Handpowered Sawmill - Log to Timber with HandTools

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Cutting logs or branches into timber / lumber with handtools only in a small apartment workshop. Possible? Yes it is! No need for a saw mill, machines or other high-tech. Just a Ripcut Saw and some nice (not too big) logs or branches of your favourite wood.
For more INFORMATION, please open the full description!

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- Can you explain this method in words?
First it is important to mark accurately. The shown method will help to cut straight and flat, instead of 'twisted'.
Second it is not easy to cut straight along the mark, specially while cutting with the grain or when cutting irregular wood. That is why, i cut on the mark only on the side towards me. Then, when the saw is about 45° i turn the wood. Now i guide the back of the saw (the side towards me) along the mark, while the other end is guided by the already cutted ‘rail’. You can see in the video that it goes amazingly well.

- Hungarian Lilac, where did you get this special wood from?
I found it in a town park after the town-workers maintained the trees and bushes. This wood would have gone to be burned and they allowed me to take all what i wanted :-)

- What saw are you using?
It is a Ripcut Saw with 4,5 TPI. I sometimes also use my self-made Bucksaw with a similar blade. But for intensive cutting i prefer this kind of handsaw.

- Is it better to dry the wood before cutting or afterwards?
All in all, it is better to cut it fresh!
In some cases there might be an advantage to cut it after drying:
In the case of this video i did not want to cut the Lilac before knowing what i'll do out of it and so know how thick to cut it. I have so little of it, that i wanted to make less waste as possible. So drying before cutting was the only option. There comes the problem of checks. To avoid them it can be useful to keep the bark and wax the ends (if no wax available, the ends can be covered with plastic. Make sure to turn it regularly and remove when it is not 'sweating' anymore). This avoid checks, but might not work out with any wood.
I used this method also to get wood for my screws out of branches. It is possible to get roundwood dry with the heart inside and without checks. What is usually kept as not possible.
It is bit work and takes lots of time, but in some cases it might be worth to try it out.
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Моим зрителям, живущим в России,
Я пишу вам здесь, потому что я видел, что на моем канале много зрителей из вашей страны.
Поскольку вы используете youtube для просмотра моих видео, пожалуйста, используйте его также для просмотра новостей о конфликте с соседней страной. Используйте этот шанс посмотреть на ситуацию с разных точек зрения.
Если вы критически относитесь к западным СМИ, я могу вас понять. Может быть, не все на 100% правда, может быть, не все упомянуто.
Но становится все более очевидным, что новости, которые показывают в вашей собственной стране, очень далеки от реальности. Просто посмотрите и составьте свою собственную картину происходящего.

Спасибо за внимание!

littleforest
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even the screws are made of wood . respect man

endubsar
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what a gem of a channel, I'm so glad I found this

dallinhunter
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Exactly the content I was looking for thank you so much for making this and showing what's possible with hand tools!

SapphosSails
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I know a guy who has hundreds of logs he doesn’t know what to do with, so thank you!

ericcire
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Dear Little Forest,

Thank you for such a wonderfully open and conversational response to my post...I have addressed each of your germane comments in more detail below. Let me know if I can explain further...

Little Forest wrote: "...In short, it is better to cut a log more or less straight after harvesting..."

Yes...Always if possible...

If it is not possible to process (aka mill) the wood as soon as the bolt/cant is acquired…???... I would try to keep the wood from drying out as much as possible by oiling and waxing the ends…Better yet...store the wood underwater to rest it properly before milling...This can be done in a stream, pond, or even a tank of water for smaller pieces…

The simple fact of this topic generally is…NEVER…wait to process the wood. It should be broken down into “rough lumber” sizes according to future project needs…or…what the given bolt can effectively yield for a future project…

Little Forest wrote: "...My goal was to share something i have learned while living in an apartment, where both space and available wood are limited..."

I have had many students around the globe in very similar conditions to your own…That certainly can be challenging…

I still strongly recommend the same action steps be taken…as it will yield the best lumber and be the least wistful of the given section of tree…

Wood that is “dried” in cant or bolt form has a much higher waist margin than when milled when fresh…

If the bolt or cant section is kept (for whatever reason) and dried in the acquired size…then “spine splitting” and wedging (背割り - "sewari, " 埋木細工 - "Umeki-zaiku") the section of wood is paramount to control and localize checking and distortion in the wood, which allows better yield when it is milled in the future…

Little Forest wrote: "... The main difference is in this case the size of the log. Cutting a dried log makes only sense if it is a small one..."

Honestly…size matter little…

The section should be processed as soon as acquired…or…as mentioned above the wood spine split and wedged so there is better yield in the future…That is not to say you can’t do what you demonstrated in the video, of which you did a great job!!!

Little Forest wrote: "... In my case, i have used bigger branches only…”

The challenge with…” branch wood”...is that you cant see (or understand unless really experienced!!!) the…” reaction wood”...that is very often found in such bolt sections from a tree…
As a former working Aborist, and still involved in such work, I love “limb or brand wood” for projects. Nevertheless, I typically have harvested the wood myself…I mill it as soon as I get it…and I understand how to use “reaction wood” to my benefit in projects.

Most modern wood machinists (which to me is very different than traditional woodworkers) reject ever using limb/branch wood because of the damage it can cause in future projects due to massive distortion in wrapping, bending, twisting, cupping, etc…

For a traditional woodworker, these characteristics are not necessarily a concern and/or can be used to the given needs and load parameters of a project…

Little Forest wrote: "... I chose this material for my first screws, simply cause i did not have wood 70 mm thick available, no shop is selling hardwood this thick (here)...”

That was brilliant and a wonderful use for such wood…and clearly you were very successful at it…

Little Forest wrote: "... So i took some straight branches and dried them in the slowest possible way to avoid checks: With bark and with plastic on both ends (which i turned every day to avoid mold and mushrooms)...”

Your attention to them was important and why you managed such success I would imagine. Note, however, that branch wood (depending on where it grew in the tree) will often have massive reaction wood due to the differential in loading of the limb placing much of it in massive compression and tension forces…This may take years to reveal itself once in a project and/or react only when the humidity levels change significantly…

Little Forest wrote: "... It has been a trial and i was surprised to get a so good result from it with Mountain Ash, Maple and Hackberry…”

These are wonderful species, as many traditional species are now neglected and/or considered (by modern wood machinists) unusable…

Little Forest wrote: "... By the way, thanks, now i have learned the difference between checks and cracks. In my home country, there is only one word for both…”

Do please let me know if I can explain or expand on any of the above information. You have a lot of talent and a wonderful channel. It is important that these traditions be learned and passed on to future generations of our craft!!!

Little Forest wrote: "... While writing this words i understood, that i did not manage to use good words for the text under my video…”

Your “words” are more than adequate and commendable since English is not your first language. I have no problem understanding your meaning and have no issue helping define things for you in more detail or from the traditional context in either English or the many of the other languages I understand as it pertains to woodworking or related traditional folk arts/crafts…

Little Forest wrote: "...Your ‘validation’ sounds really interesting. It seems, that it would be nice to have you as a neighbour…”

LOL…That would be fun!!!
Now that I’m retired, I travel all over the place for projects that interest me. So if you find an interesting project I could possibly actually become a neighbor. You never know…LOL!!!

At a minimum, feel free to reach out any time with questions as I have very much followed your channel and progress since you started…

I met Josh (aka Mr. Chickadee of YouTube) online when he reached out to learn more about traditional woodworking…particularly the Middle Eastern and Asian forms of it. We met almost ten years ago while he was finishing (and having challenges with) his first timber frame house. Since then he has video documented all the structures he has built that I have offered guidance on…

You have no limits except those you impose upon yourself. Help is always available to those who ask…

Blessings,
j

JayCWhiteCloud
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excellent video. especially liked that you started with a piece of wood with some curve in it. that to me is the hardest part going from tree -> lumber w hand tools is there is no one uniform reference to measure from. this video gives good tips on how to overcome that initial hurdle.

gpvaneron
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Nice video. Here's a tip: start all three (or however many) cuts at once and run them parallel to each other. This way you get your boards with many few turnings of the log in the vice, and you don't have to worry about clamping awkward shaped log sections. Old time trestle and pit sawyers ran their cuts in parallel, not breaking the boards apart until the very end.

MartinMMeiss-mjli
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Very nice - I look forward to seeing what you make with the wood!

carlpeberdy
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Valuable lesson learnt in this, as I contemplate a new small boat building project with the desire to harvest some small crooks and wyes out of a great heap of leftover felled live-oak and persimmon offcut rubbish. I need to make several important, though small, framing parts. Thanks!

rickhayhoe
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I clicked in less than a milisecond when I read the title :)

e
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As usual, I love your style of video, It reminds me a lot of Mr. chickadee's videos...

I have some observations to share (validation: I have 40 plus years as a Timberwright, teacher of traditional vernacular folk and indigenous life skills, Sawyer, Arborist, Wilderness Guide, et al)...

Little Forest wrote: "... Is it better to dry the wood before cutting or afterward?..."

There really are no "pros or cons" on this topic...

Dry wood can be cut...yet it is the exception to the standard practice of a sawyer (regardless of wood species or size of bolt), and not a desirable thing to do at all!!!...

The bark should always be removed before milling a section of wood...if at all possible...though many today skip this stage because of the use of power tools...

I'm uncertain of my understanding of some of these other points, so please correct me if I have misunderstood...!!!???

Little Forest wrote: ""...Drying before cutting:..."

NO...!!!...you should never dry before cutting if at all possible...There are very few exceptions to this traditional rule (e.g. temple bolt sections that is over 500 to 1000 years old and dried for over 50 to 100 years in only the Cypress family of trees...) Simply put, logs, cants, bolts, fletches, etc....are never dried before milling, riving, or "working down." The standard "good practice" in most traditions found around the world is to "rest the wood" before working it down. If the wood can be rested underwater (a very common practice even today for high-quality wood) this is even better...

NEVER...!!!...leave the bark on longs that are not either "water rested" or traditionally treated...This will only lead to chronic Coleopteric infestation and loss percentage within the final product unless "worming wood" is desired..."Wormwood" is only found in the quality of some species and a specialty product...

Plank, board, and cants that are milled should only be air-dried (if not working the wood green...a lost art for most these days) waxed/oiled first and dried slowly in a shady or cool location. Winter drying of wood stock is best if the goal is quality dried materials...

Little Forest wrote: "...The piece i have might take 5 years..."

If you meant the bolt section unmilled...that is fairly accurate. If speaking of it fletch/milled that is not accurate at all...nor is even drying it necessary for most traditional projects...

Little Forest wrote: "...But in return, you get it without cracks and the cutter boards will not bend..."

There are no "cracks" in drying wood...there are "checks" which are completely different than "cracked wood." Cracks in wood, like "wind shears" are a structural compromise of the timber and should either be discarded, cut around, or repaired if necessary...

"Checks" (干割れ-"Hiware") in timbers, planks, or boards are often found in some species of wood. They are only cosmetic, do not affect structural integrity, and can (in most cases) be repaired...In many traditional styles the tendency for a plank or timber to "check" is designed with and/or made to have such as with the "spine splitting" modalities of Asia. (e.g. 背割り - "sewari, " 埋木細工 - "Umeki-zaiku"...etc.)

Little Forest wrote: "...Just wax the ends or cover them with plastic during the first few months..."

Natural waxes and oils...YES!!!

Plastics...NO...!!!...as this promotes blue stain, and related fungal activity as well as promotes the potential for insect infestation...

Little Forest wrote: "...If you cut them wet it is easier to cut, you do not have the problems with cracking and drying goes much faster..."

Accurate to some degree but must be mitigated by species and regions of the world...It is very different in some cases as well as the season the tree was harvested; if there is "reaction wood", climate, etc...

Little Forest wrote: "... Dry roundwood without cracks is something what most woodworkers estimate as impossible..."

By today's standard of the common "wood machinist" yes this is very true...By traditional standards of means and modalities...this is not accurate nor necessary to worry about...

I can expand on any point if you wish...

Looking forward to your next video...!!!

JayCWhiteCloud
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Giving hope to those without access to a bandsaw or sawmill.

aaronwarner
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Outstanding! I'm going to have to try this. Thank you!

whoever
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Your rip saw appears to be of recent manufacture. Like the other viewer, i wood also like to know who makes it.
---Thankx Mucho😊

fattyfat-fat
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I am now going to take what I've learned here and traslate it to three seperate 500lbs logs with my logging saws. Here's hoping I don't get crushed, but if I do at least something will end up looking like a plank.

anubispup
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Things i have found about sawing; until 2 or more teethe are engaged in the cutting, the blade will not track smoothly; if there is too much set (or worse, the set is uneven) the saw will go off the line and will need continuous correction

rickschuman
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Amazing skill, although very eccentric

Wedget
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Great video, useful information and a pleasure to watch, thanx!
Your saw does not look like an old one found on second hand market.. Can you tell us something about it??

klabam
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When doing this, should I saw the wood when it is already dry or should I cut fresh wood?

gajusm