Ripping lumber by hand
As I think I've mentioned before, one of my de facto hobbies is apparently ripping logs into lumber by hand. Sawing the log by hand isn't the aim -- it's just the way to get interesting slabs of wood. The logs aren't large enough to pay a portable sawmill person to come over, but the logs are too large a diameter for anything short of an industrial-sized bandsaw. So, I do it by hand.
The photo to the left shows my set-up -- although I've since replaced the wood-holding device with something beefier.
Notice the saw ("That's not a saw. This is a saw.") It's a one-person crosscut saw, which I've re-filed to be a rip saw. Here's a size comparison with a "regular" rip saw -- which is itself a few inches longer than a "typical" handsaw.
The "smaller" saw, by the way, is my favorite saw. And that's probably a sign of woodworking geekery: having a "favorite" saw. ;)
I'm certain you want to see some YouTube footage of me sawing a log. So, here's some of me sawing left-handed -- and one or me sawing right-handed. I switch arms just to stave off the monotony: with a sharp saw it's not particularly hard work -- but unless you're feeling "zen", it can get a little tedious. (When you are feeling "zen", it's meditative.)
And again, it's not about the sawing: it's about the wood that's generated. Here's an example of "before":
And here's the "after":
Purty nice, eh? Custom cut, and some sentimental value as well (comes from my brother-in-law's backyard). IIRC, I rubbed some oil on it to make the grain stand out.
And, here's a closer look:
Dunno what I'll make from this: maybe a jewelry box? First thing, though, I need to store it away and let it dry out for a year or two, to stabilize.
--GG
Labels: lumber, tools, woodworking
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