John’s Heirloom Log
Joni Van DusartzDescription
My friend John brought an oak log to my shop, and it’s what I’d call heirloom wood. It belonged to a good friend of his and had been in the yard of their family home. Unfortunately, the tree had to be cut down, and she asked John to make something for them from the tree.
When to cut the wood
Trees should be converted to lumber while the wood is still green (wet). If you allow the log to dry, it’ll crack. Additionally, it’s a lot easier to cut wood when it’s green than when it’s dry.
The sawmill
John’s log is being cut on a Logosol Woodworkers Mill. I’ve had the mill for a long time and love it. This particular model is no longer made, but it’s similar to Logosol’s F2 mill. The chainsaw being used is a Husqvarna 385XP equipped with a 24” bar and ripping chain.
Once you have cookies…
…you have to let them dry. Air drying works fine, as long as you’re patient. Allow about one year per inch of thickness for drying, but get a moisture meter so you’re not guessing.
Cookies love to crack
Cookies, also called log rounds, almost always develop cracks as they dry. This is because of the pressure that’s created as the center of the cookie dries differently than the outer parts of the cookie. Even with stickers and slow drying, you’ll probably get cracks. The best way to avoid cracking is by chemically treating the log round.
Milling your own material
Converting logs to lumber is very fun. It’s a great way to access material you can’t otherwise get, and convert those heirloom logs into lumber you can use. There are many different ways you can do this, from using a bandsaw to using a chainsaw.
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My dad planted a pair tree when I was born in 1960. 62 years. Only my mother lives there now,since he pasted 4 years ago. Being from south Louisiana, we worried the old tree might go down in a hurricane, and hit the house. We cut the tree down in 2021. We kept some nice pieces. Heirloom Wood. Numerous items have been made using the wood. I still have some that right now I'm making knife blanks and spoon handle blanks for large cooking spoons we use to cook our various Cajun meals, that require a lot of stirring. The short fat trunk will be turned on the lathe one day when I decide what I want out of it.