Sawyer question

[B_Strange]

From lurking around and searching it looks like some of us here do sawyer work as well as other arborist work. Question for you sawyers: is it possible to quartersaw a log with an Alaskan chain saw mill? I need to quartersaw a walnut log that is 9’ long and 40+” dbh. A luthier is doing a partial trade for lumber from my farm for a guitar for my oldest daughter’s graduation gift 2 years from now. I need to harvest the tree and do rough processing.

 

[southsoundtree]

We're all sawyers, but not millers.

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[southsoundtree]

I'd cut it down to bandsaw size, and find a local bandsaw mill.

A mini-mill edger can help to align you rip cuts.

Once it halved or quartered, you can put it on rollers , you can move a lot of weight. Could be round wood fence poles/ tree stakes or branches. Once cut down, skidding on logs/ branches will also work pretty well, without dragging across the ground.

 

[ATH]

It is "possible", but sounds miserable. Also..
If it is truly an instrument grade log, you probably don't want to have that much waste. I agree - find a band mill that can do it. Selling a few extra bdft that you'll get with increased yield would more than pay for the milling on a high grade walnut.

Alaska mills certainly have their places. Sawing instrument grade lumber at 40" diameter isn't one of them...

 

[B_Strange]

We're all sawyers, but not millers.

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Thanks! I was not aware of the terminology difference. I appreciate the video link.

 

[B_Strange]

It is "possible", but sounds miserable. Also..
If it is truly an instrument grade log, you probably don't want to have that much waste. I agree - find a band mill that can do it. Selling a few extra bdft that you'll get with increased yield would more than pay for the milling on a high grade walnut.

Alaska mills certainly have their places. Sawing instrument grade lumber at 40" diameter isn't one of them...

Thanks! I agree. I’ll see if anyone in my area could do that. New territory for me. I appreciate the info.

 

[B_Strange]

Thanks! I agree. I’ll see if anyone in my area could do that. New territory for me. I appreciate the info.

What qualifies as an instrument grade log? Can I tell before harvesting? Walnut is field grown with no visible knots, wounds, etc on the log part.

 

[colb]

If it is instrument grade, it seems like you might even consider rift sawing... In any case, I think that quarter sawing necessitates quartering the log, so you could quarter a large log with a csm and mini mill, then transport those to the bandsaw - if you can't pick up the whole log as is, or can't fit it in the mill.