United States Department of Agriculture

Forest 

Service

General Technical 

Report NRS-130

Northern 

Research Station March 2014

Sawing Methods for Improving 

Lumber Yield Recovery of 

Out-of-Shape Hardwood Saw Logs

Neal Bennett
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Manuscript received for publication 01 October 2013

Abstract

Not every saw log is straight and cylindrical in shape. In fact, logs are commonly 

out-of-round, tapered, or crooked, and often a combination of these shapes. Sawmill 

operators employ every means to recover as much yield as possible from each log. Yield 

recovery can be the difference between a profi table and a nonprofi table log. There are 

opportunities for improving yield in out-of-shape hardwood saw logs while still maintaining 

lumber quality.

Cover Photo

Crooked, tapered butt log. Photo by Neal Bennett, U.S. Forest Service.
1

INTRODUCTION

Not every saw log is straight and cylindrical in shape. In fact, logs are commonly 

out-of-round, tapered, or crooked, and often a combination of these shapes. Log 

buyers have scaling and grading rules in place to avoid paying for yield losses from 

out-of-shape logs, but sawmill operators employ every means to recover as much 

yield from each log as possible. Th us, free lumber can be extracted if the sawyer 

develops a sawing plan for each log that minimizes the potential yield loss that 

frequently results when sawing out-of-shape logs. Th is extra board footage can be 

the diff erence between a profi table and a nonprofi table log. If you are a sawmill 

operator, it is critical you know the economic value of your logs when converted 

into lumber or other end products, as well as the cost of buying logs and sawing 

logs into lumber.

It must be stressed that lumber yield from a log is secondary to lumber quality. 

Each log placed on the sawmill deck must be evaluated and sawn to produce the 

most valuable end products possible. Th is process starts by determining the best 

opening face (BOF) which refers to the fi rst face sawn that will result in the best 

overall sawing of the log. As a general rule when using BOF sawing techniques, 

keep as many defects as possible on the “corners” between the cutting faces. Th ese 

defects will end up on the edges of the boards and can be ripped out with the 

edger if they are going to reduce the board grade.

Most logs sawn with a portable sawmill are not debarked. Aside from the added 

wear on saw blades, the presence of bark does provide a great advantage in 

that the sawyer is able to see most of a log’s defects and judge how deeply they 

penetrate into the log. Opinions vary among sawyers whether to start with the 

worst face or the best face because once the fi rst face is cut, the other three faces 

are locked in. Th e reason for cutting the worst face fi rst is so the face can be used 

as a bearing surface to ensure good, accurate cut boards on the other faces. Th e 

reason for cutting the best face fi rst is so this face will be properly aligned and will 

not get messed up when the fi rst cut is made.

NEAL BENNETT is a general 

engineer with the U.S Forest 

Service, Northern Research 

Station, 241 Mercer Springs 

Road, Princeton, WV 24740.
2

OUT-OF-ROUND LOGS

Out-of-round logs can have many causes. A tree that grows on a hillside will produce extra 

wood on the downhill side to support the tree. Wounds, seams, and limb growth on trees can 

also cause out-of-round logs. Finally, some species of trees tend to be more out-of-round than 

others. An out-of-round log does not necessarily result in yield loss (Rappold et al. 2007). Th e 

worst case is a log that has a substantially diff erent shape on one end than the other. Otherwise, 

most of the board footage can be recovered using smart sawing techniques. Figure 1a illustrates 

a round log end with a diameter of 18 inches. Figure 1b illustrates an out-of-round log end 

with an average diameter of 18 inches. Both fi gures have approximately the same calculated 

area. If one assumes these fi gures are the small end of a 12-foot-long log and boards are sawn in 

the sawing pattern as shown, the lumber yield would be approximately 199 board feet for each 

log shape. Figure 1c illustrates a log end with the major diameter on one end turned 90 degrees 

from the major diameter of the other end. Th is log also has an average diameter of 18 inches 

but would yield only 170 board feet of lumber. Th e log represented in Figure 1c can produce a 

greater yield if some short jacket boards (less than 8 feet long) are acceptable. All three examples 

produce more lumber than the Doyle scale prediction of 147 board feet.

If a wound is substantial enough to aff ect the shape of a log, one can assume that it is old and 

penetrates deep within the log. Decay and mineral stain are likely present in the wound area 

and can further reduce the log’s value. To minimize the loss of board grade, straight seams 

and smaller wounds can be placed at the corners between cutting faces (Fig. 2). However, if 

wounds are large or a seam tends to twist around the log as is common in species such as sugar 

Figure 1.— Sawing patterns for different log shapes, each with an average diameter of 18 inches: 

a) small end of round log; b) small end of out-of-round log; and c) an out-of-round log with the 

major diameter on one end turned 90 degrees from the major diameter on the opposite end. 

ab c

Figure 2.— Log with seam diagram.
3

maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), this remedy will not work as well. In this case it is best to try 

to contain the seam or wound in one face, which will generally be the poorest face. Other log 

defects should be dealt with using a similar strategy. If a log is of such low quality that neither 

strategy is possible, consider whether there is any money to be made sawing that low quality 

log. When sawing costs are considered, a poor quality log may cost more to saw than the value 

of the resulting lumber. In this case, the log is best sent to the fi rewood pile.

TAPERED LOGS

A tapered log, usually a butt log, decreases in diameter from one end to the other. When a 

tapered log is cut into lumber, there generally is a yield loss at the large end, and the lumber 

lost is often the clearest wood on the log. Methods for improving yield in tapered logs include 

crosscutting logs into shorter segments and accepting shorter lumber, tapered sawing, and live 

sawing. Tapered sawing is the practice of adjusting the small end of a log on the sawmill deck 

until the outside of the log is in the same plane as the saw blade (Fig. 3). Normal placement of 

a tapered log on the sawmill deck without adjusting the taper will result in the fi rst slab being 

wedge shaped and possibly losing some quality boards on the thick end of the slab. Tapered 

sawing results in a wedge shaped (tapered) center cant where the lumber is usually of lower 

quality anyway. All four faces can be taper sawn. If the leftover cant is saleable, the cant faces 

are straightened last. Successful tapered sawing requires additional care to the point of using a 

level to make adjustments to a log or cant face when it is turned to the saw blade. Of course, 

additional care equates to slightly longer sawing times.

Figure 3.— Toe board leveling log parallel to the saw blade. 

Photo by Neal Bennett, U.S. Forest Service.
4

Live sawing is when boards are sawn straight through the log resulting in most of the boards 

being in a single plane (Fig. 4). Live sawing a log is fast and easy but may not produce a grain 

pattern that is desirable to the end user. Additionally, live sawn boards are more diffi cult to dry 

without cupping because most boards contain both edge and fl at grain wood (Fig. 5).

Figure 4.— Log being live sawn. Photo by Neal Bennett, U.S. Forest Service.

Figure 5.— Live sawn board showing varied grain pattern. Photo by Neal Bennett, U.S. 

Forest Service.
5

Maximizing yield at the sawmill does not mean all the yield gains will last past the edger. 

Tapered and live sawing produce some wedge shaped boards that are wider on one end than the 

other (Fig. 6). Misshaped boards straightened at the edger will result in board footage losses of 

as much as 20 percent.

CROOKED LOGS

Sawing crooked logs (Fig. 7) is always challenging. If crosscutting into two shorter, straighter 

logs is not an acceptable solution, one can suff er signifi cant loss in board footage. Clamping 

a crooked log securely on the sawmill bed must be given fi rst consideration. On a portable 

sawmill, there may only be one way to position a crooked log so that it can be safely clamped 

to the sawmill bed for the opening cut. Past recommendations (Malcolm 2000) have suggested 

cutting the belly of the crooked log fi rst, but on a portable sawmill that utilizes a horizontal 

running blade, securely clamping a log in this position can be very diffi cult. After a slab or 

boards are removed from the fi rst face and the log has a fl at bearing surface, the log can be 

turned 90 or 180 degrees to cut the second face. Getting a square cant from a crooked log is 

time consuming, and unless the log has a large diameter, there is usually not much quality 

lumber left to grade saw. Live sawing a crooked log as much as possible will speed up the sawing 

process somewhat but will again produce crooked boards (Fig. 8), and board footage losses will 

occur at the edger instead of at the sawmill if the boards are not crosscut fi rst.

Cutting short boards can be a solution to achieving greater yield from a crooked saw log. 

National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) lumber grading rules allow boards as short 

as 8 feet in length for FAS grade, 6 feet in length for Selects grade, and 4 feet in length for 

Common grades. A downside of this solution is that large volume end users such as furniture 

Figure 6.— Wedge shaped boards from taper sawn log. Photo by Neal Bennett, U.S. 

Forest Service. 
6

Figure 7.— Crooked butt log. Photo by Neal Bennett, U.S. Forest Service.

Figure 8.— Crooked board face from crooked live sawn log. Photo by Neal Bennett, U.S. 

Forest Service.

plants greatly dislike boards that are less than 8 feet in length. Short lumber does not feed 

well on a furniture plant’s traditional chain driven conveying system. Often these chain drive 

systems are spaced at 4-foot intervals, and if a board is not supported by at least three chains, it 

will fall through and jam the system. Smaller scale users (home craftsmen, small-to-medium size 
7

custom furniture operations), however, are often quite happy with short lumber and see many 

positive aspects: 

• Short boards reduce losses at the edger. 

• Short boards are less cumbersome to handle and maneuver in a workshop. 

• Short boards that are only 4 feet long fi ll about 80 percent of part length requirements 

of most cutting bills (Aramen et al. 1982). 

• Processing short boards in the shop can result in less leftover material that tends to be 

stored for later use. 

• Green short boards can be stacked end to end with a mixture of longer boards to make 

up stack lengths necessary for placement in a dry kiln. 

A negative aspect to crosscutting a log is that two short logs take longer to saw than one long 

log, but the diff erence in yield and value may make this worthwhile. Using the U.S. Forest 

Service sawmill simulation program RAYSAW (Th omas 2013), a 16-foot-long Grade 3 log 

with 5 inches of sweep was cross cut into two 8-foot-long logs. Th e original 16-foot log yielded 

48.07 board feet of lumber at a value of $26.39. Th e two 8-foot logs provided a combined 

yield of 54.15 board feet of lumber at a value of $37.79. Th e 13 percent increase in lumber 

yield was due to reduced edging waste on the shorter boards because the crook was reduced. 

Both short logs were still Grade 3, but most of the defects were on one log and thus provided 

better grade lumber that resulted in a 43 percent improvement in lumber value. NHLA grades 

for the lumber from these log sawing simulations were obtained from UGRS, another Forest 

Service software program (Moody et al. 1998), and lumber values were obtained from a recent 

Hardwood Market Report (2013). More extensive research in improving yield and value in 

saw logs using these computer programs is being planned. Consideration should be given as to 

whether it is more effi cient to crosscut a log or crosscut the boards after sawing. Th is decision 

will be infl uenced by the equipment present at the sawmill operation.

NATIONAL HARDWOOD LUMBER ASSOCIATION LUMBER 

GRADING RULES

A sawmill operator selling lumber based on NHLA rules must have a good knowledge of the 

lumber grading rules (NHLA 2011). Th is includes the person performing the edging operation. 

Boards must be 6 inches wide green to grade out FAS. Care must be taken not to reduce a 

face that may produce FAS boards to less than 6 inches in width while removing a lower grade 

board from a perpendicular face. Removing the proper amount of wane from the board edge is 

also important, and you do not want to crosscut a quality log that may produce FAS lumber to 

lengths less than 8 feet. Th ese guidelines should be adhered to whether the logs are out-of-shape 

or not.

A portable sawmill operator producing lumber that is not being sold as NHLA grade or is for 

personal use can disregard the NHLA lumber grade rules and produce board sizes desirable for 

their intended end use. When making furniture from long, wide boards, the fi rst step is usually 

to chop the board into needed lengths and rip to narrow widths. Commonly, narrow strips are 

ripped out of wide boards then edge glued back together to make a furniture part. Th ese edge 
8

glued panels are considered more stable and more aesthetically pleasing than wide boards. Edge 

glued panels also provide more visual consistency within a suite of furniture that must match 

each other. If this practice is going to be the end result, you don’t need long wide boards to start 

with.

SUMMARY

Th ere are opportunities for improving yield in out-of-shape hardwood saw logs. Good 

decisionmaking is important. To maximize the yield and economic value of the end products, 

have a plan before the log is opened up. Th ere are more critical decisions to be made on the 

outside of a log than the inside, because that is where most of the clear wood is located. Finally, 

maximizing yield has to be in balance with sawing times, and thus sawing costs.

LITERATURE CITED

Araman, P.A.; Gatchell, C.J.; Reynolds, H.W. 1982. Meeting the solid wood needs of 

the furniture and cabinet industries: standard-size hardwood blanks. Res. Pap. NE494. Broomall PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest 

Experiment Station. 27 p.

Hardwood Market Report. 2013. Comparative lumber prices. Volume XCL(21). 16 p. 

Malcolm, F.B. 2000. A simplifi ed procedure for developing grade lumber from hardwood 

logs. Res. Note FPL-RN-098. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 13 p.

Moody, J.; Gatchell, C.J.; Walker, E.S.; Klinkhachorn, P. 1998. User’s guide to UGRS: the 

ultimate grading and remanufacturing system. Version 5.0. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-254. 

Radnor PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station. 

40 p.

National Hardwood Lumber Association. 2011. Rules for the measurement and inspection of 

hardwood and cypress. v 1.1. Memphis, TN. 101 p.

Rappold, P.M.; Bond, Brian H.; Wiedenbeck, J.K.; Ese-Etame, R. 2007. Impact of elliptical 

shaped red oak logs on lumber grade and volume recovery. Forest Products Journal. 

57(6): 70-73.

Th omas, R.E. 2013.  RAYSAW: a log sawing simulator for 3D laser-scanned hardwood 

logs. In: Miller, G.W.; Schuler, T.M.; Gottschalk, K.W.; Brooks, J.R.; Gruschecky, S.T.; 

Spong, B.D.; Rentch, J.S., eds. Proceedings, 18th central hardwood forest conference. Gen. 

Tech. Rep. NRS-P-117. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, Northern Research Station: 325-334.
Printed on Recycled Paper

Bennett, Neal. 2014. Sawing methods for improving lumber yield recovery of 

out-of-shape hardwood saw logs. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-130. Newtown Square, 

PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 

8 p.

Not every saw log is straight and cylindrical in shape. In fact, logs are commonly 

out-of-round, tapered, or crooked, and often a combination of these shapes. Sawmill 

operators employ every means to recover as much yield as possible from each log. 

Yield recovery can be the difference between a profi table and a nonprofi table log. 

There are opportunities for improving yield in out-of-shape hardwood saw logs while 

still maintaining lumber quality.

KEY WORDS: Sawing methods, hardwood, logs

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