# better to mill: wet or dry wood?



## IyaMan (Feb 23, 2016)

I'll be starting out milling in the near future. I've read that its a bit easier on the saw to mill wet wood. Is my understanding correct? Somehow I would imagine it being a more gummy and slower, but I've never milled. And does it make a difference what kind of wood is being milled regarding wetness (since soft woods usually hold more water)? Does wetness affect chain sharpness one way or the other? Does wet/dry wood need more/less chain oil?

Also, I haven't read anything mentioning this, but does it make a difference regarding which direction one mills? As in, is it better to start the mill cut from what would be the lower end of the tree and move upward through the grain, or vice versa?


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## BobL (Feb 24, 2016)

IyaMan said:


> I'll be starting out milling in the near future. I've read that its a bit easier on the saw to mill wet wood. Is my understanding correct?


Green wood is softer and there is less dust. The other thing is internal tension, Sometime the tension decreases with time and other times it increases



> Somehow I would imagine it being a more gummy and slower


,
This is species dependent.
Some Australian Eucalypts have a time window when its best to mill. One example is a Eucalypt called Spotted gum. Its best to mill things when the bark starts to turn red and fall off.



> And does it make a difference what kind of wood is being milled regarding wetness (since soft woods usually hold more water)? Does wetness affect chain sharpness one way or the other? Does wet/dry wood need more/less chain oil?


The harder the wood the more oil is needed so its less about the water and more about the hardness.

Also, I haven't read anything mentioning this, but does it make a difference regarding which direction one mills? As in, is it better to start the mill cut from what would be the lower end of the tree and move upward through the grain, or vice versa?[/QUOTE] no difference.


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## IyaMan (Feb 24, 2016)

Thanks for the info, BobL !


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## Sawyer Rob (Feb 29, 2016)

I ALWAYS try to mill my logs ASAP, they mill easier and your band or chain will stay sharp longer.

SR


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## IyaMan (Mar 1, 2016)

I appreciate the tip SR! 
But can I ask, I know that standing trees (not yet fallen, that is) tend to be wetter in the spring/summer and dryer in the winter (their dormant time). Any thoughts on the difference of milling fresh cuts in winter as opposed to summer?


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## Sawyer Rob (Mar 1, 2016)

The point is, when they have a decent amount of moisture in them, it's a good thing.

Having more than "that" doesn't make it all that much better...

Frozen trees mill fine, but half frozen tree's present all kinds of "other" problems...

SR


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## IyaMan (Mar 1, 2016)

Thanks again SR. I don't plan to mill if the tree is frozen as I will be too! 

Mainly I was wondering about what wears on a saw the most, but have you ever heard of moon phase harvesting at all? I live in Japan and its an old school method here. The concept is to cut the tree in the late autumn, let it dry a few months with all the branches on, then mill it in the spring. The cut timing is based on the dormant time of the tree and least activity of bugs and the drying is to get all the sap/moisture sucked up to the branches (this is what the bugs actually feed on). Some guys here even tell me to fall the tree on the autumn new moons (especially bamboo). They have old superstition reasons as this goes back a thousand years, but nowadays science says that on this day the gravity of the moon is weakest and the amount of water is least.

But again, I'm primarily concerned with saw wear and tear for now as I'm just starting out. But considering that Japan is really humid/rainy and has lots of earthquakes, yet it is also home to both the oldest standing and world's largest wood frame buildings (all made of cedar, not hardwood) there's maybe something to it.

I think I might write a separate post on this to get some general feedback.


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## Sawyer Rob (Mar 1, 2016)

What kind of chainsaws were they using 1,000 years ago???

There's your answer!

SR


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## IyaMan (Mar 1, 2016)

I
1000 years ago? Ha, I think it looked something like this...


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## abbott295 (Mar 1, 2016)

IyaMan said:


> They have old superstition reasons as this goes back a thousand years, but nowadays science says that on this day the gravity of the moon is weakest and the amount of water is least.




I'm not sure I understand, or agree, that "the gravity of the moon is weakest". The mass of the moon does not change, it is just how much of the moon we see. In fact during a new moon, the moon is overhead in the daytime; it will be on the opposite side of the Earth during the daytime under a full moon. I can maybe see that affecting things somehow, but I don't know how.


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