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I read and looked at pictures of harvesting spruce tops. Shane has quite a set up. Has anyone done anything similar with back and side woods. I am interested in building with black locust but haven't had much luck locating any suitable material. I have a resaw bladesaw and am tempted to get a log and split it into billets and go from there. I know I need a blade that will cut green wood. Anyone ever try this? Thanks Bill The Greenman

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I think it's more common to saw hardwoods into planks, dry, and then resaw into sets. I've never had much luck keeping thin green wood flat and straight as it dries, though if you had some very straight grained stock it might work OK.

Cheers
John

There is more to this than you may realize. A log to be suitable for luthiery is going to be a lot larger than what your resaw will handle.. I live in PA and I am among a number of sawmills. I have the mill call me when something suitable comes in. Think of it this way . A back needs to be about 8 inches wide. Till you take out the 4 to 6 inch center and the 3 inches of sap wood , that is now 8+3 plus another 3 . that makes at least 26 inches for a log to have a chance. So the butt end may be about 30 inches across. Yeah I know someone here will say I got some out of a 10 inch tree . If you want real quartered wood , you need a big tree and like a watermelon , it ain't always sweet when ya open it.
I have had countless people call me about the "big tree " in the back yard. I will not take anything that is near a home. Chances you will find a nail or fence in it. I have seen hammers in trees and once saw a 52 inch saw head ruined by a porcelain insulator . My best advice is buy the plank at a mill and rework that. Also get it kiln dried if you can. Cutting green wood isn't a good thing if you have less that 5 hp.
Drying your own lumber isn't easy but it can be done. You need an area that has good air flow and that is not too dry and not too wet and not too hot and not too cold. Yup easy as pie.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it