Originally Posted by
John Lankers
Todd, if you have access to 2 x 12 x 20 lumber that's great. First thing I would do is take a moisture meter out and check for moisture content, everything over 11% is kind of dice IME. Next, be aware of the pith (the very center of a tree) which is a bomb and needs to be cut out. If the pith is right in the middle of the board that's great, it would possibly yield you 2 5" wide boards that are very stable (called vertical grain lumber for softwoods) . The safest way to remove the pith is with a bandsaw, not a table saw (a circular saw works too). The boards should be cut to rough length before ripping. After removing the pith it is crucial to let the lumber rest for several days before further milling, after that the process is straight forward as with any other lumber. It helps when you work with very sharp tools.
Hope this helps
Merry Christmas