How to mill lumber with a band saw

I have a ton of timber from a felled ash tree that needs milling and I've always wanted to try doing it myself. Thanks to Anders's new band saw, we now have a way! We made a crude sled, screwed some logs to it for the initial straight edges, and just used the fence the rest of the way. It worked!
What do you think we should use our new lumber for? Take the poll in the video and leave a comment below.
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[@jaymyers7900]

Nice!!! I've been saving my pennies for a Rikon 10-326, so watching your 324 make easy work of some ash, has convinced me to keep saving! I just want to round off logs into bowl blanks for my lathe.

[@hungrycolby]

Great demonstration of how to do this! Thanks for sharing

[@themeat5053]

Nice job! I really do like your attitude; to wit, telling folks about the "ugly" sled.

[@flyinlo1474]

Great video. Needed some insight for milling my own lumber for my cnc. Thanks for making this!

[@DoItProjects]

Thanks. I'm glad you found some use. Happy milling!

[@bnelson313braveheart8]

The bandsaw is a really great shop tool. Nice video.

[@graemebrumfitt6668]

New band saw great idea will try! TFS, GB :)

[@crackerjack3359]

Best and simplest solution I have seen.

[@DoItProjects]

Thanks! I'm a big supporter of the K.I.S.S. method.

[@chrisyangtze8403]

Thank you brother.. I just learned how to Mill Woods...

[@HomesteadJay]

This is fantastic! Nice work! I just got a bandsaw Im pondering the idea of milling some logs and this was sweet to see!

[@DoItProjects]

Homestead Jay Thanks, Jay! It’s about as easy as it gets. And if you want to do longer pieces, just make a longer sled :) Thanks for watching.

[@dietrichnsons]

That penny trick/slab trick was really cool!

[@DoItProjects]

Justin Dietrich thanks, man.

[@terryherrera5252]

Glad to see you SECURE n Immobilize tie stock !! DANG TWO GUYS to mill !! Interesting concept !!

[@DoItProjects]

Two people obviously isn't necessary. We were just hanging out that day. It's nice to have someone to hold the camera sometimes.

[@danielledelprado4156]

Lovely video. I love your attitude

[@DoItProjects]

Thank you!

[@nobbywood]

Looks good 👍 Greats from Colonge 👍

[@DoItProjects]

Thank you!

[@williamr.3437]

Great video@

[@DoItProjects]

Thanks!

[@timhill44]

Briliant, you are made for TV! Thx T

[@DoItProjects]

Wow, thanks!

[@placitas52]

Nice woodworking and video work. Not sure which I like more.

[@DoItProjects]

Wow, thanks!

[@mikeseewooddesigns]

Thanks for the video! I'm going to be doing the same thing with a piece of Lilac wood and this will help me greatly!

[@DoItProjects]

That's awesome. Glad it helped. Thanks for watching!

[@DoItProjects]

...and I just subbed to your channel. Great work!

[@despizedicon8447]

Great job bro I want to get a band saw and do that. Gonna start a bad ass clock work.

[@DoItProjects]

slabs can be expensive. If you find some free logs and work out a system you can make a lot of money, or at least get your slabs fro free! Go for it!

[@freddysflyz]

This was a fun video! I have a bandsaw on the way... "smaller" than yours, but I plan to hit the wood racks outside and not BUY wood! I'd rather spend it on tools! Thanks for sharing!

[@woodbobshop]

This is awesome! I'm shopping for a band saw right now! Great video!

[@ericeinsmann5559]

Good job! It doesn't get any simpler than that! No videos in 3 years? What a shame!

[@DoItProjects]

Aw man. I know. We had a good run. One of these days we'll get back in the saddle. Thanks for watching!

[@193therman]

Great video. I have a ton of Honey Locust which has a beautiful core that I was wanting to cut like this.

[@DoItProjects]

Glad you got something from this. Happy milling!

[@twotallable]

Great budget bandsaw

[@newracersb]

Clean and simple log mill--nice. Side comment: for logs of hard-to-find wood, like cypress, you might want to quarter saw it instead of flat-sawing it. You can Google that, but basically, quarter the log like you would quarter a pineapple before slicing it, and then slice off boards one at a time, flopping the board from one face to the other, perpendicular face between slices.

[@DoItProjects]

Thank you! I’ll definitely do some research and try it out.

[@jolox.]

I just got a bandsaw for Christmas. I also have some Ashwood logs and milled one freehand, but it was a little unstable! Thanks for this great idea! I'm going to give it a try!

[@DoItProjects]

Awesome! Let's us know how it goes.

[@mogasesegopotje8483]

I'm shopping for a band saw right away

[@mohaimenkazi9787]

Dude thanks!

[@DoItProjects]

👍 Thanks for watching!

[@rickhansen7417]

This is the guy from “The Hurt Locker” if he didn’t join the Army.

[@DoItProjects]

You mean Jeremy Renner? Thanks, I think. I'm trying to figure out if you just mean I look like a chubby Jeremy Renner 😂. Hell, I'll take it.

[@BobAmarant]

Nice video, fun work. (I use the same music in my videos!)

[@MakeThings]

I have that bandsaw! Saw your channel over at Kim and Garrett's channel! If you haven't tried one yet, I suggest getting the woodslicer blade. I'm constantly cutting wood with mine and it cuts like butter.

[@DoItProjects]

We love K&G! We're also subscribed to your channel. You do some really awesome stuff. I've got a whole lot more logs needing milling, so I may just invest this woodslicer blade you're talking about.

[@biedawo]

Woodslicer is great for resawing dried lumber. Not sure it would be good for the initial milling of wet or semi-wet logs.

[@jamesJohnson-qe4gw]

Awesome

[@DoItProjects]

Thanks

[@pedroabujamra2585]

Good job !!!! Roud four .....FIGHT !!!!!!

[@DoItProjects]

Thanks!

[@sokhibabdurasulov3323]

I love it

[@DoItProjects]

Thank you!

[@Glock2201]

great video. With ash having a low moisture contact it might not even take a year before you can use that stuff.

[@DoItProjects]

Glock2201 Thanks. I think you may be right. I’m going to go ahead and use one now and see what happens over time.

[@randykniebes5364]

Great ideas for the sled and explanations... I don't like the screws holes either!!! Thanks

[@Caasi67]

I did the same thing, only used a jointer instead of a sled. I hope your boards don't twist up into question marks like mine did though

[@DoItProjects]

So far so good. It's been most of a year and only some minor cupping. Nothing that can't be flattened.

[@Rustikuswood]

Nice vid. What did you seal the ends of the boards with? Thanks and keep it up!

[@DoItProjects]

Nothing special. Just Varathane Ultimate Spar Urethane. I didn't look into what the best product is. I just used the most protective thing I had in my shop. It seems to be doing the trick. Thanks for watching!

[@Rustikuswood]

@@DoItProjects thanks for the answer. Keep it up!

[@markwattsburton]

Great video thanks. I've had trouble resawing a large cedar log with the blade jamming half way down as it got trapped in the log. New 3/4 inch blade 4 tpi. I'd welcome any suggestions please as to how to prevent this.

[@DoItProjects]

I wouldn't consider myself an authority on this topic in the least, but there are a number of things that could cause the problem. The first things that come to mind are your method. Is the direction of your feed fixed, constant, straight? Is the rate of your feed slow enough for the blade to clear the chipload? It sounds like you're using the right blade for the job. The only other thing I could offer is that sometimes you just never know what's going on inside the wood? Were you cutting through any wild grain or burly parts? Had the log been drying for a long time already? The more time it has to dry out and shrink, the more likely it may be to have some funky changes in it that could increase the likelyhood of binding on the blade. I've read that many people who do this say its best to mill a log early. I don't know if any of this will help you, but I hope it does. Good luck! Would love to hear more about your results :)

[@markwattsburton]

Thanks for your very helpful suggestions. On thinking about it, yes the timber was perhaps left too long before I tried to cut it as I've only recently got the big bandsaw suitable to attempt it. Also there was some irregularity within it which could have contributed. I think the feed direction and speed was OK but those other two factors probably combined to make it stick. Your comments have given me some things to think about for further attempts and I appreciate your time and trouble to reply. Many thanks.

[@johno6861]

I mill a lot of cedar logs, red and yellow. I generally quarter my logs with a chainsaw, your binding may be due to internal stresses (use wedges) or you get some drift from pushing to hard (center your blade on the wheels) or your guide rollers are set to far forward and they have taken the set out of your blade. I also use a glide wax on the blade especially if the wood is really wet.

[@DoItProjects]

John O Thanks for the input! Very helpful.

[@davidmitchell3671]

I like the simplicity and effectiveness of your method, compared to most others online, but I'm wondering: Is it possible to just use a jointed sled edge to ride along the fence, rather than using the channel?

[@DoItProjects]

You definitely can. I'd say one of the only cons would be the size limitation of your band saw. Relying on how far you can slide the fence could limit how big a piece you can fit through. But, with a band saw like ours, that's hardly an issue.

[@davidmitchell3671]

@@DoItProjects Thank you.

[@tombeck2792]

bring that guard down !

[@Mrralphfolorain]

I know it's old, but what size is that band saw?

[@reubenmalandu7490]

Can a band saw cut through the dry log

[@WayWoodworking]

That's pretty cool. Do you like the Rikon? I have the 10" and only pace about 180 after a rebate. I love it.

[@DoItProjects]

Way Woodworking that’s a pretty good deal. This one is a workhorse, but quite a bit pricier. It’s been a dream so far though.

[@Xorobabel]

@@DoItProjects I have been thinking about getting a 10-324. Looks like it works well.

[@KimandGarrettmakeit]

Ugly Sled rides like BUTTER! Are you logging your backyard? WAIT! WHAT? Just under a year? Can you bake it or something to speed up the drying?

[@DoItProjects]

Kim and Garrett make it Honestly I’ve been too nervous to try any of the strategies I’ve heard about drying wood in my oven. And I really don’t feel like paying for it to be kiln dried. It’s the waiting game for us... for now 😉

[@Creator_Nater]

Do It Where do you dry? Inside? Outside? Dehumidifier? A greenhouse would work well

[@newracersb]

If you have an attic, you might try storing it up there--they get pretty hot, at least during the sunny season. Pretty much equivalent to a wood kiln with no energy usage required.

[@lenanderson8852]

Attic is no good to hot no air flow. wood will dry out to fast

[@lenanderson8852]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3WplZR8qK-tsNE take a look at this video

[@spkendrick]

No power issues from your rikon 10-324? I am I am considering this or the 326

[@DoItProjects]

I haven't had any issues as of yet. Best of luck on your acquisition!

[@gregwolfe4881]

I have some mesquite logs. What size band saw would you recommend for milling that would be powerful enough for the hardness of Mesquite?

[@robertfontaine3650]

Flat sawn warpy cupping wood.

[@laurelrunlaurelrun]

I think I would try to peel the bark off first. might be better for the blade.

[@DoItProjects]

That's worth trying. The bark will be stripped off the pieces anyway, right? Thanks for watching!

[@frankm3214]

What edge sealer do you use?

[@DoItProjects]

Nothing special. Just Varathane Ultimate Spar Urethane. I didn't look into what the best product is. I just used the most protective thing I had in my shop. It seems to be doing the trick.

[@buncrana87]

Love this. What are you sealing the ends with?

[@DoItProjects]

Just some outdoor grade spar urethane from Varathane.

[@reubenmalandu7490]

Why do we cut at thecenters of the rings

[@willboudreau1187]

Is that wood ash, or is it willow?

[@DoItProjects]

Ash

[@ratbagley]

Make sure you center the pith first.

[@elainenilsson5472]

Why do you have to wait a year. My father milled some maple trees from our back yard, or I should say he had them milled. You guess he had to wait a year? Of possible he had it kiln dried? He made all the windowsills out of it

[@DoItProjects]

This tree had just been cut down weeks before. I was just being extra careful, and I'm glad I was. You should see how much they've warped. You've got to give wet wood time to acclimate to your area and reach a low enough relative moisture content before using it. When it's done moving, you can flatten it and work it without worry.

[@awjaaa]

The general rule is 1 year air drying for every inch. Also, toss those center pith sections, or cut them down further to get the pith out. That is where cracks and checks originate.

[@DoItProjects]

​@@awjaaa I've got a bunch more this year from more tree work in my yard. I'm gonna try a few different ways based on peoples suggestions. You're not the only one to mention that to us. Thanks for the tip and thanks for watching!

[@Xt4209]

My damn rikon only has a 5 inch height to the bandsaw it’s just an oversized jigsaw

[@Yadimaspro]

I want to see in actual speed video at least once rounde cutting.

[@DoItProjects]

On a couple of the passes I show the final seconds in real time. That is pretty much the pace of the entire cut. Thanks for the input and thanks for watching!

[@Xt4209]

If your plan on milling logs don’t skimp out on the size of your bandsaw bigger is better

[@janmuyllaert8565]

never one guy pushing and another pulling at the same time.the pulling may not be expected by the pusher and his fingers may be at the receiving end , sadly.

[@shantelfullerton9865]

You'll find all the inspiration you need on Stodoys plans.

[@mathias841]

Wouldn't have been better without drilling ? Less loss of wood

[@DoItProjects]

Yes. But not screwing it would require more work up front on the jig. The log needs to be held in place. I just wanted the fastest method I could think of.

[@mathias841]

@@DoItProjects yes it is what I assumed after watching other videos. A great way to do it quick !

[@dp01]

At kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXnOhYJtqLSAoJY it looks like a pineapple

[@DoItProjects]

Hah! I've never noticed. Thanks for watching 😊

[@JoeSmith-eq6ny]

music is annoying

[@elbob248]

It's free content. You have a mute function.

[@leoprio6356]

Too much speech

[@DoItProjects]

Watch on mute.

[@dalemasyk1583]

TOO MUCH FCKIN AROUND..BONEHEAD

[@hleijendekkers]

What (minimum) saw height does the bandsaw must be to mill lumber?