moisture content will be able to drop to a more acceptable range of 15% to 20%. The species of tree, the size of the logs, and the climate in which they are being dried will all affect how long it takes for logs to dry.
Your logs should be milled into usable lumber once they have dried to the proper degree. The usage of a chainsaw mill is one common technique for milling lumber. Chainsaw mills are a fantastic alternative for anyone who wish to mill their own lumber without investing in a more expensive sawmill because they are inexpensive and simple to use. Chainsaw mills, however, may not be appropriate for all applications and are not as exact as conventional sawmills.
You can construct your own sawmill at home if you’re wanting to buy a more conventional sawmill. Any woodworker may build their own sawmill thanks to the abundance of DIY sawmill designs that are available online. It’s crucial to keep in mind, though, that setting up your own sawmill can take a lot of time, and it might not be the most economical choice for individuals who just need to mill lumber infrequently.
And finally, a popular query when thinking about milling your own lumber is if a portable sawmill will be profitable. The cost of the sawmill, the quantity of lumber you need to mill, and the price of buying lumber from a lumberyard will all have an impact on the answer to this question. In general, a portable sawmill can be a wise investment that will eventually pay for itself if you intend to mill a sizable amount of lumber.
In conclusion, to prevent problems with warping, twisting, and cracking, logs should be dried before milling. Although popular and reasonably priced, chainsaw mills may not be appropriate for all projects if you want to mill your own lumber. It can be exciting and fulfilling to build your own sawmill at home, but it might not be the most economical choice for sporadic use. Finally, for individuals who anticipate milling a sizable quantity of lumber, purchasing a portable sawmill may be a wise investment.