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. 

This log used to be sitting right next to the mill but I had to move it when I built the saw head to give it clearance.  So for the last time, I’ll move it again.  Getting it up onto the trailer was pretty easy and uneventful.

Once the log was on the trailer, I could back the trailer to the end of the mill and winch the log onto the saw’s bed.

Just like with the maple log, the first offcut will become the roof for the stack so I’m trying to make a cut that will produce a full length offcut.  The offcut may still have enough material to produce another board but I can always saw it in the future when the stack is done drying.

First cut looks promising.  Some awesome figure above the large middle limb.

To stay relatively task oriented, I made 4 cuts without removing the slabs

Now I can focus on moving the slabs off the mill.  I’m stacking these temporarily along the side of my driveway on concrete blocks.  These will eventually get stacked to dry on top of the larger ash log that I have (the log in the foreground with the ear muffs on it)

A look at the top of the second slab.  I’ll apply Anchorseal to the endgrain of the bullseye area to slow its drying so it hopefully doesn’t crack.

Some measurements at almost the widest section of the log.

A look at the top where three limbs come together.

I stacked the remaining slabs and got back to cutting 2 more.

With a new blade installed, the saw just flew through the log.  The cut time dropped from a bit over 4 min to 1:30.  I didn’t realize how slowly the other blade was cutting until I edited the video.  Without a clock to watch, I have no feel for how long a cut is taking but that drastically longer cut duration would have been a good indicator to me that the blade I was using was dull and needed to be changed.

Knot eyes

The last 10/4 slab before the log needed to be flipped.

Not a whole lot left of this log.  The last cut was at 8/4.

I also had a birch log that I got from my neighbor.  I milled it up and was greeted by some awesome curl.

Slabs all stacked and ready to be stacked on top of the other log once I get it milled.  The next of the big logs will be a 36″ diameter white oak.