First Wood off the Mill

This morning we spent putting backs on the shelves down at foodshare. It's starting to come together. We then went over to the architect's to see the latest plans for the cabin. It seems to be getting close to what we envision. Still needs a couple of changes but this go-round is much better than last.

I then headed over to Waterville for a couple of hours. Got the first boards off of the mill. Wasted a bunch trying to get things right but was going much smoother by the end of the day. Where we have the sawmill set up gets a lot of sun. We'll have to try to mill either in the morning or late afternoon.

The blue you see on the end of the boards is called "end sealer". It slows down the drying of the ends, which dry quicker than the rest of the board due to the fibers being open. Think of wood as a straw with two open ends, the moisture can run out the ends quicker than the sides. When the ends dry quicker you are more likely to get splits, called checking, and warping of the wood.

It's going to take a lot more wood for the shed but at least we have a start. This is from a tree we weren't figuring on taking down so that's a plus. I would say we probably have twice this much more wood in the part of the tree which is still standing. Of course that is a pretty big trunk so it should be interesting getting it onto the mill. The log I did today was a handful moving around. Don't know how I would have done it without the tractor. Hopefully once we get our ramps set up in the shed it will be easier to roll the logs around. It's still going to take brute strength, and our cant hooks, to get them turned once they are on the mill. The biceps are already complaining, as is every other muscle in my body. I figure what doesn't kill me makes me stronger. It certainly should help my upper body strength.