Logs with 'flaws', like sweep or crotches may exclude them from commodity use but, milling with attention to detail, we can maximize the figure potential of these logs.
I live I central Mn...about as far north as you’ll ever see black walnut....I know where there are huge acreage of super nice black walnut trees.... too bad I don’t own any of that land... but I did help cut 6 miles of snowmobile trails thru it.. we marked all the black walnut trees as to not cut any of them... one can dream though
I seldom mill logs from trees that were taken down for their timber value. Most of what I mill were taken down due to disease, construction, storm damage, or landscape hazards. Large standing walnuts, and other species, can be impressive in the forest but, like us, they all reach their peak of maturity and decline quickly afterwards. Even if you were only able to obtain a storm blow down from that woodland, it would have a lot of sentimental value to you.
Someone is just waiting to get their hands on those great looking walnut slabs to make a nice table. Walnut has to be one of the greatest woods that God ever created. Kudos. Great video.
I want to add my thanks for the commentary. Knowing the rationale for the cuts add to the educational aspect of your videos. In 1975 and 1976, my late father took my brother Mike and I to a 100 year old Walnut orchard that was being converted to a business park. We harvested many logs the old fashion way. Lots of work with the 1 man and 2 man bucksaws. Thank You for reviving those memories. With Best Regards, Pat
Hopefully you still have something made from that walnut. I often mill sentimental logs. Maybe not the greatest lumber, but if a relative planted the tree, or it was from your childhood home, nothing else can match it.
Thanks for the very nice comments. The intent of most of my videos is to educate people about portable mills, and to inspire them to take on acquiring a log and having it milled into the best lumber it will yield. There are many benefits to milling you own lumber. Of course, it is significantly less expensive but, you can also find species that are not commonly sold in hardwood lumber stores, You also find grain patterns that would be a 'problem' for conventional sources. No, you can't order 100 boards just like it, these are natural and unique treasures. I don't produce commodity lumber, I craft character lumber. What industry sees as flaws, I consider facets. Furniture, not firewood; lumber, not landfill. It is a mindset, and meme, that uses American products, crafted by American craftspeople, for American homes.
When I saw that log on the forklift I thought, THAT'S GONNA BE A GREAT LOG. Your experience really shows, and we appreciate the educational aspect of this video. Well done!
I have watched videos where I couldn't figure out why something was done a certain way, and I have received questions like that from viewers. I try to explain what I am doing, hopefully it is more entertaining, or educational than listening to background music or the rumble of the sawmill engine.
It is easy to see that you love your job and have respect for the wood you are working on. I do sculptures in wood and love the way it feels and smells and the wood tells you what it wants to be. You become part of the wood. You really understand the wood you are working on and do an excellent job. Thank you.
Thanks for your compliments. Sawyers have different backgrounds; I wasn't a logger, or a commodity lumber producer ; my background was as a woodworker , working with urban wood. You learn to seek out the best you can get from every log. Milling 2x construction lumber wouldn't be near as rewarding.
I enjoy the video of sawmilling but really appreciate the discussion of the how and why you're cutting in the order you are. Very helpful and interesting. Thanks!
You are a true craftsmen, your knowledge, thought and expertise that went into milling this tree. I'll never look at a beautiful wood door or piece of furniture without thinking about this. Thank you.
It's the knowledge of how to cut the log that counts. I'm a woodworker that makes custom rifle stocks, usually of wallnut. At the end of the video, it was a treat to see the bookend planks, especially planks "G" and "H". I rarely get to see such excellent milling. Very nice! Thumbs up!!!
Tom, thanks for the compliments. I don't have much experience milling for gun stocks, most of my clients intend to make furniture. The world's largest maker of gun stocks (American Walnut) is about an hour north of here. They process about 4 million bf of gun stock material each year.
Wow! 4 million board feet for gun stocks? That has me beat by a mile. It's fitting that you mentioned furniture, Of course I can build furniture. But I like guns, I can almost hear my Grandpa yelling at me saying- "Why waste your work on something so small, no get over here and help me with this table" I knew an older man in California that had to cut down 6 large walnut trees and he asked me if I wanted any! I showed up the next day with 2 chainsaws and several steel wedges, axe's and a big broom to sweep away all the twigs and walnuts so we wouldn't trip on them. He was kinda older, I didn't want him to be injured, so I asked him if he could " teach" me how to down a tree, so I did all the climbing. Well, it took us 3 days work to do it. I got to choose the best grain boards. Over 500 bf rough cut on his mill and loaded on my old Ford flatbed with a small crane I usually used for engines. It was like gold to me. He insisted on me staying there in his home. The old man and I were made friends because of those trees. I did build him a 8'x4'x3" Dining table with the select bookend grain. And 6 large chairs out of "dark heart wood" When his time was short he asked for me. As he look out the front window he said- " Thank you for helping me with the trees ( knocking on that table) now I can see my land" "Your a good kid" (35 at the time) I'll never forget the "Dark heart wood" T.
@@Buzbikebklyn1 Of course, some of my clients are just interested in marketing their logs for a profit; but most of them have a personal story that goes with the lumber we create. So many of the logs I mill have a specific memory associated with them. I try to track where the logs i buy come from so that the craftsperson who ends up with that wood has a history to go with the project they are making. Not all of the logs I get are good candidates for lumber but I'll do what I can to get them the material for a project. It doesn't have to be 'furniture', even a small box crafted by someone you care about becomes a keepsake.
Thanks. Most of the logs I get present a bit of a challenge. I'll always get boards but I try to get the best ones I can, depending on how the client is planning to use them.
WOW that book match is art and u sir are an artist. Anyone can run a mill but the placement is the wisdom. I've always said burning walnut is a sin. thank you for your time.
First time watching one of your videos and I really like the annotations where you explain why you are cutting the way you do. Very helpful for understanding the process. Thanks!
I turn a lot of black walnut ( boxes, bowls, Christmas ornaments, etc.) and love it. It's gonna be beautiful no matter what you use it for! Take care, Dave
Tom nice job maximizing the beauty of the grain patterns and explaining what you were doing Great and timely .. The captions were really helpful ! I appreciate the educational aspect of this video !
Wood is the most amazing product of nature, There is nothing better than milling your own wood and building something people can enjoy for many years, it's the real American way. Thank god there are people keeping the wood working industry alive.
Thanks for commenting. I bought the mill hoping to be able to supply my woodworking needs after I had retired. Once the word got out, business kept coming in, growing rapidly each year. I don't have much time for woodworking but I really like what I can do to salvage the wood, and help out other woodworkers.
In case you read this, how much did it cost you and is there any real savings to be had over the long run if you buy it used (mildly used & treated with TLC)? I'd appreciate knowing and ballpark figures from sonmeone who knows is just fine. Thanks.
Tom nice job maximizing the beauty of the grain patterns and explaining what you were doing. The captions were really helpful. The only thing that could have shortened the video length was to increase the play speed of the actual cut. Thank you. Bill
Those 8/4 boards will yield some beautiful book matched 4/4 boards when resawed after a period of resting. Enjoyed the video, very entertaining and educational.
out of all those combinations i prefered the I-J the best .... and i know they werent from the 3 hearts ... still the prettiest to me ... but loved watching as you cut her open and looked inside !!
Very good my man! I bet it will make beautiful table's. I've seen guys screw up some beautiful logs cause they didn't Know what they where doing, but you guys do! Very nice job my friend's!
Those sure are some beautiful boards, we are growing Black walnut, Black Cherry, Sweet Cherry, White and Red Oak, and English Walnut trees for the future.
Back about 10 years ago, our neighbor did some tree thinning for us on our Ohio farm. It had been 60 years since it was last done. Many, many Oaks. And a large number of Black Walnuts. Nothing under 2' in diameter 2' above ground level was allowed to be cut. When the lumber company ( hardwood furniture use ) came, they paid the second highest ever per board foot in Ohio. But it did not go directly to the mill. Instead it went on display in a neighboring county at a technical college and at the National Forest office. In Ohio, Black Walnut was used for just about anything in buildings. Even our neighbor's chicken coop had an 8X8" 16' Black Walnut ridge beam. It grows like weeds in the bottom lands. And they are good eating too. But try getting the stain out of your hands.;-)
In my home town in southern Missouri, barns and sheds were built of oak. Around Kansas, we have old barns that were built of walnut and cottonwood. Locally sourced lumber wasn't a choice, it was the only option. If you needed a barn, and you had walnut trees, you'll build a walnut barn. Once in a while, a client will bring me timbers that had been salvaged from an old structure and it often walnut. Early on in my milling career, a client brought some old walnut timbers that had been salvaged from a 150 year old mule barn in Missouri. Those trees appeared to have been at least 100 years old when the trees were cut down to mill the barn. That was some old, tight-grained, walnut - now living on as an entry door for his son's home in Chicago.
The three biggest tree populations in our area were Oak, Walnut, and Poplar. So as you said, they used what was available. There were smaller populations of Hickory, Chestnut, and Cherry. Those got used if that is what was close at hand.
I had chance to turn a peace of 150 year old black walnut I made a bowl and 5 sets of BBQ fork and knives the bowl had a mini ball from the civil war in it so I left it it was on the family farm they owned for 70 years thank you for your post enjoyed it
Thanks, Kingcha. I am retired and, fortunately, I don't have to work but I enjoy milling so much that I'll keep doing it until it is longer fun, or until I can't physically do it. Most of my clients have never had a log milled and teaching them about the milling process, and seeing the looks on their faces when they see what we get, is very rewarding.
Look at all that amazing walnut, I'm a guitar builder in California and use that stuff a lot on my builds it's great stuff. You really know what you are doing there I would love to purchase some crotch walnut.
Every log I open is a new experience. Sure, sometimes my plans don't work out as well as expected - I'll get some nice lumber, just not the spectacular grain I was shooting for. But when you hit it just right, it can exceed expectations. I have about a dozen clients who have started out with the wood we milled and have built part-time or retirement business making wood products or custom furniture. It is very rewarding.
I, too, was an alumni or a wood shop class in junior high (about 1964). I've been a woodworker since then. My dad didn't do any woodworking, or other crafts, but my maternal grandfather built a couple of sheds, workbenches, etc., and I got to help with that - he took me to my first sawmill. We went to pick up freshly cut oak boards to build a well house. I still have some of his tools, along with some from my wife's dad, he had been an amateur cabinet maker.
I’ve got 80 acres in south east Minnesota and have several hundred mature black walnut trees, they are in patches throughout the property , I’ve been tagging them ... I am seeing the wisdom of cutting them myself and buying my own mill
There are several learning curves to deal with; safely and efficiently harvesting your trees, milling and drying your lumber. You might choose one to start with, and get help with the other. You could harvest trees that are already down, or are less desirable, and then hire a portable mill to convert them in to lumber. When you feel comfortable with, or have the equipment to harvest, and the experience of being there while milling, stacking, drying, you'll be in a better position to determine which type of mill would be most suitable for your situation, equipment, etc.
I have tried using a drywall knife but, for me, a brush (air is only when there are several of us working) does a more effective job of cleaning the surface. I'm not someone who splashes water on wood to highlight the grain.
@@tomthesawyervids Hey, 6 dozen one way, 72 the other, right? Lotta ways to skin a cat. Oh i frequently splash water when clients come around. People often do not have good imaginations... LoL... (although most woodworkers do!) I do this a lot too and I very much enjoyed watching your video because you know what the fuck you are doing! No brag, just the beef! :) It was a pleasure! And I learned things. Thanks! (oh, and I LOVE the play on Tom Sawyer! Very clever!!!)
at the end, when booking them, I see why you took the second cut -- they match better (and you needed to get the width smaller for the figure cuts). After rolling it over, the wedge shaped piece (3rd cut) off the smaller branch could have been larger (an inch maybe) -- I suggest this because a turner would love to work with that piece -- I trust you gave it away, rather than firewood -- or use it for a barn-door stopper, 7o7 (Lots of Love).
I have been woodworking for over 40 years. I love figured woods, and have a bit of figured Walnut, plus lots of figured Maple. I'm sorry if I sound negative, but my problem now, is that there are actually too many people cutting slabs around here, and dimensional lumber is getting ridiculously expensive. Personally, I would like to see some of these owners of small portable mills invest in some equipment to turn these slabs into lumber. So many slabs are available in this area, and there are so many portable mills, that the local market is flooded with slabs. There are only so many guys wanting to build tables and bar tops. For more refined projects, I need lumber, not slabs. I don't care to pay extra for the "live edge" which from my point of view, is firewood for my shop stove.
Jim, I don't consider your comment to be negative, I am sympathetic to some of your concerns. I got the woodworking bug in Jr. High Wood shop, in 1964 (54 years ago), so I have also seen changes. Your comments referred to "around here' but didn't say where that was. I am in NE Kansas, we are in a hardwood forest area. Common dimension lumber species, like hemlock, pine, spruce, fir, etc. are not native to this area. In my area, small sawmills need to find a niche that works with their available log species, and local demand. Some are cranking out RR ties, pallet or flooring lumber but many of those went out of business during the recession. There is no advantage in competing head-to-head with Menards, Home Depot, and Lowes. I can't buy logs, mill and kiln dry 2x4s for $2.96!! I custom mill and, when I started, the primary request was for grade sawing, normally in sizes not commonly found at hardwood dealers. I follow client requests, if they want wide widths & live edges, I do what I can to meet those specifications. We also deal with urban lumber which normally will yield character lumber, not commodity lumber. Properly dried, competitively priced slabs do well here, as does figured, character lumber. I have not heard of any shortage of dimensional lumber in my area.
By "around here", I mean in Central Oregon. I envy your forests. One time, about 30 years ago, I traveled across the country, and when I saw the hardwood forests in the eastern half of the US, I was just floored by all the gorgeous hardwoods available. Here, Pine is the most common wood cut, with Western Red Cedar getting harder to come by, so more and more expensive. It even shocks me how much we are paying for Douglas Fir here now. Some western Maple is gorgeous, and I have a lot of figured Maple, but it's softer than the eastern stuff. I don't know where all the local small mills are getting all their Walnut, but there are a lot of slabs available here. Actually, I shouldn't complain about what the small mills are doing here, since I probably have more wood stashed than I can possibly work in this lifetime. But if I see a good deal on figured hardwood lumber, I buy it anyway. That just happens very seldom anymore. When I was young, I invested in a Sitka Spruce business, which took me to B.C., Canada for a couple years. So I have a great stash of Spruce as a result of that. I am finishing a large home now, and next year I will start building the one where we will finally retire. THEN, I finally get to PLAY at woodworking instead of working at it.
It is just the nature of trees that crotches are usually at the end of a log. When I get a log that has had a crotch in the middle of the log, I try to orient the log so that the figure is optimized. Of course, there is a limit to how wide any mill can cut and I have to mill logs considering the capacities of my particular mill. It is not unusual for me to refer clients to other sawyers if what they want from their log could not be done on my mill. Since my cuts are limited to 24" wide, book matching means that I can generate material for a 2 piece table top up to 48" wide... plus I really like symmetry.
I live I central Mn...about as far north as you’ll ever see black walnut....I know where there are huge acreage of super nice black walnut trees.... too bad I don’t own any of that land... but I did help cut 6 miles of snowmobile trails thru it.. we marked all the black walnut trees as to not cut any of them... one can dream though
I seldom mill logs from trees that were taken down for their timber value. Most of what I mill were taken down due to disease, construction, storm damage, or landscape hazards. Large standing walnuts, and other species, can be impressive in the forest but, like us, they all reach their peak of maturity and decline quickly afterwards. Even if you were only able to obtain a storm blow down from that woodland, it would have a lot of sentimental value to you.
Someone is just waiting to get their hands on those great looking walnut slabs to make a nice table. Walnut has to be one of the greatest woods that God ever created. Kudos. Great video.
I want to add my thanks for the commentary. Knowing the rationale for the cuts add to the educational aspect of your videos. In 1975 and 1976, my late father took my brother Mike and I to a 100 year old Walnut orchard that was being converted to a business park. We harvested many logs the old fashion way. Lots of work with the 1 man and 2 man bucksaws. Thank You for reviving those memories. With Best Regards, Pat
Hopefully you still have something made from that walnut. I often mill sentimental logs. Maybe not the greatest lumber, but if a relative planted the tree, or it was from your childhood home, nothing else can match it.
Thanks for the very nice comments. The intent of most of my videos is to educate people about portable mills, and to inspire them to take on acquiring a log and having it milled into the best lumber it will yield. There are many benefits to milling you own lumber. Of course, it is significantly less expensive but, you can also find species that are not commonly sold in hardwood lumber stores, You also find grain patterns that would be a 'problem' for conventional sources. No, you can't order 100 boards just like it, these are natural and unique treasures. I don't produce commodity lumber, I craft character lumber. What industry sees as flaws, I consider facets. Furniture, not firewood; lumber, not landfill. It is a mindset, and meme, that uses American products, crafted by American craftspeople, for American homes.
tomthesawyervids as
Well said
Wonderful job love it MORE MORE
Charles Lawler j
tomthesawyervid
When I saw that log on the forklift I thought, THAT'S GONNA BE A GREAT LOG. Your experience really shows, and we appreciate the educational aspect of this video. Well done!
I have watched videos where I couldn't figure out why something was done a certain way, and I have received questions like that from viewers. I try to explain what I am doing, hopefully it is more entertaining, or educational than listening to background music or the rumble of the sawmill engine.
It is easy to see that you love your job and have respect for the wood you are working on. I do sculptures in wood and love the way it feels and smells and the wood tells you what it wants to be. You become part of the wood.
You really understand the wood you are working on and do an excellent job. Thank you.
Thanks for your compliments. Sawyers have different backgrounds; I wasn't a logger, or a commodity lumber producer ; my background was as a woodworker , working with urban wood. You learn to seek out the best you can get from every log. Milling 2x construction lumber wouldn't be near as rewarding.
I enjoy the video of sawmilling but really appreciate the discussion of the how and why you're cutting in the order you are. Very helpful and interesting. Thanks!
You guys are true artists. I would have no idea how to process that gorgeous piece of timber.
This is probably one of my favorite videos of all time.
You are a true craftsmen, your knowledge, thought and expertise that went into milling this tree. I'll never look at a beautiful wood door or piece of furniture without thinking about this. Thank you.
It's the knowledge of how to cut the log that counts.
I'm a woodworker that makes custom rifle stocks, usually of wallnut.
At the end of the video, it was a treat to see the bookend planks, especially planks "G" and "H".
I rarely get to see such excellent milling.
Very nice!
Thumbs up!!!
Tom, thanks for the compliments. I don't have much experience milling for gun stocks, most of my clients intend to make furniture. The world's largest maker of gun stocks (American Walnut) is about an hour north of here. They process about 4 million bf of gun stock material each year.
Wow! 4 million board feet for gun stocks?
That has me beat by a mile.
It's fitting that you mentioned furniture,
Of course I can build furniture.
But I like guns, I can almost hear my Grandpa yelling at me saying-
"Why waste your work on something so small, no get over here and help me with this table"
I knew an older man in California that had to cut down 6 large walnut trees and he asked me if I wanted any!
I showed up the next day with 2 chainsaws and several steel wedges, axe's and a big broom to sweep away all the twigs and walnuts so we wouldn't trip on them.
He was kinda older, I didn't want him to be injured, so I asked him if he could " teach" me how to down a tree, so I did all the climbing.
Well, it took us 3 days work to do it.
I got to choose the best grain boards.
Over 500 bf rough cut on his mill and loaded on my old Ford flatbed with a small crane I usually used for engines.
It was like gold to me.
He insisted on me staying there in his home.
The old man and I were made friends because of those trees.
I did build him a 8'x4'x3"
Dining table with the select bookend grain. And 6 large chairs out of
"dark heart wood"
When his time was short he asked for me.
As he look out the front window he said-
" Thank you for helping me with the trees ( knocking on that table) now I can see my land"
"Your a good kid"
(35 at the time)
I'll never forget the
"Dark heart wood"
T.
@@Buzbikebklyn1 Of course, some of my clients are just interested in marketing their logs for a profit; but most of them have a personal story that goes with the lumber we create. So many of the logs I mill have a specific memory associated with them. I try to track where the logs i buy come from so that the craftsperson who ends up with that wood has a history to go with the project they are making. Not all of the logs I get are good candidates for lumber but I'll do what I can to get them the material for a project. It doesn't have to be 'furniture', even a small box crafted by someone you care about becomes a keepsake.
Thank you for not wasting an ounce of that beautiful walnut.
Always a pleasure to work with Tom! From oak pilings out of the Missouri mud, to worm hole oak and Osage orange hedge from my back field!
The explanatory comments were really helpful. Thanks for including them.
This is the most expert, visually pleasing, wood sawing I have seen to date. Thank you.
Thanks. Most of the logs I get present a bit of a challenge. I'll always get boards but I try to get the best ones I can, depending on how the client is planning to use them.
Great video Nice wood grain and the book match was awesome. less talk is always better , Have a good one RC
Great video and very informative. What I would love to see next is the process to build and finish the table for which it was intended.
Very well done. Would like to mention the camera work was good. I liked the closeups of the grain.
WOW that book match is art and u sir are an artist. Anyone can run a mill but the placement is the wisdom. I've always said burning walnut is a sin. thank you for your time.
First time watching one of your videos and I really like the annotations where you explain why you are cutting the way you do. Very helpful for understanding the process. Thanks!
What a incredible machine to have and to use. The book mached pieces look incredible....beautiful stuff.
I turn a lot of black walnut ( boxes, bowls, Christmas ornaments, etc.) and love it. It's gonna be beautiful no matter what you use it for!
Take care, Dave
Tom nice job maximizing the beauty of the grain patterns and explaining what you were doing Great and timely .. The captions were really helpful !
I appreciate the educational aspect of this video !
Thanks for your comments.
Wood is the most amazing product of nature, There is nothing better than milling your own wood and building something people can enjoy for many years, it's the real American way. Thank god there are people keeping the wood working industry alive.
Thanks for commenting. I bought the mill hoping to be able to supply my woodworking needs after I had retired. Once the word got out, business kept coming in, growing rapidly each year. I don't have much time for woodworking but I really like what I can do to salvage the wood, and help out other woodworkers.
Wow those book matched are beyond words. Great Job
I have 2 black walnut trees, and thanks to you, I now know what I want from them. It is 2019, and I enjoyed your video
Thoroughly enjoyed the video with the explanation as to what each cut was designed to achieve. Beautiful log to mill. Thank you.
some beautiful walnut slabs . excellent work
Hi Tom,
I purchased the Timber King 1600 about 3 years ago and it sure makes milling so much easier.
Beautiful black walnut. Thanks for sharing
In case you read this, how much did it cost you and is there any real savings to be had over the long run if you buy it used (mildly used & treated with TLC)? I'd appreciate knowing and ballpark figures from sonmeone who knows is just fine. Thanks.
That is a gorgeous piece if lumber,I've built many guitars and guitar tops using Walnut,I love it
Great video, thanks to you and your team, beautiful wood and work .
Very talented. There's art in every aspect of life. Thanks for sharing!
Tom nice job maximizing the beauty of the grain patterns and explaining what you were doing. The captions were really helpful. The only thing that could have shortened the video length was to increase the play speed of the actual cut. Thank you. Bill
Bill Risma ‘’0
Bill Risma w
Very nicely done! Good job maximizing best figure. I counted 4 pairs of book-matched 8/4 slabs. Sure made for some beautifully grained material!
Beautiful log nice job love your mill setup
Those 8/4 boards will yield some beautiful book matched 4/4 boards when resawed after a period of resting. Enjoyed the video, very entertaining and educational.
Great video beautiful wood love watching saw milling . Watch several every week your good at explaining whats going on .
I appreciate the compliment, Willie Ray. I enjoy watching sawmilling videos and I do it almost every day.
BEAUTYFUL what the Lord has grown. thnks for sharing. the Magoo's in Milo, Maine
Absolutely beautiful! Great job guys!
Beautiful wood, going to make some lovely furniture I hope! Nice job.
Love the ticker tape explanations/ Very interesting. Thanks for posting.
Great video. Beautiful results. Not sure I'll be able to find a black walnut that big here in WA but I'm gonna try. Keep sawing, be safe. Bruce
Great video and awesome skillset.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and letting us see the end product it’s beautiful.
God bless! 💯🙏🏻👍🏼😊
YOU HAVE A GREAT FEEL FOR WHAT YOU DO AND MAKE FINE USE OF THE WOOD. THANKS FOR SHARING.
(NOT "SHOUTING" GOING BLIND)
Awesome job! Always love to see videos like this! Would love to have my own sawmill, but there's no room! Keep up the good work!
Fascinating,beautiful and educational. Thank you!
That is some spectacular milling,
beautiful stack of of
well matched slabs.
Thank you for making this video.
Thanks for taking the time to do this video, I love the lumber from locally sourced wood.
Take care
Rob
Fantastic sawyering! The detailed explanations were excellent, and greatly appreciated. I learned a lot!
Excellent video -- well done!
That is quite a whiz-bang saw with all the hydraulic controls flippng that log about!
Hydraulics make the process safer, and much quicker.
A great job of cutting. Beautiful piece's of matching boards. Will make some wonderful furniture for someone.
Tommy, thanks. All of the pairs have been sold, hopefully they'll send me photos of the finished projects.
Great video,didnt know George Kennedy was a woodwork expert and film star!
Wow ! Extraordinarily beautiful . Well done, well done.
EXCELLENT! I learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed your video, Tom.
Absolutely excellent
Thanks for the explanations
Love watching milling
out of all those combinations i prefered the I-J the best .... and i know they werent from the 3 hearts ... still the prettiest to me ... but loved watching as you cut her open and looked inside !!
You are Truly an Artist!!
Very nice 👌
Very good my man! I bet it will make beautiful table's. I've seen guys screw up some beautiful logs cause they didn't Know what they where doing, but you guys do! Very nice job my friend's!
Those sure are some beautiful boards, we are growing Black walnut, Black Cherry, Sweet Cherry, White and Red Oak, and English Walnut trees for the future.
Thanks for planting your trees. It isn't something we do for ourselves, it is for future generations.
Back about 10 years ago, our neighbor did some tree thinning for us on our Ohio farm. It had been 60 years since it was last done. Many, many Oaks. And a large number of Black Walnuts. Nothing under 2' in diameter 2' above ground level was allowed to be cut. When the lumber company ( hardwood furniture use ) came, they paid the second highest ever per board foot in Ohio. But it did not go directly to the mill. Instead it went on display in a neighboring county at a technical college and at the National Forest office. In Ohio, Black Walnut was used for just about anything in buildings. Even our neighbor's chicken coop had an 8X8" 16' Black Walnut ridge beam. It grows like weeds in the bottom lands. And they are good eating too. But try getting the stain out of your hands.;-)
In my home town in southern Missouri, barns and sheds were built of oak. Around Kansas, we have old barns that were built of walnut and cottonwood. Locally sourced lumber wasn't a choice, it was the only option. If you needed a barn, and you had walnut trees, you'll build a walnut barn. Once in a while, a client will bring me timbers that had been salvaged from an old structure and it often walnut. Early on in my milling career, a client brought some old walnut timbers that had been salvaged from a 150 year old mule barn in Missouri. Those trees appeared to have been at least 100 years old when the trees were cut down to mill the barn. That was some old, tight-grained, walnut - now living on as an entry door for his son's home in Chicago.
The three biggest tree populations in our area were Oak, Walnut, and Poplar. So as you said, they used what was available. There were smaller populations of Hickory, Chestnut, and Cherry. Those got used if that is what was close at hand.
As a musician and "knowledge nerd", this has been fascinating.
Those are beautiful man. You are indeed an artist with that saw!
Wow, that grain is beautiful!
I didn't see any lube on the blade during the bark cuts.
Beautiful ......I had some suggestions to make this a better video but I’ll keep them to my self . Wonderful video. Great job
Well, I am a sawyer, not a film maker but always open to suggestions. Send to TomTheSawyer@gmail.com
Unfortunately I've discarded more black walnut crotch wood than I can remember. Wish I had it all back, and a Timber King.
Very very nice, great job.
It blows my mind how that mill can manipulate that huge log around.
Fascinating.
Yea.. don't shoot trees.
I had chance to turn a peace of 150 year old black walnut I made a bowl and 5 sets of BBQ fork and knives the bowl had a mini ball from the civil war in it so I left it it was on the family farm they owned for 70 years thank you for your post enjoyed it
beautiful work mate, i can see the years of experience in your easy movements...
Thank you Greg.
Really nice job taking advantage of the characteristics of that log.
Beautiful hardwood, great job! 👍
It was fun watching you work Tom. Kingcha
Thanks, Kingcha. I am retired and, fortunately, I don't have to work but I enjoy milling so much that I'll keep doing it until it is longer fun, or until I can't physically do it. Most of my clients have never had a log milled and teaching them about the milling process, and seeing the looks on their faces when they see what we get, is very rewarding.
Look at all that amazing walnut, I'm a guitar builder in California and use that stuff a lot on my builds it's great stuff. You really know what you are doing there I would love to purchase some crotch walnut.
Every log I open is a new experience. Sure, sometimes my plans don't work out as well as expected - I'll get some nice lumber, just not the spectacular grain I was shooting for. But when you hit it just right, it can exceed expectations. I have about a dozen clients who have started out with the wood we milled and have built part-time or retirement business making wood products or custom furniture. It is very rewarding.
Have you ever used sassafrass Inn a guitar
Talk about a money making business right there. Those slabs go for high dollar. Great work, and great job on the vid, very informative!
Thanks, yes they sold out.
The book matched pair is gorgeous...
Great video, very well explained. Thank you for making and sharing this
I remember my old Jr high school wood shop classes those were fun days.
I, too, was an alumni or a wood shop class in junior high (about 1964). I've been a woodworker since then. My dad didn't do any woodworking, or other crafts, but my maternal grandfather built a couple of sheds, workbenches, etc., and I got to help with that - he took me to my first sawmill. We went to pick up freshly cut oak boards to build a well house. I still have some of his tools, along with some from my wife's dad, he had been an amateur cabinet maker.
Great introduction. I could watch stuff like this all day and night!
I’ve got 80 acres in south east Minnesota and have several hundred mature black walnut trees, they are in patches throughout the property , I’ve been tagging them ... I am seeing the wisdom of cutting them myself and buying my own mill
There are several learning curves to deal with; safely and efficiently harvesting your trees, milling and drying your lumber. You might choose one to start with, and get help with the other. You could harvest trees that are already down, or are less desirable, and then hire a portable mill to convert them in to lumber. When you feel comfortable with, or have the equipment to harvest, and the experience of being there while milling, stacking, drying, you'll be in a better position to determine which type of mill would be most suitable for your situation, equipment, etc.
my dad's dad loved to work with black walnut and he did great work with it
Walnut is a very nice wood for making cabinets, furniture and all types of projects.
Great job! Nice Walnut! I use a large sheet-rock knife to scrape off the sawdust as I go. Less equipment needed and faster than air... :)
I have tried using a drywall knife but, for me, a brush (air is only when there are several of us working) does a more effective job of cleaning the surface. I'm not someone who splashes water on wood to highlight the grain.
@@tomthesawyervids Hey, 6 dozen one way, 72 the other, right? Lotta ways to skin a cat. Oh i frequently splash water when clients come around. People often do not have good imaginations... LoL... (although most woodworkers do!) I do this a lot too and I very much enjoyed watching your video because you know what the fuck you are doing! No brag, just the beef! :) It was a pleasure! And I learned things. Thanks! (oh, and I LOVE the play on Tom Sawyer! Very clever!!!)
That’s just beautiful,, wonderful skills 👍👍
Absolutely fantastic Tom👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Very nice, I watched this when you first posted it still a good video to like minded individuals.
I used to be part of a milling operation in north Alabama.
We hit a few bullets. I was told that they were in the trees from the civil war.
at the end, when booking them, I see why you took the second cut -- they match better (and you needed to get the width smaller for the figure cuts). After rolling it over, the wedge shaped piece (3rd cut) off the smaller branch could have been larger (an inch maybe) -- I suggest this because a turner would love to work with that piece -- I trust you gave it away, rather than firewood -- or use it for a barn-door stopper, 7o7 (Lots of Love).
Very nice lumber , will be beautiful if make it dining tabletop I think .
Man that is gorgeous wood work
New sub, fairly new sawyer, as well as UA-cam creator. Thanks for sharing, I'm always trying to learn something.
Martin could make some Beautiful guitars with that wood.
I love black walnut - that is a great table ready to be assembled!
Thanks John, I know that this one log made at least 3 tables.
I must be a nut. I could watch slabbing all morning. Good work.
Zippy, that sounds like sawdust fever. It can be contagious, many of clients have it, too.
I have been woodworking for over 40 years. I love figured woods, and have a bit of figured Walnut, plus lots of figured Maple. I'm sorry if I sound negative, but my problem now, is that there are actually too many people cutting slabs around here, and dimensional lumber is getting ridiculously expensive. Personally, I would like to see some of these owners of small portable mills invest in some equipment to turn these slabs into lumber. So many slabs are available in this area, and there are so many portable mills, that the local market is flooded with slabs. There are only so many guys wanting to build tables and bar tops. For more refined projects, I need lumber, not slabs. I don't care to pay extra for the "live edge" which from my point of view, is firewood for my shop stove.
Jim, I don't consider your comment to be negative, I am sympathetic to some of your concerns. I got the woodworking bug in Jr. High Wood shop, in 1964 (54 years ago), so I have also seen changes. Your comments referred to "around here' but didn't say where that was. I am in NE Kansas, we are in a hardwood forest area. Common dimension lumber species, like hemlock, pine, spruce, fir, etc. are not native to this area.
In my area, small sawmills need to find a niche that works with their available log species, and local demand. Some are cranking out RR ties, pallet or flooring lumber but many of those went out of business during the recession. There is no advantage in competing head-to-head with Menards, Home Depot, and Lowes. I can't buy logs, mill and kiln dry 2x4s for $2.96!!
I custom mill and, when I started, the primary request was for grade sawing, normally in sizes not commonly found at hardwood dealers. I follow client requests, if they want wide widths & live edges, I do what I can to meet those specifications. We also deal with urban lumber which normally will yield character lumber, not commodity lumber. Properly dried, competitively priced slabs do well here, as does figured, character lumber. I have not heard of any shortage of dimensional lumber in my area.
By "around here", I mean in Central Oregon. I envy your forests. One time, about 30 years ago, I traveled across the country, and when I saw the hardwood forests in the eastern half of the US, I was just floored by all the gorgeous hardwoods available.
Here, Pine is the most common wood cut, with Western Red Cedar getting harder to come by, so more and more expensive. It even shocks me how much we are paying for Douglas Fir here now. Some western Maple is gorgeous, and I have a lot of figured Maple, but it's softer than the eastern stuff. I don't know where all the local small mills are getting all their Walnut, but there are a lot of slabs available here.
Actually, I shouldn't complain about what the small mills are doing here, since I probably have more wood stashed than I can possibly work in this lifetime. But if I see a good deal on figured hardwood lumber, I buy it anyway. That just happens very seldom anymore.
When I was young, I invested in a Sitka Spruce business, which took me to B.C., Canada for a couple years. So I have a great stash of Spruce as a result of that. I am finishing a large home now, and next year I will start building the one where we will finally retire. THEN, I finally get to PLAY at woodworking instead of working at it.
Amen, Brother..... Our Lord Is In Control. Praying For You Brother..... !
Fantastically beautiful 😃
Gorgeous slabs great job
Ok now i see why you cut a straight edge on one side.
Bookmatched pieces look awesome
It is just the nature of trees that crotches are usually at the end of a log. When I get a log that has had a crotch in the middle of the log, I try to orient the log so that the figure is optimized. Of course, there is a limit to how wide any mill can cut and I have to mill logs considering the capacities of my particular mill. It is not unusual for me to refer clients to other sawyers if what they want from their log could not be done on my mill. Since my cuts are limited to 24" wide, book matching means that I can generate material for a 2 piece table top up to 48" wide... plus I really like symmetry.
Beautiful cuts of lumber
G and H looked great !
Man and machine as one, a very pretty picture..