# CSM time... Finally



## RedArrow (Nov 28, 2011)

Got to spend some time making sawdust this weekend. Tried out my new Panthermill 2. Got a bunch of nice boards & slabs. Here are the highlights... The largest Red Cedar,View attachment 208959




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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=45.335221,-93.778524


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## SDB777 (Nov 29, 2011)

That Eastern Red CEdar sure is fun to mill with a chainsaw! And there seems to be some nice coloring in those pieces too!!!



Scott (gotta project for 'em) B


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## RedArrow (Nov 29, 2011)

For the time being I have all the boards dead stacked...
How long can they safely sit like this? The temps are around freezing. Also what is the best materials/size for stickers?
View attachment 209059



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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=45.291383,-93.365898


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## mtngun (Nov 29, 2011)

Thanks for the pic. Love the cedar.:smile2:


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## RedArrow (Nov 29, 2011)

For the time being I have all the boards dead stacked...
How long can they safely sit like this? The temps are around freezing. Also what is the best materials/size for stickers?
View attachment 209059



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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=45.291383,-93.365898


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## gemniii (Nov 29, 2011)

RedArrow said:


> For the time being I have all the boards dead stacked...
> How long can they safely sit like this? The temps are around freezing. Also what is the best materials/size for stickers?


Probably till it warms up a bit if the temps are below freezing.
The absolute best material for stickers when you don't have anything is any clean wood. I use mainly pine 1x1's, only because I picked up a stack about 4'x4'x10' for $10 about 25 years ago (store closing). They are easy to break to the desired length.


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## Talltom (Nov 29, 2011)

The problem with stacking w/o stickers is mold and the resultant discoloration, but you won't have to worry about that with a rot resistant wood like red cedar as long as the weather is cold. The best wood for stickers is whatever you have as offcuts. If you have a tablesaw and planer, it's easy to make them. The wood should be at least air dry, but it's the mold thing again so you could use freshly cut stickers over the winter & replace them in early Spring. I made my first stickers out of exterior grade plywood that I had laying around. It's already uniform thickness so you just need to rip them to width. They're still good after 14 years. You may be able to find offcuts at a construction site. After a year or so, you will have plenty of air dried wood to make your stickers from. I try to keep my count at less than the national debt. 

I like to make my stickers 3/4 x 1 so I can easily see the "good" face. If they're square, you need to plane both dimensions rather than just 1. I tried making some fancy ones with a groove cut in the faces to speed up drying, but some kind of bee loved to nest in the grooves, so now mine are plain flat sticks, usually tulip poplar or pine. Don't forget to paint the ends of your boards.


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## BobL (Nov 29, 2011)

Even though I live in a warm place (no recorded snow fall in ~200 of European settlement) you will be surprised at how much wood will dry even when temps are around freezing so I would sticker them right away. The reason I know this is one way to dry small pieces of wood is to put them in a freezer and they will dry out surprisingly fast.


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## RedArrow (Nov 29, 2011)

Here are a few more pics from the weekend. If only they would keep the color they have when freshly cut! But they are all some beautys.
View attachment 209109
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## FISH BAIT (Nov 30, 2011)

*Nice*

Man that's good lookin wood. Gotta love cedar! I have had some cedar drying in my shop for about a year. I stickered it, as soon as it was cut, with some old 2x4 ripped down on the table saw. They have worked fine.


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## RedArrow (Nov 30, 2011)

I'm lovin the mill, wish I was gonna have the Stihl in it today. I don't have a bad thing to say about the mill. The only thing would be that it is heavy, but I'll take that over having to worry about stripping threads any day. I'm glad I held out until finding your mill.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=45.626689,-94.175182


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## jimdad07 (Dec 1, 2011)

Very nice work RedArrow. I love the look of red cedar.


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## RedArrow (Dec 4, 2011)

Milled an Elm for the first time tonight, very pretty! 
View attachment 209993

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Also finished up a 20" Red Oak.
View attachment 209995


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## TreeWinder (Dec 4, 2011)

Wish we had some red around here, nice looking stack.


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## RedArrow (Dec 5, 2011)

*More pictures*

I have a bit of a problem guys... I *CAN'T* stop cutting boards! They are piling up, and I don't have enough material for stickers. I really should start worrying about that, but I wanna cut more!
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## jimdad07 (Dec 5, 2011)

RedArrow said:


> I have a bit of a problem guys... I *CAN'T* stop cutting boards! They are piling up, and I don't have enough material for stickers. I really should start worrying about that, but I wanna cut more!
> View attachment 210131
> View attachment 210132
> View attachment 210133
> ...



It's a pretty common ailment, happens a lot around here.


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