Q: We have a gang rip saw that we have trouble with. When the lumber is about halfway through, the piece travels away from the fence. The infeed has rollers that are at an angle so that the lumber is pushed against the fence. That seems to work well for the beginning of the pieces, but then it moves away from the fence. When we increase the feed roll pressure it seems like it might get worse. Any ideas?

Q: We have a modest lumber inventory of various air-dried and kiln-dried species and thicknesses. We believe that we will not be using some of this lumber in the foreseeable future and want to sell it to improve the cash flow and reduce inventory costs and risks. We believe that we can possibly do best if we sell kiln-dried lumber in small batches to builders, cabinet shops and maybe even serious hobbyists. We plan on planing most of it before selling. My question is how to sell it. Lineal footage, board footage, or by the piece.

Q: There is a debate going on at our lumber yard between the salesmen and the kiln operator. Is it true that winter cut northern Michigan hard maple is whiter than summer cut? I have heard a couple of the old timers say that back in the good old days they had a rule that you don't cut hard maple if the leaves are on the tree. The reasoning was that in the summer the sap is in the tree making the wood a caramel color. In the winter the sap would no longer be in the tree, making it a nice white color. Is there any validity to this?

Q: I just purchased some cherry and it is full of small dark streaks. What are they and are they found in one area of the country more than another?

Q: I am curious what it means when a nail is called 6 penny.

We're talking about your lumber, not your sanity!

Cut equipment energy costs, part three of three