re: Neatest thing you have built?

I have the same mallet.

Sport, I'd bet you got some warping from humidity levels in that pine.

It can happen in hours if the humidity swings. I'm not sure how much a garage helps though. Your edges should be able to be flush against each other without the help of clamps. If it requires the help of clamps to close the gaps, then they will always be fighting against each other.

I bought a track saw because I don't have the space for a floor standing jointer and I figured the track saw is more versatile. Plus, it's easier to joint a 8 foot edge with a track saw than it is trying to pass it on a jointer. My next purchase will be a no7 jointer plane to further refine the track saws edge.

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It can happen in hours if the humidity swings. I'm not sure how much a garage helps though. Your edges should be able to be flush against each other without the help of clamps. If it requires the help of clamps to close the gaps, then they will always be fighting against each other. I bought a track saw because I don't have the space for a floor standing jointer and I figured the track saw is more versatile. Plus, it's easier to joint a 8 foot edge with a track saw than it is trying to pass it on a jointer. My next purchase will be a no7 jointer plane to further refine the track saws edge.

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Yep, track saws are game changers. I love my festool track saw. There is no need for a jointer if just building a top. You can't feel or see the joints, absolutely perfect.

If I'm running wood thru a planer and taking off a lot of stock, I let it sit for a few days before joining. Also, I try to get a coat on both sides ASAP to help with moisture being expelled evenly.

I've been looking at track saws as well.

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If I'm running wood thru a planer and taking off a lot of stock, I let it sit for a few days before joining.

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Good to know. Now

I use a cheap honing guide and some norton water stones. I haven't tried stropping yet. I've only tried sharpening a few times, if I don't get the hang of it soon, I'm switching to your method.

you could try running a saw down the open joints and re-glue them. Also, I look at end grains of each piece before gluing. I'm not using a board that isn't milled close to the center of the log. Outer boards have only a few rings and are subjected to twisting, cupping and bowing more than a quarter sawn piece closer to the pith.

A great book is Understanding Wood. You can find it used online on the cheap.

And I'd imagine theres alot less mess with your method

If it becomes too much of a pain, you can find a local sharpener in your area that will probably sharpen it for like $3. Keep a spare and have one always with you and one with the sharpener. I use them for circular saw blades, chisels, planer knives, router bits and other stuff.

Been working on a new saw mill shed. Got the building for free, but had to move it. It is 16'x14'. Should of just built a new building, but things are facing up. Nothing was squared. I did manage to pull things together. The people I got it from only blocked it in the corners. The floor joist are only 2x6's. Of course it sag in the center about 3/4".

So, to combat that, I had sawed up some 6"x6"x 17' beams. Three of them ad set them under. The building was covered in 4'x8' Hardieplank. Well, that is fine, but this is going to be a storage building for a saw mill.

So, what I did was throw a couple oak logs on the mill. I sawed up some live edge beveled siding. The boards are anywhere from 12" wide to as much as 20". They are tapered from 1/8" to 3/4".



Once installed. this is what it looks like.



That door way is 6' wide that I will be building barn doors that will slide on tracks. There will be a addition coming from it that will be 16'x 30' open pavilion.

Oh, for those that will be needing firewood for next winter, let me know or I will be pushing some nice oak into a burn pile.

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Fish are you the poster on here that has a portable sawmill? If so can you give me some recs, I'm looking into purchasing one

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Yes mine is, but I built a trailer for it.

As far as a saw mill, one can spend $2500 to well over 100K. It all depends what you are looking for. My mill, is a Woodland 126 Was full manual, but I did modes to it. Had built a trailer, added some power wheel chair motors to pull the head set. I will be adding a power lift for the head unit. I paid $3500 for my mill new. Manual mills you have to have support equipment like a good size tractor. I have that along with a backhoe to move logs and flip them.

If I were to buy something and milling logs well over 32" and didn't have much support equipment, I would look at Woodmizer mills with full hydraulic systems.

Then again, it all depends what one is looking for and what one is planning on doing.

I saw for myself and what I have is more then enough.