Logs to Lumber – An aerial journey through the sawmill

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Logs to Lumber – An aerial journey through the sawmill

Lumber is produced from logs through a process called sawmilling. Here is an overview of the steps involved in the production of lumber from logs:

Log preparation: The logs are first inspected and sorted according to their species, size, and quality. They may be debarked and trimmed to remove any defects or irregularities.
Sawing: The logs are then cut into rough boards using a sawmill, which consists of a large circular saw or band saw mounted on a frame. The sawmill operator determines the size and thickness of the boards based on the desired end product and the characteristics of the log.
Drying: After sawing, the rough boards are dried to reduce the moisture content. This can be done using a kiln, which uses heat and airflow to dry the wood, or by air-drying the boards outdoors.
Planing: Once the rough boards are dry, they are passed through a planer, which smooths and sizes the boards to the desired dimensions.
Grading: The finished boards are then graded according to their quality and appearance, with higher grades being used for applications where the appearance of the wood is important, such as in furniture or cabinetry.

Overall, the production of lumber from logs involves several steps, including sawing, drying, planing, and grading. These steps are designed to produce high-quality lumber that is suitable for a variety of applications.

Quotes about Lumber and Wood

“A newspaper is lumber made malleable. It is ink made into words and pictures. It is conceived, born, grows up and dies of old age in a day.” ~Jim Bishop
“Trees exhale for us so that we can inhale them to stay alive. Can we ever forget that? Let us love trees with every breath we take until we perish.” ~Munia Khan
“Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.” ~George Washington Carver
“Wood is universally beautiful to man. It is the most humanly intimate of all materials.” ~Frank Lloyd Wright
“The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all, our most pleasing responsibility.” ~Wendell Berry
“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” ~Martin Luther
“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
“He that plants trees loves others besides himself.” ~Thomas Fuller
“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” ~Warren Buffett
“Look at the bark of a redwood, and you see moss. If you peer beneath the bits and pieces of the moss, you’ll see toads, small insects, a whole host of life that prospers in that miniature environment. A lumberman will look at a forest and see so many board feet of lumber. I see a living city.” ~Sylvia Earle