How to Turn Logs into Lumber with a Small Sawmill
This guide is a starting point. It walks you through the process from log to stack, with an eye toward what works for Great Plains preppers using entry-level mills like the Harbor Freight and Wood-Mizer style machines.
Before you begin
Watch these three videos first, posted by Bushradical - YouTube. I seriously believe he's one of the best YouTube instructors available. You will enjoy seeing these techniques in action! These three videos offer excellent walkthroughs of small sawmills, log handling, and real-world cutting technique:
Watch these three videos first, posted by Bushradical - YouTube. I seriously believe he's one of the best YouTube instructors available. You will enjoy seeing these techniques in action! These three videos offer excellent walkthroughs of small sawmills, log handling, and real-world cutting technique:
Safety Gear
- Safety glasses or face shield
- Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)
- Cut-resistant gloves
- Steel-toe boots with good traction
- Long pants and long-sleeve shirt (to shed chips and sawdust)
- Hard hat with integrated visor and muffs if working around heavy logs and machinery
Sawmill & Log Handling Tools
- Small bandsaw mill (manual entry-level mill is fine)
- Sharp bandsaw blades appropriate for your species (hard vs soft wood)
- Cant hook or peavey for rolling and positioning logs
- Log ramps and/or winch system to load logs onto the mill
- Log supports and log clamps (usually part of the mill)
- Shovel, stiff brush, and/or pressure washer to clean bark and dirt
- Handheld metal detector to check logs for nails, wire, and bullets
- Measuring tape, carpenter’s square, and lumber crayon or chalk line
Drying & Storage Gear
- Moisture meter (optional but very helpful)
- “Stickers” – dry, uniform strips of wood (3/4"–1" thick) for stacking between boards
- Flat foundation (cinder blocks, treated 4x4s, or a simple lumber rack)
- End-sealer (wax emulsion or even latex paint in a pinch) to seal board ends
- Ratchet straps or weights to keep stacks straight while drying
- Tarp or simple roof to shed rain and sun while leaving sides open to airflow
Step-by-Step Instructions
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Step 1: Choose and Buck Your Logs
Select sound logs with minimal rot and a fairly straight trunk. On the Plains, that might be cottonwood, ash, elm, silver maple, hackberry, hedge (Osage orange), or “yard trees” from town. Buck logs to practical lengths for your mill (often 8–12 feet) and your project. Trim off obvious rot and heavy sweep if possible.
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Step 2: Clean and Inspect Each Log
Roll the log where you can work safely. Brush off mud and gravel; if the log was dragged, pay extra attention to the bottom side. If needed, pressure-wash the bark and let it dry. Run a handheld metal detector over the entire log, especially around old branch stubs where someone might have hung a bird feeder or clothesline. Remove any nails or wire you find before you ever bring the log to the mill.
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Step 3: Set Up and Level the Mill
Place the mill on firm ground or a trailer that’s properly supported. Use a level to true the track both side-to-side and end-to-end. Check that all track joints are snug, and verify that the saw head (blade) is parallel to the track according to your mill’s manual. Confirm that the water or lube system is filled and dripping lightly onto the blade.
On mills that use a cable-and-pulley system with locking levers, be sure those locks clamp firmly once the head height is set. On mills that use a friction clutch to hold the head up, verify the clutch is adjusted correctly and not slipping when you bump or shake the head.
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Step 4: Load the Log and Set the Log Stops
Use ramps, a winch, tractor, or skid steer to roll the log onto the mill. Get the log roughly centered on the bunks. Raise your log stops and push the log firmly against them. Set stops slightly below your intended first cut line so the blade can never hit steel. Engage the log clamps so the log cannot roll or slide during cutting.
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Step 5: Plan the Cut Pattern
Decide what you want from the log: 1x boards, 2x framing stock, or thicker slabs. Mark a reference line along the log if needed. In general, you’ll:
- Take a thin “slab” cut to flatten one face.
- Rotate the log 90° and flatten a second face to create a cant (a squared-off log).
- Rotate again as needed and then slice boards from that squared cant.
A simple first-log plan: aim for a 6x6 or 8x8 cant in the center, then slice outer material into 1" or 2" boards.
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Step 6: Make the First Slab Cut
Raise the head so the blade just clears the highest point of the log, then come down to your target depth (for example, enough to remove bark and bumps). Lock the head in place. Start the engine, engage the blade, and walk the head slowly through the cut with both hands on the control bar. Watch the blade line, the log supports, and the clamps. When the cut is finished, disengage the blade and walk the head back.
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Step 7: Square the Log into a Cant
After removing the first slab, use your cant hook to roll the flat face down onto the bunks. Reset the log stops and clamps. Take another cut to flatten the second side. Repeat until you have two or four flat faces and a squared-up cant. This makes accurate, repeatable board cuts much easier and safer.
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Step 8: Saw Dimensional Boards
With the cant squared, lower the head to your board thickness plus a bit of extra (for drying shrinkage and planing). Many manual mills move 1/4" per crank; for example, four cranks for a 1" board, six cranks for 1-1/2". Double-check with your own mill’s scale. Saw off boards in sequence, stacking them neatly as you go. If you’re cutting for framing lumber, keep your boards slightly over-thickness so they can be planed or jointed later.
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Step 9: Seal, Stack, and Sticker
As boards come off the mill, brush off wet sawdust and quickly seal the end grain with paint or end-sealer to reduce checking. Build a flat base off the ground using blocks and treated 4x4s. Lay a row of boards, then a row of stickers spaced about 16"–24" apart. Keep stickers lined up vertically for the whole stack. Continue board–sticker–board until the stack is done, then strap or weight the top to keep boards from cupping.
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Step 10: Air-Dry the Lumber
Cover the stack with a simple roof or tarp that sheds rain and blocks direct sun while leaving the sides open for airflow. In many Great Plains conditions, 1" boards need several months to reach outdoor-use moisture levels and longer to reach indoor-use levels, depending on humidity and season. A moisture meter helps you know when boards are ready: roughly 12–20% for outdoor projects and about 6–8% for indoor work. When the lumber is dry and stable, move it to sheltered storage and it’s ready for your next build.
Great Plains Adjustments
Working with “Non-Premium” Species
The Plains don’t always offer tall, straight oak and maple. Instead, you may have cottonwood, elm, willow, boxelder, hedge, and ornamental yard trees. Don’t discount them:
- Cottonwood & soft maples – Good for sheds, formwork, jigs, and projects where appearance matters less than function.
- Elm & ash – Can produce beautiful, strong boards; follow local rules about moving barked logs to avoid spreading pests and diseases.
- Hedge (Osage orange) – Extremely hard and rot-resistant. Great for fence posts, tool handles, and outdoor structures, but tough on blades. Use sharp, aggressive blades and expect slower feed rates.
A special note: Hedge is legendary for its hardness and rot-resistance, but it almost never grows straight. Old fence-row trees twist, lean, and fork every which way. Don’t expect long, straight 8–12 foot boards the way you would from ash or maple. Instead, think in terms of short, incredibly durable pieces—perfect for tool handles, outdoor trim, short decking, fence parts, wedges, mallets, and any project where strength matters more than length. When you do find a straight section, treat it like gold.
You may find hedge trees to be best used as whole branches for a fence post, rather than cutting it to lumber.
Dry, Windy Climate
Great Plains wind and low humidity can dry boards fast—sometimes too fast. To avoid severe checking:
- Always seal board ends the same day you mill.
- Stack lumber where it’s shaded from afternoon sun, such as north side of a barn or under a simple lean-to roof.
- Use straps on the top of the stack to keep boards flat in gusty conditions.
Urban & Shelterbelt Logs
Many logs come from town trees, windbreaks, and shelterbelts. These often hide nails, fence wire, and bullets. Make a thorough metal-detecting pass part of your regular routine, and be prepared to sacrifice a blade now and then as the cost of “free” logs.
Troubleshooting & Common Mistakes
Wavy Cuts or “Dips” in Boards
- Likely causes: Dull blade, feed rate too fast, or head slipping on its height mechanism.
- Fix it: Replace or sharpen the blade, slow down the feed, verify that the head locks (or clutch) are tight before each cut, and check blade tension.
Blade Diving into the Log
- Likely causes: Blade tension too low, hitting a knot too aggressively, or the head dropping on mills that rely on friction clutches.
- Fix it: Re-tension the blade, make slower passes through knots, and review your mill’s adjustment procedure for the height control system.
Blade Dulls Quickly
- Likely causes: Dirt and sand on bark, embedded metal, or very abrasive species like hedge and locust.
- Fix it: Clean logs more thoroughly, use a metal detector, and reserve your best blades for clean logs.
Boards Twist, Cup, or Check While Drying
- Likely causes: Stickers not aligned, stack exposed to direct sun and wind, or ends left unsealed.
- Fix it: Realign stickers vertically, add shade and top cover, seal ends, and strap the stack tightly.
Log Moves During the Cut
- Likely causes: Clamps not tight enough, log stops set too low, or working on an out-of-round log without enough support.
- Fix it: Re-set clamps firmly into the log, make sure stops are tight, and consider taking thinner first passes to flatten the log before going for full-thickness boards.
Quick Reference: Log to Lumber
- Basic sequence: Clean & scan log → load & clamp → flatten one face → square into cant → slice boards → seal ends → stack & sticker → air-dry.
- Common board thicknesses: 1" (nominal “4/4”) for boards; 1-1/2" for framing; 2" or more for slabs and beams.
- Drying targets: ~12–20% moisture for outdoor projects; ~6–8% for indoor use.
- Stacking rule of thumb: Stickers every 16"–24", stacks off the ground, shaded top, open sides.
- Blade care: Clean logs, use water lube, change blades at the first sign of wandering cuts.
- Prepper payoff: Turn storm-damaged trees into real building material for fences, sheds, cabins, and barter lumber.
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