Question
I will be milling up this baby soon, but am not sure what to expect or how to mill it. Thinking of slabbing cookies where it stands, or tipping it over and slabbing it conventional. Any tips?
Forum Responses
(Sawing and Drying Forum)
From Professor Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
Do you have a metal detector? Tramp metal can be a real problem.
Depending on your equipment, you might find that splitting or sawing this into four equal size pieces lengthwise as a first step can make sawing easier and safer. Sawing parallel to the bark will get flat grain, which in a piece of cherry will likely give the most striking grain pattern. However, due to safety concerns and your ability to hold the cant securely, you will probably have a variety of grain.
It is nearly 100% that you will have bacterial infection and decay, so drying will have to be slower than normal.
Not sure what kind of slabbing equipment you have, but I would not free hand with a chainsaw. Look for a sawmill that has a slabbing attachment. The increase in value of the material would far outweigh the expense of milling.
