# Tree Trunk for Pen blanks



## clark77494 (Feb 19, 2012)

One of my wife's co-workers gave me a pecan log 12" in diameter and 24" long. I have a radial saw with a depth of 3.5". A  jig saw, and a band saw with a 7” blade. (not sure I could get a 100 Pound log into the band saw. Short of renting a Chain saw is there anyway to cut it?  Also which way should I cut it to make pen blanks?
 
Kent


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## firewhatfire (Feb 19, 2012)

gotta ax?


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## MarkD (Feb 19, 2012)

Do you have a sawzall?


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## razor524 (Feb 19, 2012)

Hand saw?


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## clark77494 (Feb 19, 2012)

MarkD said:


> Do you have a sawzall?


 
I guess I could purchase a handsaw, cut 7" in depth with the table saw and cut 5" in depth with the handsaw. How big is the blade on a sawzall? 

Kent


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## MarkD (Feb 19, 2012)

clark77494 said:


> MarkD said:
> 
> 
> > Do you have a sawzall?
> ...


I believe you can get 12" blades for sazall.


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## navycop (Feb 19, 2012)

Sawzall has a blade like a handsaw-but the tool does all the work.


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## clark77494 (Feb 19, 2012)

navycop said:


> Sawzall has a blade like a handsaw-but the tool does all the work.


 
The Sawzall is $80, a chainsaw rental is $31 for 4 hours, and a hand saw is $20. Guess some elbow grease is going to be required. Any insite on how I should cut the log for pen blanks?

Kent


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## SDB777 (Feb 19, 2012)

If you were closer, I'd fire up the Stihl 064 with 36" ripping set-up and give ya two chunks of wood you could work with!  It'd take all of 1 minute, and half that time would be getting the old girl started

Got a neighbor with a chainsaw?



Scott


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## clark77494 (Feb 19, 2012)

SDB777 said:


> If you were closer, I'd fire up the Stihl 064 with 36" ripping set-up and give ya two chunks of wood you could work with! It'd take all of 1 minute, and half that time would be getting the old girl started
> 
> Got a neighbor with a chainsaw?
> 
> ...


 
I live in a white collar neighborhood, folks come by to ask me for advice about woodworking. I guess the next time the lawn crew comes by I can ask them to borrow the chain saw.


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## navycop (Feb 19, 2012)

What if you got a wedge and split it in two. Then divided that in to 2 and so on? Might be easier to bandsaw in smaller sections.


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## clark77494 (Feb 19, 2012)

razor524 said:


> Hand saw?


 
Handsaw it is! I guess I can cut a 3.5" circle with the table saw and that will leave me with 5" left. Should I cut them into 3 1/2" slices and then cut them in 3/4" X 5" Blanks? Or should I cut them into 5" slices and cut them into blanks that way?

Kent


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## ironman123 (Feb 19, 2012)

I used my axe.  I split my log (18+ inches long and 9-10 inch diameter) with the axe, wedge and 8 pound shedgehammer.  Then to the bandsaw.

Ray


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## clark77494 (Feb 19, 2012)

navycop said:


> What if you got a wedge and split it in two. Then divided that in to 2 and so on? Might be easier to bandsaw in smaller sections.


 
Whatever is going to be cheaper. since I don't have any of those type of tools I will have to purchase them. Not sure how to cut the blanks. Does it matter? I don't want the blanks blowing up on me.

Kent


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## navycop (Feb 19, 2012)

You might want to cut them into 5" chuncks. The kits take different size (diameter) blanks. You will be limited what kits you can use if you cut it all 3/4".


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## OldGrumpy (Feb 19, 2012)

Find someone in you area who cuts firewood. Make a deal - their cutting your tree for a few pens


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## clark77494 (Feb 19, 2012)

navycop said:


> You might want to cut them into 5" chuncks. The kits take different size (diameter) blanks. You will be limited what kits you can use if you cut it all 3/4".


 
3/4" on dia. and 5" long. I wanted to know if it makes a difference to cut with the grain or against the grain? Should I make the logs in 5" slices and cut them in 3/4 strips from there? 

This is the first time a person gave me a log (3 to be exact). Most of the time people give me old Cedar boards 3/4 inches thick.

Kent


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## clark77494 (Feb 19, 2012)

OldGrumpy said:


> Find someone in you area who cuts firewood. Make a deal - their cutting your tree for a few pens


 
That will work.


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## anectine (Feb 22, 2012)

Your safest way would be to split it into sectons you can handle on the band saw.  If it already has cracks in the end, cut a hardwood (oak) wedge on the band saw and drive it nto the crack and split it, providing you do not have an axe or spliting maul.  Then you can take those sections to the bandsaw and have at it!


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## tseger (Feb 22, 2012)

clark77494 said:


> navycop said:
> 
> 
> > What if you got a wedge and split it in two. Then divided that in to 2 and so on? Might be easier to bandsaw in smaller sections.
> ...



Kent, The safest way to cut the blanks to prevent them blowing out on you, is with the grain running the length of the blank. Crosscutting them makes for a more interesting blank, but at a slightly higher danger of blowing out the blank. I would suggest you cut some both ways and see the difference in the two. Hope this helps.    Tim


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## Daniel (Feb 22, 2012)

I would split the log down the center and make it much more workable. as for how to cut it after that. The log will tell you that as you go to some degree. Otherwise just get as large of pieces as you can and then cut them later to suit projects. You will have to look at the grain as it is revealed to make your decision concerning each cut.


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## greggas (Feb 22, 2012)

If you have a wood splitting awl ( or even a large axe and sledge) you could split the log into quarters then cut it up using your band saw....this is what I used to do prior to my 18" bandsaw

Another idea with a log that large would be to take one or two of the quarters and stand them on end out side for a year or so to induce spalting.


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## randyrls (Feb 22, 2012)

clark77494 said:


> razor524 said:
> 
> 
> > Hand saw?
> ...



Cut them at least 1" but 1-3/4" is better and at least 8" long.  Fruit and nut trees are notorious for warping / twisting / cracking.  Seal the ends with latex paint, and let they dry for a while.


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## Akula (Feb 22, 2012)

Dude, your in Texas...someone near you has a chain saw.  If you can not find anyone..buy a electric chainsaw for around $30.  Won't last forever but sure make quick easy work of this log.  There is (or was) a Katy Wood workers group that met at Cinco Ranch Library, just google them.


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## Phillyjer (Feb 22, 2012)

I got a really cheap reciprocating saw from Harbor Freight for about $20.


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## Justturnin (Feb 22, 2012)

I would leave that log in tact and find a nice shady spots and an Oak w/ some mushrooms. Rub the shrooms on the Pecan log and place in the shady spot. If you can, cover it with leaves. Let it site for 6 months to a year and let that bad boy spalt. Pecan is fairly unassuming wood as a pen goes but spalted pecan looks great. When your ready, now or then, and if your up for a drive you can come on up here (Spring area) and we can break it down on my bandsaw and I have a Chinsaw too if that is needed.


Edit:
As for cutting it, like others have said, X-Cut will give more character, IMO, than straight grain but is prone to blow outs so your tools must be true.  If your intention is to cut the entire log into blanks I would do Straight, X-Cut & Bias (angle) cuts since you have plenty to go around.


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## lukcon (Feb 22, 2012)

I use a bow saw from Menards 8.00$ and use to prune tree branches here at home.


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## JMCU (Feb 22, 2012)

Everyone that does wood working needs a splitting maul and a couple of wedges.  The Pecan is similar to Hickory in that it will tend to be stringy but can be split assuming there are no large limbs or grain turning manifestations in your section of wood.  The first thing to do in splitting is to look for the longest center crack in the end of the log.  This is the most vulnerable plane through the log.  Place the wedge at the edge of the crack and drive it in about 25 to 50 percent until you see the crack becoming wider.  Then turn the log around and use your maul or another wedge to split the crack all the way across and through the log.  This sets up the quarter sawn pattern for the billets and relieves the internal pressure on the log.  Next to make the halves even more manageable you can split them into quarters.  You may at this point use a hatchet or chisel to remove some of the loose pieces left on the cut sides. From here you can begin to use your power saws to square up the wedges or store them for later use after they have dried.   The radial arm saw would be the quickest but you need to be aware that ripping on a rough edge can result in binding and will knock the set out of your saw blade.  The band saw could handle the cuts but would be very slow unless you happened to have one of the ripping bands for it.  A 7.25” circular power saw would be the best choice for establishing the rip edge although you didn’t mention having one.  The down side of getting someone to use a chain saw is they aren’t designed for ripping and will be pretty slow even for a knowledgeable sawyer and they will take out a minimum of 3/16” per cut if it goes through on a straight line.


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## jd99 (Feb 22, 2012)

I have an easy way, send me the log. :biggrin:


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## wolftat (Feb 22, 2012)

There are a ton of larger bandsaws in TX, just find someone that has one and give them a slab of the log for slicing it.


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## wouldentu2? (Feb 22, 2012)

Dynamite?


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## Goofy (Feb 22, 2012)

*split it*

Find someone who burns firewood.  He will have a splitting maul or go to  fire wood dealer and ask hme to split it into workable chunks.  Trade for a couple of pens.(While you're there look around for a burl)
Once you get it split, you will to set up a jig to cut a straight edge, maybe on the band saw. Onc you got  a straight edge you should be able to rip wha you need


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## louisbry (Feb 25, 2012)

Justturnin said:


> I would leave that log in tact and find a nice shady spots and an Oak w/ some mushrooms. Rub the shrooms on the Pecan log and place in the shady spot. If you can, cover it with leaves. Let it site for 6 months to a year and let that bad boy spalt. Pecan is fairly unassuming wood as a pen goes but spalted pecan looks great. When your ready, now or then, and if your up for a drive you can come on up here (Spring area) and we can break it down on my bandsaw and I have a Chinsaw too if that is needed.
> 
> 
> Edit:
> As for cutting it, like others have said, X-Cut will give more character, IMO, than straight grain but is prone to blow outs so your tools must be true. If your intention is to cut the entire log into blanks I would do Straight, X-Cut & Bias (angle) cuts since you have plenty to go around.


 

This what I would do.  Unspalted pecan is pretty plain and hard as a rock if you don't have the proper tools.


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