Wood & Timber
Portable sawmilling, rough lumber production, tree care, species selection, and turning timber into high-quality boards for crafting and builds.
Home Sawmilling
Portable and mobile sawmilling has opened up home lumber production to anyone with access to timber. Whether you're milling logs from a tree that came down in a storm, processing timber from a woodlot, or sourcing logs specifically for a project, a portable bandsaw mill or chainsaw mill can turn what would otherwise be waste into beautiful, useful material.
This section is a growing resource for hobby sawyers — people who aren't running commercial operations, but who want to produce their own lumber for projects, builds, and crafting. No commercial sales pitch here. Just practical information from someone who appreciates working with real wood.
The most practical option for home sawyers. Models from Wood-Mizer, Norwood, and TimberKing range from entry-level manual mills to powered units capable of handling large logs. A basic LT15 or similar entry-level bandsaw mill lets you process most backyard trees.
Typical range: $3,000–$15,000+ for a new portable mill. Used mills frequently available from Craigslist and farm auctions for considerably less.
The most accessible entry point. An Alaskan mill attachment turns a standard chainsaw into a portable sawmill. Rough finish and slower than a bandsaw, but effective for slabs, beams, and one-off pieces when you just need to get into a log.
Entry cost: A quality Alaskan mill attachment runs $100–$300. Requires a larger bar chainsaw (18"+ recommended for most logs).
Traditional design, still the preferred choice for volume production. More maintenance than a bandsaw mill but faster throughput. Less common for small hobby operations due to cost and log-turning requirements.
Timber Selection
Not all trees mill equally. Some species produce gorgeous, workable lumber on a hobby mill. Others are challenging — interlocked grain, difficult drying, excessive checking. Here's a practical guide to common Ohio and Midwest trees and their sawmilling characteristics.
| Species | Hardness | Milling Ease | Best Uses | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Walnut | Hard | Moderate | Furniture, slabs, gun stocks, cabinets | Most valuable Ohio timber. Even small walnut logs worth milling. Air-dry slowly. |
| White Oak | Very hard | Moderate | Flooring, furniture, outdoor structures, barrels | Ray fleck makes quartersawn pieces exceptional. Heavy; needs time to dry. |
| Red Oak | Hard | Easy | Furniture, cabinets, flooring | Dries faster than white oak. Open grain requires sealing for outdoor use. |
| Hard Maple | Very hard | Moderate–difficult | Workbenches, floors, cutting boards, tool handles | Dense, heavy. Sharp blades essential. Figured maple (curl, bird's eye) valuable. |
| Black Cherry | Medium | Easy | Fine furniture, cabinets, turning | Darkens beautifully with age. One of the most pleasant woods to work. Cuts clean. |
| American Sycamore | Medium | Challenging | Slabs, live-edge tops, interior paneling | Interlocked grain makes flat cuts prone to warping. Stunning quartersawn figure. |
| Tulip Poplar | Soft–medium | Very easy | Framing, interior trim, utility lumber, painting projects | Fast-growing and abundant in Ohio. Ideal for beginners. Machines beautifully. |
| Eastern Red Cedar | Medium | Easy | Chests, closet lining, fence posts, rustic furniture | Aromatic. Naturally rot-resistant. Brittle — watch for checking when drying. |
| Osage Orange (Hedge Apple) | Very hard | Difficult | Tool handles, fence posts, bow wood, accent pieces | Extremely rot-resistant. Blunts blades quickly. Spectacular golden color. |
The Ohio silhouette and leaf in our logo reflect the company's roots in Ohio timber country — where the forests produce some of the finest hardwoods in North America, and where a downed walnut or cherry tree is never just firewood.
Processing
Lumber directly off the mill. Surface is saw-textured. Dimensions are full (a "2x4" is actually close to 2"×4", unlike dimensional lumber).
Surfaced 2 sides / 4 sides. Run rough lumber through a planer and jointer to achieve flat, smooth faces and edges. Required before final woodworking.
Lumber milled through the whole log, retaining the natural outer edge (bark or debarked natural profile). Highly prized for tables, mantels, and countertops.
Milled so growth rings run roughly perpendicular to the face. More stable, less prone to cupping, and often reveals stunning figure (ray fleck in oak, etc.).
The standard lumber measurement unit. 1 BF = 12"×12"×1". A 2"×6"×8' board = 8 board feet.
What to Do With It
Home-milled walnut, cherry, and oak slabs make stunning dining tables, benches, and floating shelves. The character of locally sourced wood — knots, grain patterns, figure — can't be replicated by commercial lumber.
Best species: Walnut, cherry, hard maple, white oak (quartersawn for ray fleck)
A home sawmill means you can build your shop from your own timber. Thick slabs of hard maple make exceptional workbench tops. Poplar and tulip work perfectly for shop cabinets and storage.
Best species: Hard maple (tops), poplar (cabinets), white oak (heavy-duty benches)
Home-milled timber can supply structural elements for outbuildings, sheds, barns, pole barns, and timber-frame additions. Check local building codes for structural use requirements.
Best species: White oak, eastern red cedar (rot-resistant for ground contact), tulip poplar (framing)
Short crotch pieces, burls, and figured blanks from your milling operations become bowl blanks, pen blanks, and turning stock. Pieces that would otherwise be burn pile material become art.
Best species: Cherry, walnut, maple (figured), sycamore (quartersawn), osage orange
Home-milled hardwood flooring — particularly quartersawn white oak — is among the most beautiful and durable flooring available. Requires more processing (tongue and groove, kiln drying) but the result is unmatched.
Best species: White oak, red oak, hard maple, walnut
Rot-resistant species are ideal for outdoor applications: raised garden beds, fencing, pergolas, outdoor furniture, and landscape timbers.
Best species: Osage orange (exceptional rot resistance), eastern red cedar, white oak
Growing Your Own Timber
Timber trees are a generational investment. Black walnut planted today will produce milling-quality timber in 40–60 years. But even shorter-rotation species like red oak (25–40 years) and tulip poplar (20–30 years) make sound investments for property that will stay in the family.
Planting considerations:
If you have existing woodland, Timber Stand Improvement focuses your forest's energy on the most valuable trees. Basic TSI practices:
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry offers free forest management plans for private landowners with 10+ acres of woodland. Your local SWCD office can connect you with cost-share programs for tree planting and TSI.