Felled trees are turned into logs through bucking, then transported to a sawmill to be processed into lumber. Logs are sorted, graded, and debarked before being cut into planks. The planks are then edged, trimmed, graded again, and dried before being sold as lumber.
Felled trees are turned into logs at the same point they are felled, then saws are used to cut the logs into usable sections. The process of cutting felled trees into logs is known as bucking. After the kickback has been completed, the logs are hauled to a central location called the landing. From there they are transported to a sawmill to process the logs into lumber. Sometimes, when a property owner wants to use their trees for lumber, they buy or rent a portable sawmill to process the logs into lumber at the same place they are felled.
The logs are sorted by species and graded by quality before being cut into lumber. A log scaler identifies tree species, measures logs, and identifies any defects, such as rot, that need to be removed. The purpose of scaling is to determine the type and price of wood. Scaling can take place in the same premises as the sawmill or in another location before being transported to the sawmill. The logs are usually transported to the sawmill by rail or truck, or floated on a stream.
After the logs have been sorted, graded and priced, the logs are commonly sent through a debarking machine to remove the bark. The log is turned inside the debarking machine while the saws remove the bark. After debarking, the logs are typically loaded onto a dolly, a platform that moves the logs to the saw.
In an industrial sawmill, the reciprocating saw is usually a circular saw, while most portable sawmills use a band saw. Each time the dolly moves the logs past the face saw, the saw cuts a section of the log to a predetermined width until the log has been turned into a stack of rough planks. During the next step of turning the logs into lumber, the rough planks are sorted. Any bad boards are usually fed into a chipper, while the appropriate boards for the lumber are run through a grinder.
An edger cuts rough edges to create straight sides in each board. After the edging process is complete, the ends of each plank are trimmed to the desired length. The finished boards are graded again and are therefore ready for the final stage of the process of turning logs into lumber: drying. The boards are dried in the open air or in heated rooms. When the moisture level in the boards drops to around 15%, the boards are suitable for use in various construction projects and can be sold as lumber.
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