When it comes to using a portable bandsaw mill the question should be not “What can you cut?” but rather “What can’t you cut?”, as you’ll clearly see from some of the photos below. In fact, some of the best and most interesting lumber will come from perhaps the unlikeliest of sources, from hedgewood or 100 year-old macrocarpa trees to spalted persimmon and nail-ridden walnut logs (though you may want an extra bandsaw blade or two for the latter). Many sawyers make a fine profit from reclaiming wood thought otherwise useless. And as you saw through some of this wood, you find yourself drawn in by the unique patterns and grains, which tell the stories of cold harsh winters or dry hot summers endured by these trees creating their own specific character. Beautiful pieces of wood in turn become wonderful pieces of furniture, practical buildings or other useful objects.
We welcome you to share some of your own unique lumber cuts or wood creations and any stories, which may go along with them.
Great to see some of the other projects and unusual wood others are cutting. Track extensions for long beams and trailer flooring are on my short list.