Sawing cedar logs into lumber

I have access to many cedar logs/trees that I would like to saw into lumber for a future project on a home I'm building in about a tear and a half. Their primary use will be for wainscot and wrapping a kitchen island and possibly a bar. The logs will be no larger than about 8" in diameter, and probably no longer than 6'. I'm assuming that a fairly large bandsaw would be the best option for a home shop guy. I don't currently have one, I just want to make sure this is the way to go before I proceed. Thanks

welcome jeff! big bandsaws are good, but from the sounds of it you might need a band mill? unless you plan to use the saw for other purposes? .02 tod

I would invest in a decent bandsaw. I have the griz 17" and I can resaw up to 12" high. For cedar that small it wouldn't be too hard. Cedar saws fairly easy. You could probably find someone in your area who has a woodmiser or similar bandsawmill but for stuff that small it might be a lot af work and expense for little gain. I vote for getting a band saw of your own you will find that it comes in handy for all kinds of sawing.

Advice given so far is right on the money. Cedar (eastern aromatic) is very soft and easy to cut. However, the dust can be a serious irritant to many people. I reccomend wearing of a good dust mask when working cedar. I cut and sell a lot of it. The aroma is not a bother to me but the dust is something awful on my throat and sinuses if I am stupid enough to not put on the mask when working.

Have you seen these?
http://www.woodmizer.com/en/sawmills...T10/index.aspx

Might cost you a bit more than a workshop bandsaw, but it's designed for what you are wanting to do. Much easier on the back than feeding logs through a workshop saw.

There are other mill options that may be cheaper, but if you get yourself one of those you wont ever be buying timber again ;)

Cheers

Ian

A log that size is fairly heavy, and can be difficult to muscle through a bandsaw. A cut down the middle isn't too bad, but a cut away from the middle can be a problem: the log wants to roll as you push it through the saw. If it rolls or moves in any other way, you don't get straight flat lumber, you get potato chips. People sometimes build rigs which stabilize the log -- sleds or moving braces, or the like. Laguna sells a prebuilt one --- http://www.lagunatools.com/logmaster.htm

I've sawed quite a lot of Cedar and Cypress logs on my 17" Grizzly bandsaw. Cedar is easy. Green Cypress is pretty heavy and a bit harder to handle.

I used to use a sled to help keep the logs steady until I had two sides squared, but I don't even do that anymore. IMHO, an 8" x 6' Cedar log is not much more than a stick and is easy to handle. The most important thing is to have a good, slick infeed and outfeed table for sliding the log. Roller tables would be ideal.

Woodmizers are great machines, and the company is fantastic, you will be able to resaw and saw just about anything on it. Well worth the money, buy as big as you think you will need and can afford.

Don't see why you could not just use a decent sized bandsaw with a good resawblade.

For cutting the log, you need nothing more than a 8' long 2x6, just put the log on a flat surface, and screw the 2x6 to the side, and use this as your guide.

http://www.ablett.jp/workshop/images...b_slicing2.jpg
This is the second cut.

What you need is 9' of infeed and 9' of outfeed table.

A table is BEST, but if you do not use a nice flat surface, then don't use roller stands. If the roller stand is not exactly in line with the saw, the roller will track the log left or right.

A bandsaw mill is a really nice thing, but I hear if you do get one, you get kind of addicted to sawing up logs :D

Anyways, my point is that with a good bandsaw and resaw blade, you can certainly cut up some logs, a little thought and plannig is needed, but you can do it for sure.

One thing, if you can, use a very short stand on the BS, as then you don't have to lift the logs as far. You can put the stand back on later :D

Good luck, whatever you do, we expect pictures!! :cool: