I just bought some black walnut - 14 logs, 5 to 7 ft. in length, 12 to 32 in. in diameter. I was wondering if anyone would hazard a guess at roughly how much board feet that adds up to?

These are fresh cut logs (bark on), and I would like to try milling them and drying them myself. Any thoughts on how best to do this?. First, for milling, I was going to slice them up into boards on my band saw. Is this the best way to go, or should I use my chain saw and one of those sawmill jigs Lee Valley sells? Or should I just take them to a sawmill? If I go the band saw route (I own a 15 inch General), what kind of jig should I set up? How thick should I mill it, and do I need to first remove the bark (and how)? I know about stickering, and I'm going to stack it in my basement, which is warm and dry. How long before it's dry enough to use? Is there anything else I should consider? I'm excited to see if I can make a go of this 'mill my own' approach, and any advice or suggestions would be very much appreciated...

Rob Gilbert
Ottawa, Canada