Thoughts about milling lumber for home addition?

[BlueRidgeMark]

I already have a nice supply of 2x6's

2x4s, 2x6s, 4x12s, it's all the same to a tornado! LUNCH!

 

[sawinredneck]

2x4s, 2x6s, 4x12s, it's all the same to a tornado! LUNCH!

How ture that is!! And when it's youre time, it doesn't matter if you are in a basement or a bank vault, it's you're time


Now, try explaining that to a woman!!!!!
Andy

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I use to mill logs with a chainsaw mill, and it doesn't take long to figure out it's ALL work, and takes forever to get anything done! It's also hard on YOU and the saw, and isn't cheap when you consider how much fuel and oil a big chainsaw uses. Also a Honda 4 stroke will still be going when a couple chainsaw powerheads will be junked.

I now own a Norwood Lumbermate and it's a world above a chainsaw mill, but Norwood also sells there Lumberlite 24 band mill that get's you sawing for less than $3,000.00. Even the small Norwood will saw out excelent lumber, and is worlds faster than a chainsaw mill.

You can see them at http://www.norwoodindustries.com/

You can always sell the bandmill once you have your home built, but i bet you won't! You will keep it and make a few bucks milling for others.

Rob

Sawing a Big Cherry

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Now, try explaining that to a woman!!!!!

Oh, no! Not me! I'm not as dumb as I look!




She has a point, though. While 2x4 vs. 2x6 won't make a bit of difference in a direct hit...

It could make all the difference in the world if the twister is close, but not too close. It's all about maximizing safety, while recognizing that there are no guarantees. You do what you can to improve your odds, and that's all you can do.

 

[clearance]

I have stick framed on and off for years, in regards to buying lumber for framing, can only speak to here where Home Depot wood is not my first choice. Buy where the home builders buy, not where the weekend warriors buy. About hurricanes, I figure that with the right form anchors, joist hangers, lots of metal form strapping you could lessen your chances of hurricane damage considerably. For instance they make metal brackets that hold rafters down to the top plate, called "hurricane ties". I have built many concrete forms that have tons and tons of concrete pumped into them in minutes. With just 2x4s, plywood and metal form ties, button or strap you can fill them with concrete and they will take it, so thats a thought. Hurricanes are not an atomic blast, I figure many people that have rebuilt after them have really gone to town on reinforcing wood with metal, building interior shear walls and so forth.

 

[Diesel JD]

This is a cool thread. About the tornado issue...I thought what Mark did that it's all lunch to a direct hit. The hurricane thing won't apply in kansas, but Clearance is absolutely right about them. If you have teh right anchors and a good solid house, it isn't an atomic blast, but it sure is a lot more than you think. Even here in Gainesville where we saw no more than 72mph sustained winds with Hurricanes frances and Jeanne, it was pretty sacry sometimes. If you get in the way of a real killer like Katrina or Andrew, well then all bets are off anyway!

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

JD, there's no comparison between a hurricane and a tornado. A really bad hurricane might have winds up to 150 MPH. A tornado can more than double that!

I've seen a photo of a 16 inch steel I-beam, turned into a PRETZEL by a tornado.


Still, what clearance says is true - there is a lot you can do to minimize the damage. Again, not much chance against a direct hit unless you go with all concrete, but you sure can make a difference for those near misses.

 

[sawinredneck]

Clearance: I buy lumber at all of the places, around here it's all crap!!!!!! You spend 3 hours trying to find lumber that you used to throw off of job sites 3 years ago and are happy, it sucks that bad!!!! Maybe it's a Kansas thing?
Huricane brackets and all are great, but in 1991 not even seven miles from my house, I saw a 2x4 evenly sticking out of a 36" Cottonwood! I have seen a peice of straw blown through a plate glass window, without damaging the window, sticking out of a bank vault door. 10 inches of solid steel!!!! Huricanes are terrible, I do not want to go through one, Tornadoes are much worse. I don't want to go through one either, and have managed not to yet! But they are by no means the same, even comparable! Do an internet search on Andover Kansas tornado 1991, you will see what I mean. We live 7 miles due south.
Not sure how we got here, but game on
Andy

 

[SmokinDodge]

These fellas have quite a bit to say about the grade issue: http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Grading_lumber_for_an_addition.html

I wouldn't hesitate a bit to use my own wood, If it's my house only the best will go into it. You could always use it for some reall nice hardwood floors.

 

[sawinredneck]

Very interesting read Smokeingdodge, you certainly did you're home work on that one
Thank you,
Andy

 

[SmokinDodge]

Even a blind sow can find an acorn, sometimes

I've had very similar thoughts about using my own wood from my 80 acres to build a house. Now I just have to convince you to do it so you can tell me how

 

[sawinredneck]

Even a blind sow can find an acorn, sometimes

I've had very similar thoughts about using my own wood from my 80 acres to build a house. Now I just have to convince you to do it so you can tell me how

So much for being helpful you :censored: :censored: :censored: :censored:
Andy

 

[SmokinDodge]

So much for being helpful you :censored: :censored: :censored: :censored:
Andy

Just when I was starting to think you weren't like everyone else on AS

 

[sawinredneck]

Just when I was starting to think you weren't like everyone else on AS

Sorry, that terets thing, ya know
Andy

 

[SmokinDodge]

It gets the best of me sometimes as well.

 

[geofore]

wood

Try www.wooduniversity.org
Clearance, here if it's residential and under four stories you don't need the all the certified wood. Commercial and industrial building you do. Your milage may vary but then you're from Canada, EH? The only problems with using oak? Post oak beetles? Hard to nail/screw without predrilling, weight, but it carries more load than pine of the same dimensions. Green it's easy to nail, dry you'll have to predrill if you don't want to bend nails.
The wood university is a lot of reading but the charts are there and the math formulas are there. They link to other sites to tell you more than you ever wanted to know about wood. It's written for anyone to understand but has all the engeneering you'd need. Lots of PDF files to download.

 

[sawinredneck]

See, see, even more helpful information!!!!!!!!!!!! I knew this was the place to ask
Andy

 

[clearance]

I have read that oak was used for timber framing way back when, the old book said that the "new" platform framing was a substandard and shoddy method! They drilled and pinned with wood dowels using mortice and tenons to fasten.When you say that the structural wood doesn't need to be graded, does it have to conform to span tables, like spacing on center and allowable lengths? What I mean by this, is there anything to stop people from using 2x6s for floor joists on a 18' span?

 

[Finnbear]

What is too long to mill a big tree that has been down? Neighbor has a nice oak that was taken down after storm damage and there are two 32" x 12 feet sections that would make great wood. problem is, it has been down 4-5 months....

4-5 months is no problem for oak. Go get those logs before some fool makes fireplace fodder out of them. You can have someone saw them for you for 25-30 cents per bf and dried for 30 cents per bf. Just make sure you stack and sticker VERY carefully and dead flat. I just pulled 6 logs out last weekend that were down a year and are still in fine shape if a bit dry. I'm going to look at four 30"+ x 40ft Poplar logs tomorrow that went down in a storm last year and they still look good. You also can take them to Sam Miller over on 95 and he'll saw them into whatever you want-cheap!
Finnbear

 

[Finnbear]

Well, this has been intersting! You all make this out like it could be a lucrative buisness venture! So forgive my ingnorance, I am but a neophyte with this. Whom would I talk to about selling this rough sawn white oak? Is this something I would sell locally or have to deal with shipping it? What would the guestimate bf price be? I can cut more than I can carry, it's 90 miles, hour and a half drive there and back, from my home and I have an f150 with a trailer that I average 2 cords per load with it. Firewood around here has been selling for $170 a cord, not sure how that comes out in b/f but gives you an idea of what I make now vs.? If it worth it I can see if my buddy wants to go in as well and use his sawmill, bandsaw type, and if all were to go well I am thinking I could buy just about any saw/saws my heart desired and momma wouldn't say a word, as well as making some more money in the summer
Thank you all for the help and sugesttions already
Andy

Don't sell roughsawn oak. You'll never make minimum wage milling it with a chainsaw. Have a real timber sale. Talk to your county extension agent about timber sales. Hire a consulting forester to mark your woods and put up for bid what you are willing to sell. With 80 acres if you have decent sized trees you might well pay for the whole construction project.
Just don't do what a buddy of mine did. He inherited from his parents 60 acres located about an hour from his home. A logger was cutting the adjacent property to his and made contact with him offered him $6000 to cut "some trees" out of his woods. He took the $6k without ever checking to see if he was getting a fair price and gave the logger free run of his 60 acre woodlot. The logger took about $50,000 in logs off that 60 acres. I saw them on the log deck.
Finnbear