Slabbing the Smaller Ash Log (Big Logs #2)

This smaller ash log was the first of the big logs that I hauled home last spring. At the time, it was the biggest log I had ever moved.
Picking Up an Ash Log: • Loading and Unloading ...
More on the log trailer: • My Trailer with Log Lo...
Maple Crotch Vlog: • Picking Up a Maple Cro...
Bandsaw Mill Build: • Wide Cutting Bandsaw M...
Products Used
Cant Hook: amzn.to/2n7XNWD
Peavey: amzn.to/2m3Wple
[Amazon links are affiliate links]
Thank you to Triton Tools for sponsoring my work: www.tritontools.com/en-US
Support What I Do: www.mattcremona.com/support
Check out Wood Talk, a podcast about woodworking that I co-host:
www.woodtalkshow.com/
/ woodtalk
Website: mattcremona.com
Instagram: / mattcremona
Twitter: / mattcremona
Facebook: / mattcremonaww
Email: [e-mail]

[@BobDaniel]

Little early in the day to be taking a drink every time Matt says "crotch", but what the heck, it's only tea...

[@etheroar6312]

I lost count at about twenty-seven, and I was drinking water.

[@samuelluria4744]

I don't have anything to drink, and YOU are a very cruel man....😳

[@Mekhanic1]

I actually am drinking tea.....! hahahaha!

[@_mrv_]

Crotch count: 24

[@MsSunwatcher]

It's only a piece of ash, Bob.

[@ericmichael1964]

I was watching some of these videos with my grandfather the other day. He was a logger way back in the old days. You should have seen the joy on his face when he saw you dump water on some of those slabs. "Look at those slabs" he said.. Like we were watching a supermodel pagent or something. Nope, just MC, slabbing it up, making 90 year old loggers drool over what he's producing. Good work Matt. Your work is inspiring, and is always reminding some of us, what our true passions in life are.

[@jeremyridley8565]

so I just realized the true motivation for building the sawmill... less mowing with all those slabs laying around. Genius!

[@mcremona]

hahaha!! No more lawn!

[@billnowlin9148]

Coming from an old man who thought he was bullet proof when he was young, be very aware of your back. Head up, bend your knees and don't try to break your personal best lift every time. You cannot do anything FUN if you injure your back. Love your channel and your energy.

[@brianjoyce9040]

Hardest working wood worker and doing it with a chuckle and a smile. You keep smilin and I’ll keep tuning in. Well done. The large boards had a ‘female’ affect noticeable. Am I the only one seeing it?!

[@AndreaArzensek]

Not only you spoil us but when selling these boards you have the video to show your customers! Great job Matt!

[@pipercub45]

Never get tired of watching the saw work!

[@5Towaways]

You're the only dude that I could watch cut wood for almost 30 minutes and be begging for more. It's great to see that saw from start to finish, all the work you've put into it, and now to see you cut huge logs with it. Happy for you man!

[@judithfairchild8620]

The two limbed slabs should be made into a dress designers desk. It looks like a fancy classic evening dress. Cool

[@BrandonLund]

Very cool! Awesome job on your mill and very nice looking lumber!

[@sarapulford5957]

🇬🇧 That first ash slab seems to have one of the prettiest grains I've seen and its a lovely colour. The figuring on some is a bit like a medieval stained glass picture of a knight. What we saw of the birch was good too.

[@ClimptonDiddlehopper]

those little cut offs make great clocks for the show/etsy circuit. I used to have requests constantly for them when I was in Washington. I had an uncle at a local sawmill so he'd grab the cookies or interesting cut offs for me.

[@matthewolson8875]

One of my favorite things about milling, is how you can take an enormous log, and it slowly disappears until there is nothing left on the mill. The other most amazing thing about milling, is how you are the first person on the planet to see inside these logs. Its a unique experience every time.

[@reverendblair9274]

You seem to be becoming the King of Trailer Backing.

[@mcremona]

+Reverend Blair the improvement has been substantial :)

[@berry_crops]

Каждый раз поражаюсь как автор сам все эти тяжёлые доски переворачивает и переносит. Реально нравится человеку свое дело.

[@timholiner381]

The top of that last cut with the double bulls eye looks like ET!

[@Cradley684]

Well done Matt !!!

[@davidkirkman2223]

matt your blade change answered my questions as to why my saw was doing the exact same thing last year. thanks for the insight

[@rubbadubdub7857]

Great explanation of grain and figure development in a tree and how to read a log for proper milling. I was going to ask about pinching the blade and the use of wedges, but you beat me to it. Another great video, Michael!

[@rubbadubdub7857]

Oops.Brain fade. Another great video, Matthew.

[@mcremona]

lol Thanks!!

[@MrWoowootila]

Enjoy your videos on the building of your sawmill. From the angle you were shooting in the previous videos, I thought you lived out in the country. If I was one of your neighbors I would call the police about noise and running a commercial operation in a area that was zoned for residential. You are really pushing your luck with your neighbors, might be the time to look for a place in the country.

[@thomashudson4611]

I never in my life would have ever thought I would be using my free time to watching someone sawing wood...an enjoy it. Great Time Waster! Thax Matt

[@glencarroll3766]

Matt you are a great teacher. compression figure and bull's-eye today. we have built a mill just north of Winning, we started to build ours the same time as u did yours . Ugly. oak makes beautiful slabs . Cheers

[@jonthogmartin]

You rock. Love the process.

[@bobleeswoodshop7919]

Do you want to put the mill inside a building someday! Love watching you work or play which ever works for you !!!😜😜😜😜😜😝😝😝😝 great video Matt!!!👍👍👍👍

[@timothycorcoran36]

Scenario: "Howdy neighbour!! Want some scraps for that BBQ bro?" LOL That log boom works great Matt!!

[@mcremona]

haha!

[@jarredfedor4150]

Yay for Ash slabs!!!

[@FredMcIntyre]

Nice slabs Matt!

[@djalilesfahani6825]

you are my hero you know . that fantastic job

[@emilevoyer123]

Glad to hear that your son made out well. And the bed came out beautiful.

[@tiffanyjohnson3110]

Good Saturday watchin 😍

[@anile8tor9]

That log has some beautiful grain in it

[@Sebastopolmark]

Matt, you and your crotches. Looking forward to seeing the projects that come out of that wood. GREAT job.

[@stevede77]

I love that you're having such great success and fun with this mill Matt, I also love these videos!

[@mcremona]

+steve dale thanks Steve!

[@c.barr813]

Up on my family land we have quite a few ancient white oak trees that are between 3'-4' across with at least 20' of knot free log on the shortest tree with some of the limbs appearing to be large and straight enough to be veneer or at the very least prime. the top spreads are so large we are going climb and delimb them before we fell the trunks. My father is a retired tree surgeon and took cores at the base to check for rot and these beauties are solid! After watching your vids on the sawmill build I am going to have the crotch sections slabbed for sure now. along with some curly river maple logs I have in the side.

[@mcremona]

That's awesome!!!

[@jamesonelam]

You talked about the set of the blade... but what about the FLEAM MAN!!! THE FLEAM!!! I can just see Shannon wagging his finger at you lol. Beautiful cuts Matt! 👊👍

[@mcremona]

+Jameson Elam lol!

[@jonshannon4922]

Better log handling will make your rig complete! So awesome.

[@MsSunwatcher]

When I watch your vids, I want to come through the screen to help you move slabs. Your chiropractor must be a magician!

[@JudithStOnge]

Hi ho.. I'm a fan. Wish you could have met my dad.. He was a big log junkie!! Built a chainsaw mill.. It was a horrible thing but it worked! His pet! Good job !!!! I'm enjoying your work enormously!

[@cossack76]

Beautiful, natures artwork!

[@mcremona]

Thanks Rich!

[@randyc5650]

While watching Matt work that tree, a mouse blanking an elephant comes to mind and the elephant is having a rough time.

[@markbutcher2734]

More than curious what your neighbors think about this in their back yard LOL. Really nice work and videos are first rate.

[@felixreali7101]

Matt, you are the most hard-core wood enthusiast I know :-) love watching your videos

[@charliedalmasso4672]

Haha , thank you for us with metric, This time its a treat ! meters, centimeters AND millimeters in the same footage ! :) nice wood and glad to see that the mill is working so well !

[@mikegaydos3114]

its about time to get yourself a forklift , those are some beautiful slabs .

[@xenonram]

The old jacket over the winch cable trick. lol

[@SeeMooreVids]

Nice work.

[@renk1233]

Good job!

[@southsidedojo2]

I love your neighbor always photo bombing your videos.... cooking, my kind of guy

[@mcremona]

I'm always working around dinner time, I guess lol

[@jraschke]

Great video!!

[@marionrobertson3895]

Matthew I really like your log trailer with the log arch and winch rig thats neat NBA and very handy.The ash log you slabbed is amazing beautiful grain crotch and curl.Thanks all be blessed.

[@PopPopTerry]

Hey Matt, get you about 3 or 4 pieces of 1 1/2inch pipe about 3 feet long to put under your slabs to move them on top of the other one. Rolling them is so much easier than trying to slide them. That's how I can move a 500lb slab by myself. Take care and as always be safe and keep warm.

[@oddjobkia]

Love the enthusiasm you have for the wood you work with. OH for a yard (Actually living in West Wales it would need to be a barn) Big enough for a mill like that

[@mcremona]

Thanks Jamie!

[@dfel]

Amazing! Those pieces of metal will tell an interesting story on a table top some day.

[@fynbo1007]

Very beautiful tree you got there, I love to see then you release the beautiful tree down under your cut tree

[@mcremona]

+Carsten Andersen thank you!

[@WayneEarls]

I would have several natural edge tables. I'm So jelly!

[@earle0024]

CROTCH! Love the videos Matt!

[@mcremona]

+earle0024 thanks!

[@perryingto]

You're a hard worker keep up the good work

[@mcremona]

+perry eastham thanks Perry!

[@robertevans6481]

You stepped up your game i count at least 20 times this video.....Way to go Matt. But grilling and Matt is milling, that grill can wait, i gonna do some milling...lol...Have a great weekend Matt and Lindsay, JR Max and yep pancake too....

[@mcremona]

haha! Thanks Robert!

[@woodscrew5612]

That seems like one large ash log to me! Great vid Matt.

[@MadWilly66]

20:40, watching you hump that slab onto the pile was hilarious!

[@mcremona]

+Chris Williams hahahaha I'm an entertainer at heart

[@markvylonis]

That trailer setup is nice

[@mcremona]

+mark vylonis thanks Mark!

[@tommy0164]

That is one heck of a saw you built!!! Very nice buddy!!!

[@mcremona]

+tommy0164 thank you!

[@thomps222]

Hi Matt, I love watching these videos. I too have a band saw mill though not nearly as big as yours. I've struggled with blade wander too when my blades get dull. I ended up adding some red oak guides that have a kerf wide slot cut in them. This supported the blade top and bottom where before I only had top wheels. I also really slow down the cut when the blade is getting dull (looks like you are already doing that). Lastly, if I can I make one cut in the log to have a clean, cut edge, then turn the log 90deg and cut into the clean cut. Doesn't help for live edge but does extend the blade life. This year I want to add a debarker in front of the band using an old circular saw with two blades mounted. Cheers, love the videos.

[@thomastieffenbacherdocsava1549]

Matt, I didn't count but crotch was repeated the most I've hearn. Nice day to mill, and great workout! You litteraly milled up a storm! LOL!

[@BruceAUlrich]

"Can't wait for that..." heh. Some really nice looking grain, Matt!

[@DIYCreators]

Too bad you're nowhere near me. I'd totally grab a few slabs. Respect!

[@SilverBack.]

Hi Matt absolutely GREAT LOOKING SLABS, the Ash is very figured really good looking timber. KEEP THE VIDEOS COMING . Doug.

[@mcremona]

+Douglas Mungham thanks Doug!

[@SilverBack.]

Matt you seam to have an efinity for working with wood I really enjoy it but like many out there who do not have the property or have health problem can not engage in their passion . I for my sins have both problems so watching you inspires me to what could have been SO KEEP DOING THE GREAT VIDEOS Doug.

[@froggleggers1805]

Its good to have a decent neighbor.

[@paulwilliamson2067]

Living the life!

[@mcremona]

You bet!

[@andrewakrause]

what a great piece of ashe...n

[@ronron8464]

Really cool & exciting Matt!! 👊 Ron1

[@stevecollins9450]

That figure in the birch is beautiful, Matt.

[@mcremona]

Thanks, Steve!

[@jamg1562]

Matt, that is some beautiful wood you got out of the log. I would love to try and make a bed out of it using the top as much as possible. I would make the head boards seven feet tall and the foot boards three feet. Not sure how I would tie them together to keep as much of their beauty as possible but I know it could be done! I love how you do your best to show everyone the beauty you get to see when cutting up the logs and how each slab show off the beauty within!

[@joshwiley881]

You must have some great neighbors.

[@dalewilliamson1125]

Beautiful grain patterns Matt. Hope to see some future projects with this beautiful grain. Keep up the good work!! Hopefully you have something planned to help move those massive slabs around. Don't wreck your back as I have done.

[@mcremona]

Thanks Dale! Moving them with the trailer is about as easy as it gets. Much easier than moving them by hand

[@daviddahl4148]

A winch truck would be handy moving those big logs.

[@barnacmongars]

It reminds me of my grandfather who owned land and cuts his own log ( he was a lumberjack) and milling wood himself whit his old woodmizer selling his plank for money. just I like to watch those video making me dreaming about milling y own wood

[@drochon6672]

Funny thing. I thought I could actually smell the sawdust coming from your mill. But, I then realized I was wearing the same sweat shirt I wore in the shop yesterday!

[@mcremona]

+drochon6672 hahahaha

[@handydan1591]

I find it amazing that one day you have snow and the next it's gone lol

[@poordecisionsgarage9834]

You've really knocked down that pile of trees.

[@mcremona]

+Jordan M getting close to the finish line

[@hernancoronel]

At 3:00 it reminded me of Archimedes quote "Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world."

[@mcremona]

+hernanc yes :)

[@hernancoronel]

I'd still wouldn't want to be your neighbor even if you were Archimedes LOL! ;-)

[@Frostfly]

Ooh....the spins....drink!

[@Frostfly]

really like the above the saw viewpoint, neato

[@dananelson3534]

Enjoyed the video Matt. Interesting boards you're making, the the advantage of milling your own. Who needs a gym when you mill your own logs? Thanks for posting.

[@mcremona]

Thanks Dana!

[@rayc.1396]

I don't know who in your area does such a thing, but there are places around that will sharpen your band saw blades, normally much less expense than buying new. Great video as usual, can't wait for the next one.

[@mcremona]

I don't know if anyone does it locally but I'm planning to just ship them back to have them sharpened. Thanks Ray!

[@davesawyer6506]

Once all this stuff is dried, I’m really curious about how it is sold. Do you have wholesale connections who will buy most of a stack? Or do you just rely on the Craig’s List crowd to buy a piece at a time? And then how do you make the slabs available to view? It’s not like you’ve got a massive warehouse where you can store the slabs on edge. What will these beauties weigh when dried? Can two people man-handle their way down a stack to get to that perfect slab? Can they stack/unstack without creative winching? Or will they pick-out via video which slabs they want and you end up digging it out for them? And once all of your current logs are cut and stacked, and the yard is packed, are you then out of the milling business until this batch is dried, some inventory is moved and more space is freed up?An in-depth discussion in one of your videos would be most enlightening.

[@billfromelma]

Hey Matt, awesome figure . Gets the creative juices flowing.

[@rogerwilliams8339]

Mathew you have built a marvellous band saw, please make your self a small lift truck or a crane of some type, because you are going to damage your back at some time or other all young men think they are invincible, I thought I was, I was lucky I recovered ok, keep up the good work, best wishes from the UK.

[@johnsobj]

May I suggest putting a ~2" pipe below the slab when your putting it onto the stack so you can easily push it forward off the trailer. Just looked like you were struggling a bit getting it to slide. Great work! Thx.

[@johnhunter273]

Ever consider using a round piece to slide the slabs? Might help make stacking a lil easier....JMHO. I was amazed at the amount of effort it takes for you to maneuver wood in your yard. Just goes to show...where there is a will there is a way. And give a big enough lever and I can move the world!Well done sir!

[@robertpearson8546]

Your editing has improved over the years. I much prefer the cuts of the sawing over the sped-up footage. Much less jarring.

[@jeremyridley8565]

Ever thought about doing a project with a root ball? It'd be cool to see some root system sliced on that mill.

[@susanparadis285]

could you give a breakdown of your I love it

[@crossgrainwoodproductsltd9230]

As always Matt a great and informative video. I too favor the ash figuring and it would make a great table top. I saw your other video about the under bark and gosh I have to agree, what a beautiful look! You would have some very unique pieces of furniture if you did that on a hall table or better yet a dinning table. I won't harp on you about your back, I think you heard enough in these comments to make a point, lol. Thanks again. ~Dolly

[@mcremona]

Thanks Dolly!

[@JimDockrellWatertone]

Wow! Some beautiful wood there I had a thought while watching I notice the head unit "walks" along the track, first one side advances and then the other catches up as you crank. If you put some fare leads or rollers on the front corners then you could bring your feed cable all the way around the front and attach to the other side of the head unit. This would make both sides advance smoother. Of course it would double the mechanical advantage too, making it advance at half the speed while cranking and using twice the amount of cable. Trade offs.... but something to think about.

[@jlunde35]

Impressive material handling skills. I was hoping your neighbor would come by and help you.

[@jaxxbrat2634]

Natives used Ash for their longbows..Didn't know it could be that fine looking

[@bobputman5947]

fantastic matt, i love seeing each log unwrapped, its better then Christmas presents, am i sick or what.....naw...im more then normal...lol....

[@ghrrum]

Have you considered using some jack posts for leveling out your logs for milling? Idea came to me as you need the same sort of support that is provided by machinist jacks and they are essentially a leveled up version for really big heavy stuff. Look em up at your local building supply and hardware store. Cheaper than hydraulic jacks too.

[@chrissscottt]

Nice.

[@Wordsnwood]

Welcome to matt's channel; all slabs all the time. Come into the Lab and see whats on the slab! (Hint, more slab)

[@mcremona]

+Wordsnwood (Art Mulder) hahaha slabs!

[@ClimptonDiddlehopper]

Wordsnwood (Art Mulder) the new Slab City only more slab less hippy. lol

[@samuelluria4744]

And THAT is why we love him!!!😉

[@willemkossen]

Wordsnwood (Art Mulder) i'ld love to have a cup of slab right now

[@doubledarefan]

Cody'sLab reference?