Why do so many people mill 10' boards ?

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NuggyBuggy

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I've noticed that it seems many people seem to mention they're milling 10' long boards.

Assuming they're allowing for 2' loss on either end, that means they're targeting 8'.

If so, why does this seem to be such a magic number for lumber ? Dimensional lumber and plywood often comes in 8' lengths. I guess it makes sense for *some* lumber - say framing 8' walls - but the rationale is less obvious for plywood, and also for slabs. Few pieces of furniture are going to be 8' in any dimension, no ? Is that the limit for manageability ? If there was a smaller "optimal" length for general woodworking purposes, couldn't cutting to that length increase one's effective usable yield ?

Just trying to figure out optimal lengths to mill to with no projects clearly in mind yet.
 
the only reason i would mill 10 foot would be that i didnt want to set up 2 logs to get my 4 foot slabs
i mill at 5 foot and 7 foot that gives me the 6 foot for bars 5 feet for benches and 4 foot for coffee tables and all the smaller stuff i need in the long run
this is in theory i haven't used any of my mill wood yet its all waiting for my winter vacation
 
Most of the logs I mill have already been cut to size by somebody else. I try to leave anything I mill as long as my back can handle. I have boards as long as 20 feet long and 46inches wide at the widest. I usually only lose 6 inches at each end. I have had boards split the whole way but it was because of a defect in the log. My best advice is to look at you left overs from a project and see what kind of waste your making. I'm constantly having scraps that are in the 2 foot range from 8 foot stock. If I had milled 10foot I could have use them for cabinet sides or cabinet doors but usually they end up in the wood stove. Best of luck.
 
I keep them as long as possible for you don't know what the future holds. 18' long solid counter top maybe? As far as ripping green with a skill or any circle saw it's advised to go in so far then drive a wedge in the cut. Keep doing this to reduce/eliminate kickback. Either way you have to anticipate the bind and over power the saw with a strong arm.
 
Point well taken. I guess my limiting factor i going to be how much I can physically move, maybe with a helper. I have a 30' log that is maybe 30" wide.... And my shelter (which I have to erect still) is only 20' long so I guess that establishes another constraint right there !
 
Point well taken. I guess my limiting factor i going to be how much I can physically move, maybe with a helper. I have a 30' log that is maybe 30" wide.... And my shelter (which I have to erect still) is only 20' long so I guess that establishes another constraint right there !

I bet you can get it to fit. How wide is the shelter?
 
Point well taken. I guess my limiting factor i going to be how much I can physically move, maybe with a helper. I have a 30' log that is maybe 30" wide.... And my shelter (which I have to erect still) is only 20' long so I guess that establishes another constraint right there !

Then if you need to get picky you might want to consider:
The convenience of being able to finish a cut w/o refueling.
The stacking and stickering - like you wrote, if you've a 20' shed, where do you put 30' wood?
Also look into things that assist you in moving the wood - come-alongs, hoists, pulleys, winchs, wenches, coeds.

Remember after it dries it will be a lot lighter. Woodweb has a bunch of calculators for weights.
Drying green wood down to 10%MC can reduce its weight to less than half what it was when starting.
 
Max length on my WoodMizer is 10'6" with a yield(if there is any cracking) of 10'

And even at this length, I usually cut them down during projects.....

I haven't needed anything other then one beam that was over 16' in a LONG time, so why bother handling something that heavy and long for no reason.








Scott (lighter is better) B
 
I bet you can get it to fit. How wide is the shelter?
If I recall, it's 10' wide on the ground, tapering to about 8' at 6' high. It's one of those temporary car shelters, and I have yet to assemble it.

Then if you need to get picky you might want to consider:
The convenience of being able to finish a cut w/o refueling.
The stacking and stickering - like you wrote, if you've a 20' shed, where do you put 30' wood?
Also look into things that assist you in moving the wood - come-alongs, hoists, pulleys, winchs, wenches, coeds.

Remember after it dries it will be a lot lighter. Woodweb has a bunch of calculators for weights.
Drying green wood down to 10%MC can reduce its weight to less than half what it was when starting.
Thanks - you're right, but I have to move it there wet.... I have a feeling even 10' boards at full thickness will be challenging without some extra hands. I'll check out woodweb and see what the weights look like.

SDB77, that was what I was thinking... The only long thing I can see myself wanting to build is a dining table, and even then 8-10' might well be plenty for my space. Heck, come to think of it, my shop is probably too small to build a 10' piece of furniture !!


Thanks everyone !
 
<snip>Thanks - you're right, but I have to move it there wet.... I have a feeling even 10' boards at full thickness will be challenging without some extra hands. I'll check out woodweb and see what the weights look like.

<snip>
I have cut a couple of pieces of red maple about 12' long, 14" to 16" wide and 4" thick for potential use as mantels, they were very challenging for me to move (more like wrestle around) green. I was pleasantly surprised when I moved them this summer they were manageable. It'll probably take them another year or two to dry.

Often when you are dealing with trees you have to take the long look, especially when you start from seed. I planted that tree over 30 years ago, and the thick slabs take several years to dry. I plan on starting some more mantels next year, but might not make it to see them built in the year 2046. Might try.

/edit - don't know why my quote didn't work :(
 
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If you're milling for an unknown future use, you will get the best yield by keeping the boards as long as possible. Even though you may not need the full length, the offcuts are more likely to be useful. On the other hand, long boards are a PITA to handle. My mill will cut up to 14 ft long and I started out with 12 and 14 ft boards. It didn't take long to realize that it was more trouble than it was worth. My drying racks are 10 ft long with supports every 2 ft, so I aim for 10.5 or 8.5 ft boards, with a range of 11 to 8 ft. This gives me flexibility when bucking a trunk, since I can go between 22 ft and 16 ft for 2 lengths. Stacking is much easier if you keep lengths relatively uniform, especially if your stacks build over time like mine do. I usually end up with one side of the 4 ft wide rack for 10 footers and the other side for 8s, but I always seem to have some shorter boards on the top because sometimes you just have to go with what nature gives you. I cut wide slabs shorter - 6 to 8 ft, because they're so much heavier and they have a separate drying rack.

Sizing boards close to the lengths you think you'll need is risky. You may need a 10 ft board to get a good 6 ft board, or 2 good 4 ft boards if there is a defect in the middle. Milling your own lumber isn't like buying it at a dealer where it's already been sorted and graded. There's lots of loss. As long as you have a fireplace, it's just a time and labor intensive way to heat your home.
 
Why do so many people mill 10' boards ?

Because the log wasn't 11 feet long??? lol

I saw my logs out of the tree's as long as i can good lumber out of them.

My sawmill will mill a 20' 6" log, and here's one just that big on the mill,

orig.jpg


I got some GREAT lumber out of that log!

orig.jpg


Rob
 
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