I cut down a tree!

[mleichtle]

Well the wind did most of the work. But I kept a log, about 3' long and 12" dia. I split the log in half best I could. I don't think chainsaws are ment to cut with the grain, it took forever, and lots of smoke.

So my next project... A peice of lumber!

I want to mill some lumber out of this log for the future. When do I start? Should I start slicing now, or let it dry over winter first?

We just had the wettest couple of months on record, so its going to need a lot of drying to be usable. I think it was a kind of birch, but has regular bark, not the white paper.

[bmyers]

Post some pics of the bark and leaves. I am sure someone here can identify it.

Painting the ends with latex paint will help slow the drying process and prevent some checking. You can do that before or after slicing it up. There is also products just for that purpose if you want to spend money on it.

You should slice them thicker than you want in the end and plan on plaining/drum sanding them flat when the dry. The will warp a little. Also you must "sticker" the wood once you slice it. That will prevent mold and aide in the drying process.

-Bill