# Making A Log Rail -- Need Advice from a Wood Expert!



## 25581 (Jul 19, 2011)

Hi,

My friend and I are making a log rail, like the ones in the Killington Natural Park. It will be about 1-2' wide and around 12' long, and a half-circle shape. Therefore we will cut down a tree (large in diameter), cut a 12' section of the tree, and then cut that section in half making a half circle shape, and then the bark will be stripped from the outside of the log. The only two things that I'm confused about is what type of sealant/coating would be best for the log, and how to make the top of the log rideable (the flat part lol). I already had a couple of suggestions for products to prevent rotting such as Shellac or Marine Varnish. Lastly, we were thinking about sanding the top of the log (the part that you ride) to make it rideable, would there be anything else that we would need to do to protect our boards/make the surface slick or soft enough to ride?

Here is a pic of what I'm trying to make:

Google Images

Thanks for the help!

Brian


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

I hear karasene is a wood expert but prolly a different kind of wood...


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## Sudden_Death (Mar 23, 2011)

If you use cedar you won't need to varnish as it is naturally rot resistant. Something like a thompsons water seal would work on a non cedar log though it won't last long on the area you are sliding.To make it easier to slide a sanding and good thick coat of wax would help a bunch.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Argo said:


> I hear karasene is a wood expert but prolly a different kind of wood...


Wow dude right to the punch.

They're wood you don't put anything on the top to slide it just make it nice and smooth or you could be a real man and just de-bark the thing and do it like we do log jibs here.


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## 25581 (Jul 19, 2011)

Sudden_Death said:


> If you use cedar you won't need to varnish as it is naturally rot resistant. Something like a thompsons water seal would work on a non cedar log though it won't last long on the area you are sliding.To make it easier to slide a sanding and good thick coat of wax would help a bunch.


Yeah I have no idea what type of tree it is, but it's def. not cedar lol. What type of wax would you recommend? Just like any type of wax? And I'll be using Marine varnish, supposively the best around for wood.



Argo said:


> I hear karasene is a wood expert but prolly a different kind of wood...


Thanks bro, I'll Shoot him a pm.



BurtonAvenger said:


> Wow dude right to the punch.
> 
> They're wood you don't put anything on the top to slide it just make it nice and smooth or you could be a real man and just de-bark the thing and do it like we do log jibs here.


Yeah I was def. Planning on debarking it so we could put a protective coating all around. My question was just if sanding was enough to slide the log? It seems like the board would get stuck or catch an edge, etc. Thanks for the help!


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## CheeseForSteeze (May 11, 2011)

The log features @ The Stash are all mill cut using the types of band saws they use to split trunks and shit like that.

If you are going to cut it and have it relatively flat, you'll need to have it mill cut or have access to a large table band saw saw and a lot of patience depending on the size tree you use. A normal circular table saw isn't going to do the trick.

A skilled person with a chainsaw might be able to get close if you get it set up correctly.


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## 25581 (Jul 19, 2011)

I was actually planning on using a 2 person hand saw to cut it in half, you think that'd work? Were having like 6 people come over next week to cut/Sand logs. Also do you think that instead of cutting it in half, you could just debark it and sand the top half of the log to grind like a circular rail (instead of being flat like the picture)?


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

Why not, there are guys riding downed trees on the side of a hill and no one ever sanded or de-barked that.
After a few edge catches and some good biffing pics it should be fine.


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## little devil (Aug 18, 2009)

If ur gonna cut it length wise with a hand saw I'd deff score each side with a cirular saw to cut a few hours off the total process. Ur looking at a long fucking time without professional tools and machinery.

I wouldnt do it. What about just cutting a tree thats 8 inches in diameter or somthing and using the whole thing?


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## IdahoFreshies (Jul 9, 2011)

there is no way you can cut a 12' tree lengthwise with a hand saw, it will take all day. Hell i see a downed tree on the mountain and i hop on it and ride it, zero prep. You could get 2 smaller trees and attatch them side by side (like a shotgun rail)and debark the tops and sand out all of the branch knobs sticking out. Basicly the same thing as one flat log.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Just be a man and lumberjack that shit like we do here in CO no fancy bullshit Stash stuff just a bunch of rope, some nails, and a whole lot of creativity.


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## CheeseForSteeze (May 11, 2011)

No, cutting it with a 2 person saw will take very long and result in a poor cut. I think you should just make sure it's free of knots. Your work would be easier if you had a smooth tree like a beech or sycamore. Ash or oak trees would be stronger but you'd probably want to debark the top surface.

Debarking isn't too bad. Ff you have to, choose a tree like a white oak that flakes off. It will save you hours of work. Just go to work with a planar, shouldn't take too long. Even faster is a power washer or hydrolance; you can debark the whole thing in minutes. Just don't cut yourself, I saw a guy cut his femoral artery with a hydrolance and he bled to death very quickly.


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## Deviant (Dec 22, 2009)

bchambers94 said:


> Thanks bro, I'll Shoot him a pm.


Karasene is a she, Argo was making a "wood" joke about that, lol.


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## 25581 (Jul 19, 2011)

slyder said:


> Why not, there are guys riding downed trees on the side of a hill and no one ever sanded or de-barked that.
> After a few edge catches and some good biffing pics it should be fine.


Alright thanks man, but I definitely want to clean it up for the boards sake!



little devil said:


> If ur gonna cut it length wise with a hand saw I'd deff score each side with a cirular saw to cut a few hours off the total process. Ur looking at a long fucking time without professional tools and machinery.
> 
> I wouldnt do it. What about just cutting a tree thats 8 inches in diameter or somthing and using the whole thing?


Yeah haha I was thinking about how long it would take today. I was also thinking the same thing about the smaller 8 inch tree, which is a little smaller than the tree we have



IdahoFreshies said:


> there is no way you can cut a 12' tree lengthwise with a hand saw, it will take all day. Hell i see a downed tree on the mountain and i hop on it and ride it, zero prep. You could get 2 smaller trees and attatch them side by side (like a shotgun rail)and debark the tops and sand out all of the branch knobs sticking out. Basicly the same thing as one flat log.


Good idea! I'll add one of those to the to-do list. 



Basically the two things that I'm worried about is if the log is slick enough to ride (after sanding/debarking) and if the coating will prevent it from rotting for a few years.


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## 25581 (Jul 19, 2011)

Deviant said:


> Karasene is a she, Argo was making a "wood" joke about that, lol.


Ohh! My bad haha.


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## 25581 (Jul 19, 2011)

CheeseForSteeze said:


> No, cutting it with a 2 person saw will take very long and result in a poor cut. I think you should just make sure it's free of knots. Your work would be easier if you had a smooth tree like a beech or sycamore. Ash or oak trees would be stronger but you'd probably want to debark the top surface.
> 
> Debarking isn't too bad. Ff you have to, choose a tree like a white oak that flakes off. It will save you hours of work. Just go to work with a planar, shouldn't take too long. Even faster is a power washer or hydrolance; you can debark the whole thing in minutes. Just don't cut yourself, I saw a guy cut his femoral artery with a hydrolance and he bled to death very quickly.



Jeez, that doesn't sound good lol. But thanks for the suggestion, I'll check it out. We're actually going to try and debark it tonight, and maybe find a couple of logs for the support stands.


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## CMSbored (Apr 2, 2009)

Just use a chainsaw. It is not hard at all. just nail 2x4s along the sides lengthwise and use them as a guide. go slow and it will take maybe a half hour depending on how long you want. be careful not to kick back


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

CMSbored said:


> Just use a chainsaw. It is not hard at all. just nail 2x4s along the sides lengthwise and use them as a guide. go slow and it will take maybe a half hour depending on how long you want. be careful not to kick back


Nice idea I didn't think of that should work well :dunno:


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## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

It's still pretty Fing hard to do a 12 foot horizontal cut with a chainsaw. Especially assuming the chainsaw you guys are going to use isn't going to be a logger's chainsaw (High CC's, easier cutting). I've monkeyed around making some wood features and I had the best result with a 6 foot 5 inch diameter log down-rail. I also made a smaller flat-rail, but had a lot of problems because the part of the cedar tip I used had a lot of knots. For wood features, knots are your worst enemy since they catch your board and are a bitch to sand out perfectly.

Knots are caused by branches, so try and pick a piece of wood with no to little branches, it will make the end product a lot better and easier to finish.

Honestly the easiest piece of wood to finish is an old, dead, but not rotting log.


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## 25581 (Jul 19, 2011)

BUMPPPP! And dny suggestions on a type of protective coating (to prevent rotting) and another type of coating for a more slick/smooth slide? We sanded it and it's already pretty slick, but our local mountain had a log rail with a slick type of coating on it that made it real easy to slide, and I was wondering if there was anything out there like that. Thanks for the help!


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## Steez (Jun 25, 2011)

they didnt just put a coating they put something on top then used a flame and sort of melted it to give it that slick coating


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## Steez (Jun 25, 2011)

The Making of the Burton Stash at Jackson Hole - YouTube
go to like 4:20ish and you see him coating/flaming it


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## 25581 (Jul 19, 2011)

Does anyone know what this "something" is? And Steez, was he just sanding over the burnt spots when the black was turning the whitish color?


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## CheeseForSteeze (May 11, 2011)

It's fire hardening. We used to make giant shillelagh cudgels in college to compete in St. Patrick's day every year out of entire trees. We just used a makeshift propane flamethrower up the middle of the tree, which was cored out with an auger. It took an hour or so but that thing was like a granite fossil after finished. Temperatures inside were around 1100 deg F, you could throw an empty beer can in it and it would disintegrate before it could blow out the other end.


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## Steez (Jun 25, 2011)

i think they just glazed it with the torch and maybe on the top where u ride they sanded it or sanded it then propaned it not sure


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