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Have the Logs Been Down Too Long?
Question
Can logs lay too long on the ground before they are sawn into slabs? Are there any potential problems with some rotted material around the outside of the logs? My goal is to have these flitch sawn at a local mill and end up with 2" slabs for table tops. Thanks for any input, as I am a professional woodworker but have no experience sawing lumber from logs. Forum Responses
From contributor P: Logs are like a box of chocolates. The outer sapwood is gone after a couple of years, usually, but the rest may be okay. Try them out. If your sawyer agrees, and the middles aren't any good, pay him only for his trouble. Who knows - there could be some real nice wood in there. Probably dry, too. From the original questioner: Thanks guys, good info. I feel like there is a lot of nice material inside the logs based on the chunk I removed from the end. This will be my first time working directly with a sawyer. Is there anything I should keep in mind when talking with him about the job? From contributor N: The wood should be fine. Those are big logs - make sure the mill can handle them. A lot of bandsaws can only cut 34 to 36 in logs with 24" between the guides. Swing mills can handle big logs but can't make wide slabs. From contributor P: Get a quote. If a customer asks, I can give them a ballpark figure. A good sawyer can get pretty close. If they say "I don't know,'' get someone else. However, you must know the dimension that you want sawed from them. This has a direct affect on how some charge. Here in NE OK, I charge $.30 bd.ft, or on odd stuff $40/hr. I know some that charge $75/hr with a 2 hour min and blade fee and setup fee. From contributor C: A sawyer can give a close quote if he is looking at the logs, but if you are asking them over the phone, logs unseen, then it will be tough for him to give a close price. Remember these logs have been down for a long time - there is no way for him to know what is inside. Would you like to add information to this article? Interested in writing or submitting an article? Have a question about this article? Have you reviewed the related Knowledge Base areas below? 
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