Making Lumber at my Farm
I think it’s so wonderful when people have interesting and practical hobbies, especially when they enjoy sharing them. Dominick Arena, who works at my farm, has a keen interest in lumbering and he is the proud owner of a fabulous sawmill, manufactured by Wood-Mizer. Dominick was looking for a new hobby and lumbering seemed like a good idea because he has plans to construct a building. Dominick has land in the Adirondacks of New York State, where he taps his maple trees and makes syrup every spring. He needs a new sugar shack and wants to make it literally from scratch. He acquired his sawmill last June and has been practicing his lumbering skills. It’s really a fascinating process!
1 You may recall the blog I posted in late July of 2010, when a twister blew through my farm, knocking over more than 120 trees. What does one do with so many broken trees?
2 Some of the wood was split for firewood and some was passed through a tub grinder for the compost pile. The really straight and beautiful logs were stacked for another use entirely–lumber!
3 This is Dominick's Wood-Mizer portable sawmill–quite an amazing piece of equipment! With its trailer package, the sawmill can be taken where ever there are felled trees.
4 Dominick set up his sawmill right next to the compost piles at the farm. This LT35 model has hydraulic features, which really help when loading, leveling, and turning the logs.
5 These control levers activate and deactivate the hydraulic functions.
6 This is where you adjust the thickness of your cut.
7 Dominick uses a log peavey to wrestle the logs onto the hydraulic loading arms of the saw mill.
8 He then activates the loading arms.
9 With very little effort on Dominick's part, the log is lifted and rolled onto the cutting bed.
10 More hydraulics activate the log clamp and the clawed log turner.
11 When Dominick is happy with how the log is turned, the clamp is moved into position, holding the log firmly in place against the opposite side supports.
12 It's time to activate the saw blade.
13 This machine is gasoline operated - red tank. It also has a water lube system - white tank. The water feeds down to the blade, cooling and cleaning it of sap for a longer cutting life.
14 The water lube system is especially important for logs like this sappy pine.
15 Making the first cut
16 Sawdust blows out from the blade through this attached tube.
17 The bandsaw blade works its way down the length of the log.
18 Dominick stops the saw and removes this first cut.
19 These outside pieces are very popular for use as siding on rustic cabins.
20 This log now has one flat side.
21 Dominick could just flip it over to cut the other side, but...
22 He engages those hydraulic helpers to do the job.
23 All set for the next cut.
24 The saw is whirring again.
25 Second cut done
26 Turn and cut the third side
27 It's beginning to look like a nice square beam.
28 Flipping it one more time for the final square-off
29 Dominick measures and realizes that he'll need to turn this wood 90-degrees to saw the size boards he wants.
30 Getting it turned and into position
31 Measuring again–he'll be able to cut several 1" x 10" boards, used for siding or flooring purposes.
32 At this point, Dominick activates the Wood-mizer's computer, which automatically adjusts the blade to make consistent cuts.
33 All Dominick has to do is push the freshly cut boards off.
34 Another
35 And another
36 The boards are casually stacked onto the loading arms.
37 With the final cut of the log, the boards are lifted back onto cutting bed.
38 On the cutting bed, the boards are stacked vertically.
39 By the way, cutting wood, especially pine, is a very aromatic experience.
40 Once the boards are stacked...
41 They are clamped into position.
42 Dominick makes one final cut.
43 He removes 1-inch of wood, making the boards true 1" x 10"s.
44 Sixteen beautiful boards were cut from that big pine log in less than an hour–amazing!
45 The boards have a lovely knotty pattern.
46 The next step is to stack the lumber for air-drying, which must be done elevated off the ground.
47 You must also orient your lumber so that there is ample air circulation between layers. Dominick uses all the trimmings as spacers for stacking his lumber.
48 Generally speaking, you should allow hardwoods to air dry one-year-per-inch of wood. Pine, a softwood, will dry considerably faster.
49 We use a lot of wooden stakes around the farm to mark the carriage roads and Dominick is so happy to be able to make them with his sawmill. This will save a lot of lumber expense.
50 He is also designing a new framework for burlapping all of my boxwood hedges. He will use narrow flexible wooden slats which the burlap can be draped over. More about that later!
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
Martha, that is a very interesting Blog. I've been around "real" sawmills, but I never knew how one of the potable ones work. And, now...I know. Thank you so very much for this interesting and informative blog.
I can just smell the wood. There is no smell, or aroma, anywhere that is any better than fresh cut lumber.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | October 27th, 2011 at 12:22 am
Thank you for sharing, Martha! I am an avid reader of your blog and appreciate the learning experiences you provide everyday. Have a wonderful and blessed day!
Posted by: DeWight Anderson | October 27th, 2011 at 12:38 am
Hi Martha,
Dominick has one nice piece of equipment there. I was surprised at how many boards he got out of that one section of a tree. With all the trees that you lost due to the twister, he will be busy for a while. I am sure you will have use for some of that lumber.
Karen
Posted by: Karen Tracy | October 27th, 2011 at 5:53 am
Fascinating! Dominick, good luck on building your sugar shack.
Posted by: Cindy F | October 27th, 2011 at 8:39 am
This is very interesting! I was so surprised to see how may boards he got off of that one log, and how beautifully they came out.
I look forward to reading your blog first thing in the morning Martha (F and S's blog too!)
You always have something interesting and educational to share.
Thank-you very much!
Posted by: Cindy | October 27th, 2011 at 9:29 am
I think this is outstanding. There is more to sustainable living than buying organic and recycling. It's time Americans remember that the old-time skills are still available to learn. It doesn't just save money...it contributes to a quality life and ensures the next generation has the same abilities. It'd be great to have an entire Martha show dedicated to helping us learn how to provide for ourselves and our families using old methods, new technologies, and our own two hands!
Posted by: Leigh | October 27th, 2011 at 9:44 am
where's his ear protectors? they will certainly save his hearing.
Posted by: Jane T | October 27th, 2011 at 9:48 am
How cool is that!! I love anything to do with wood and woodworking although I do not have anything more than basic knowledge of it. My father had an amazing talent for anything that involved working with his hands, and he would have just love seeing how this worked. He passed away 4 years, 10 months, and 1 day ago, but his garage and shed are pretty much the way he left it with all of his tools, etc. Thank you for sharing this with us, and I cannot wait to see what new projects you have going.
Posted by: Lori Wilson | October 27th, 2011 at 10:09 am
Hi Martha, Dominick certainly is a talented fellow and this posting about him showing us how to make lumber at your farm is fantastic! His website is great, also! I've been to several sawmills in the wooded areas of our state and thoroughly enjoyed touring the buildings to see how lumber was made. I love trying to build things with lumber! Getting 16 boards out of that beautiful pine tree with his Wood-Mizer portable sawmill was so much fun to see! This is the best sawmill tour yet and I wish I could visit his fabulous sawmill! His maple syrup must be great, too and would love to see him building his sugar shack-hope you can post that, also! Wonderful photos today that are fun to view again and again! Love seeing all of these new TV Shows about your new Martha Entertaining book-Costco didn't have it yet so will check again soon! Have another great day! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | October 27th, 2011 at 10:14 am
Where are his safety goggles? He must never have watched Norm Abrams! Still, this was very interesting.
Posted by: Pam Christie | October 27th, 2011 at 10:34 am
....do mention to Dominick that he should wear safety goggles!
Thanks for another great post! It is always the first thing I read in the morning....Peace!
Posted by: Sandra | October 27th, 2011 at 11:14 am
Hi Martha,
I was so into this blog I almost didn’t turn the TV on at 10:00. (But I did!) This is so interesting – I could watch Dominick make boards all day long. I’d even help if I could but he’d probably get tired of my questions. I’m already wondering how many times he needs to change the blade. Anyway, I’m glad you told us how many boards he cut out of that piece of wood because I was trying to count them and couldn’t get the same count twice. I at least knew that to cut boards would require machinery but I always wondered how it was actually done and now I know. I think this would make a good learning experience for school kids to know that even if a hurricane comes through and knocks down trees, none of them are wasted. Another example is your neat looking wood pile in the November issue of Martha Stewart Living. Thanks for another interesting and informative blog and for great shows too. You are an especially superior host this year and your guests are fun such as Willie Geist today and Isaac Mizrahi yesterday. That guy makes me laugh. I like the chefs and bakers too and especially the interaction with viewers such as people in Herald Square today. I wish everyone got the Hallmark Channel! Trish
Posted by: Trish | October 27th, 2011 at 11:24 am
I had no idea...how very interesting!
Posted by: sherey | October 27th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
Martha, thanks for sharing this blog.
Posted by: KLBrown | October 27th, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Wow, I did learn something new today.
Really enjoyed the tutorial on wood cutting!
Thanks for sharing.
gail
p.s. I dated a 'sap' once!
Posted by: gail pierson | October 27th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
Hello Martha, This is the first time I have ever looked at your blog! And I noticed the word sawmill so I had to take a look, I bought a sawmill this year to build a riding stable on my farm, and I wanted to be able to side all the buildings & house in rough-cut pine with the bark edges still on the boards ! The saw I bought is a circular mill with a 48 inch blade that can cut logs up to 30ft. long. The mill is very old it was built in the late 1800s I restored it and have it in working condition and producing lumber, I already built 2 sheds The look is just what I wanted , I would realy like for you to come to Ohio and see how a old style saw mill works ! We can also go for a trail ride Thanks, Cowboy John at Kick'n country Farms.
Posted by: John Rowe | October 27th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
What a fascinating blog post! I love your blog. There are always great pictures and interesting crafts.
Best,
Susan
Posted by: Susan | October 27th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
No ear protection? He is going to go deaf. (let alone eye protection!)
Posted by: Mary | October 27th, 2011 at 6:10 pm
Interesting, I would have thought it would be a circular saw blade but technology marches on. Will Dominick do oak logs and if so will he try quarter sawn cuts?
I, too, must say SAFETY FIRST, no one in industry is allowed to not use all safety features and personal equipment.
Posted by: Margie | October 27th, 2011 at 6:12 pm
My husband also has a love of lumbering and is the proud owner of a Wood-Mizer sawmill. It really is fun to watch it in action. I would love some ideas for crafts using the slab wood (the first cuts from each side) since we have so much of it laying in the yard.
Posted by: Tracy | October 27th, 2011 at 6:33 pm
This is so wonderful. I agree...that is one awesome machine. So Martha, where do you store all of your new lumber once it is dry? How long does it take to dry?
Posted by: Danny Dale | October 27th, 2011 at 7:40 pm
Excellent blog! Dominick is always coming up with more and more tricks, tips and being quite 'Green' about reusing the trees that fell!
Posted by: stan schulman | October 27th, 2011 at 8:15 pm
You are the ultimate teacher and always hit on subjects of such great interest. Dominick is so skilled and I hope we will be able to watch the progression of the sugar shack.
Posted by: Patty A G | October 28th, 2011 at 8:55 am
When you first posted about the felled trees, I left a comment about how some of the wood should be turned into lumber, so I'm so glad that this was on your radar! There is so much potential lumber in our urban and suburban forests, it is great to discover methods and people that are making this happen! Imagine the amount of board feet that could be possible if people who owned these portable units hooked up with arborists!
Posted by: Susan in the Pink Hat | October 28th, 2011 at 10:48 am
Martha,
You should do a piece on Dominick's Wood-Mizer in your magazine. Recent research shows machines like his are important environmental and economic tools. They are the base for thousands of one, two and three person entrepreneurial firms nation wide. Every board Dominick milled is a board not cut in a healthy forest and a board trapping the carbon it contains for as long as the building lasts.
I write on this issue often. If you decide to do something in the magazine I'd be happy to point you to some research.
Posted by: jack petree | October 28th, 2011 at 11:12 am
Hi Martha
I ended up on your blog from a link posted in the Forestry Forum.
I would like to give the highest accolades one can give for your description of the "logs to lumber" process with a portable saw mill (and the best bandmill at that) and for actually making use of the logs that resulted from all the blow down in the storm.
I would give you fair warning though as well.
Next you will be operating that saw mill and then you will be "lost" to the interior home decorating market.
You are now perilously close to a condition known as sawdust blood contamination. It is worse than a heroin addiction.
When you finally realize you have acquired said condition come join the Forestry Forum. We will help feed your addiction and turn you into a true saw dust dependant wood loving genuine use ALL trees the the best way possible tree hugging sawyer.
Besides that I think you would enjoy it and you would be very welcome on our forum. FOOD is a big part of any sawyer/ woodsmans life and so is that little get away cabin some where in the country.
Hope to see you on the forum.
Posted by: Wes H | October 28th, 2011 at 11:30 am
Fabulous way to re-cycle logs - but as a person who worked in the Safety Department for a major Canadian company - I wonder why he wasn't wearing safety glasses - would seem the prudent thing to do.
Posted by: Donna Olson | October 28th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
My father cut all the lumber off trees on our farm. He milled it, dried it and built a large dairy barn. This was in 1947 after WWII when he returned to Minnesota to buy his own farm. He cut the trees in mid-winter using a team of horses and a sled. I am astounded now to think of all the work. He was a polio survivor but his disabilities never deterred him from all the hard work as a dairy farmer. Amazing isn't it!
Posted by: karen | October 28th, 2011 at 10:31 pm
Karen, he sounds truly amazing!
Posted by: Dee | October 29th, 2011 at 9:40 pm
Look around, especially after this last October snowstorm, and identify fallen trees in your neighborhood that could be turned into lumber. Then, get together with your neighbors and hire a portable mill.
About a decade ago, we ran out into the street and saved a big cherry tree from the Department of Public Works truck that was about to haul it away. We now have solid cherry stair treads. Yes, they're sort of knotty but they have character and were locally grown! It kills me when a big oak or maple is cut up into wood for burning. I think of the flooring or shelving it could make.
Posted by: kck | October 31st, 2011 at 9:54 pm
I've seen this saw demonstrated at the Wooden Boat show they have every June at Mystic Seaport. There is always a crowd gathered around. I watch the demonstration year after year. It is an amazing machine.
As a teacher who works with Deaf students, I too think Dominick should be using ear protection when using this tool.
Posted by: Nancy G. | November 5th, 2011 at 8:46 am