There are very few trees like spruce,pine,fir on our 50 acres in CT, but on the edge of one hay field there is a pine that is not in good shape. It's very straight and i'd say about 50ft tall and maybe 18" diameter at my height. When i say not in good shape i mean dead branches, trunk is fine. I am planning on using this tree to side a small sugar shack i am converting to from and old chicken coupe. The question I have is whether it is best to mill it when I cut it or wait, and also whether to let it dry before hanging it on the building. I am planning on making 1x8's. Thanks
Using a CSM for pine siding.
- Thread starter dhbiker1
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Is there any way to take logs to a bandmill, or get one to come to you?
I can hardly imagine listening to the roar of a csm all day, but that's just me!
I hire a mill for $35/hr and it's well worth the cost, even if I have to be the offbearer!
Can you get more than one tree ready for milling, maybe some oak or maple for cabinetry, furniture, or stalls in the barn? You and a good sawyer can cut about 1500 BF/day.
FYI, the kerf of the csm is large. When I do siding on a bandmill (hired), we cut 1 1/8" boards, let them dry a few weeks, and then resaw to get the bevel. That gives a good thick siding that's durable. I'd think you would go 1 1/4" with the CSM.
I also dip my siding in a good oil stain, to avoid brushing. If you brush, do both sides and it will last well. Use eaves though, to keep water off the siding. Do you have any poplar? It's the old traditional siding and lasts well if kept dry. Machines beautifully! I made 500 pieces when I built my house.
I can hardly imagine listening to the roar of a csm all day, but that's just me!
I hire a mill for $35/hr and it's well worth the cost, even if I have to be the offbearer!
Can you get more than one tree ready for milling, maybe some oak or maple for cabinetry, furniture, or stalls in the barn? You and a good sawyer can cut about 1500 BF/day.
FYI, the kerf of the csm is large. When I do siding on a bandmill (hired), we cut 1 1/8" boards, let them dry a few weeks, and then resaw to get the bevel. That gives a good thick siding that's durable. I'd think you would go 1 1/4" with the CSM.
I also dip my siding in a good oil stain, to avoid brushing. If you brush, do both sides and it will last well. Use eaves though, to keep water off the siding. Do you have any poplar? It's the old traditional siding and lasts well if kept dry. Machines beautifully! I made 500 pieces when I built my house.
Ianab
ArboristSite Operative
Best to mill it right away, but for a farm building you can nail it up green and let it dry in place. Just make sure you nail it with a bit of shrinkage in mind. (nail only one place on the board)
You can do it with a chainsaw mill, but it's a lot of work for pine siding
opcorn: Cheers
Ian
I milled allot of Ash siding with my CSM...It wasnt to bad because I was only taking a 10" cut. An 8" cut in pine isnt going to take all that long. Bad part is you are turing siding into dust because of the kerf.
aquan8tor
ArboristSite Guru
Best to mill it right away, but for a farm building you can nail it up green and let it dry in place. Just make sure you nail it with a bit of shrinkage in mind. (nail only one place on the board)
You can do it with a chainsaw mill, but it's a lot of work for pine siding
Cheers
Ian
Ian, what do you mean by nail only one place?? I'm going to be using some green poplar in the spring to cover a shed.
If you nail top and bottom of siding and it dries, you get splits.
Siding is properly nailed on the low side only, in any case, because it moves with the seasons. The nail should pass just above the top edge of the piece below. Ring nails are great for this!
Siding is properly nailed on the low side only, in any case, because it moves with the seasons. The nail should pass just above the top edge of the piece below. Ring nails are great for this!
aquan8tor
ArboristSite Guru
Gotcha. I was actually talking about vertical siding; I'm trying to match the board & batten of the house. I didn't think about shrinkage. hmmm...
Well, to some "siding" means bevel siding, clapboard.
Vertical is just boards.
Hang green boards touching, with one husky nail in the center of each board.
Use a batten wide enough to cover all shrinkage and put one husky nail in the center of the batten, between the boards. Then the boards can move and the batten will hold them down. Keep the rings convex outward for both board and batten.
The dryer the better, but if kiln dried you can expect some growth, so don't hang touching...maybe 1/2" gap, but I'm not experienced with this.
I never use vertical, because of the horizontal members required. I have always used studs.
Vertical is just boards.
Hang green boards touching, with one husky nail in the center of each board.
Use a batten wide enough to cover all shrinkage and put one husky nail in the center of the batten, between the boards. Then the boards can move and the batten will hold them down. Keep the rings convex outward for both board and batten.
The dryer the better, but if kiln dried you can expect some growth, so don't hang touching...maybe 1/2" gap, but I'm not experienced with this.
I never use vertical, because of the horizontal members required. I have always used studs.
Ianab
ArboristSite Operative
That can be done.
Nail up your 8" boards, with nails down the centre of each board and almost touching. Then nail up 2" battens so the nails go in the gap between the 8" boards. As the 8" boards shrink the gap will open up between them, but it's covered by the 2" battens. Because the 8" boards are only nailed down the centreline they are free to shrink a little as they dry, and the battens hold the boards flat.
Cheers
Ian
Railomatic
ArboristSite Operative
Side boarding
Whenever I use side boards, before I knock in the nails, I always bash the piont of the nail before banging them in, this stops the nails splitting the board at the top where it is thinnest.
Tapered boards look better and you can get more boards per tree by alternating the cut, you also get a thicker edges which stands up to the elements better, while the thin end and the bottom nail which doesn't show are covered and protected by the board above it.
Whenever I use side boards, before I knock in the nails, I always bash the piont of the nail before banging them in, this stops the nails splitting the board at the top where it is thinnest.
Tapered boards look better and you can get more boards per tree by alternating the cut, you also get a thicker edges which stands up to the elements better, while the thin end and the bottom nail which doesn't show are covered and protected by the board above it.
He is talking about vertical boards and battens, no top/bottom.
There is disagreement, but the large majority of sources I've seen say not to nail the top of bevel siding. The top edges are well held down by the nail near the bottom of the board above. If you nail top and bottom, you are asking for horizontal splits as the board dries. Especially if the wood is not well cured. I sided my house with about 500 pieces of poplar clapboard dipped in oil stain and hung as described, with 2.5" SS ring nails. Has worked out fine, except I wish the nails didn't stay shiny, especially where my nail lines aren't straight.
There is disagreement, but the large majority of sources I've seen say not to nail the top of bevel siding. The top edges are well held down by the nail near the bottom of the board above. If you nail top and bottom, you are asking for horizontal splits as the board dries. Especially if the wood is not well cured. I sided my house with about 500 pieces of poplar clapboard dipped in oil stain and hung as described, with 2.5" SS ring nails. Has worked out fine, except I wish the nails didn't stay shiny, especially where my nail lines aren't straight.
wdchuck
Addicted to ArboristSite
Nails are manufactured with a purposeful tip, look carefully and you will see that one way is a wider/thinner tip and will split, the other way is narrower/thicker and will not split.
The proper use is at the end of a board the nail is set with the broader blade perpendicular the the grain, no splits on the end.
In the field portion of the board, for easier penetration, put the brader blade parrallel to the grain.
The proper use is at the end of a board the nail is set with the broader blade perpendicular the the grain, no splits on the end.
In the field portion of the board, for easier penetration, put the brader blade parrallel to the grain.
mjtent
New Member
There is a technique in nailing wood sidings. I've already seen that from a carpenter here in our local. He hammers first the head of the nail sideways before nailing it properly. In that way it prevent the wood from cracking.
Thanks for the reminder , my father taught me that when I was kid building cabins and tree forts with old lumber we'd recycle from the local dump .
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