A new way to make rungs

As I split wood in my backyard, I remembered how tough splitting rungs can be sometimes. I got to thinking and I've come up with an easier way to make rungs for ladder bridges.

Step 1

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/2822202/

Find a log you want to split. Lay it on some smaller logs so it is off the ground. This makes it so your chainsaw doesn't hit dirt and dull the teeth. Stabilize both ends so the log doesn't move easily.

Step 2

Saw off the first few inches of the log lengthwise. Do this for about 5 ft. Any more and your saw may overheat.

Step 3

Let's say we want 7" wide and 20" long rungs. Make your next cut in the log 7" over from the one you just made. Again, cut 5ft or so. Depending on the diameter of the log you might do this twice or even more.

Step 4

The log is now sliced up lengthwise but still intact. Cut every 20" and the boards will fall off.

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/2822251/

Step 5

Now you have 7" x 20" blocks of wood. Cut every 2" and you have slats!

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/2822203/

This is a mix between the "new way" of making ladderbridges and the old.

FYI this is the New Way

You'll end up with rungs that look like this.

I welcome feedback.

Not exactly a new method. The good way to do this is to use an alaskan chainsaw mill. At the very least, get a ripping chain, so you get more accurate cuts and your saw doesn't work as hard.

Ripping chain
Chainsaw mill
We have a dedicated milling saw. I also have a ripping chain for my 14" baby saw for detail work.

Secondly, I think anything under 12" diameter is garbage for rungs. Too much soft heartwood. I prefer to use material over 24" diameter for stronger wood, better color, better grain.

My preference is to natural split rungs, from big ol' cedars at least 24" diameter. At least the size of the stump in that pic. Milling takes longer, is alot louder and less pleasant to do, and makes more of a mess of the site. I also prefer the aesthetics of natural split rungs. Love the smell!
The mill makes more even slats, which alot of people think looks cleaner. You also get more usable slats out of the same amount of material. However it encourages you to get lazy and use heart wood. I like to split a big plank into 3 slats; two usable slats from the outside, and the middle heartwood which is throwaway. It's a life saver when there aren't any appropriate big cedars near site.

I guess it all depends on what kind of wood you have available in your location.

Didnt make too much sense to me, but it seems like an efficient way to do it.

Let me clarify. The log in the rudimentary diagram is 25" diameter or so. I agree that using logs smaller than 12" diameter for slats isn't smart. Maybe this pic clarifies:
http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/2822760/

I'm not suggesting milling all the slats. I'm suggesting milling a few large chunks out of the log and then splitting them with an axe. Splitting a 24" diameter log with an axe and hammer alone is quite difficult and time consuming. Splitting a chunk of wood like the one I suggest is much easier.
http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/2822761/

If you don't want to use any heartwood for rungs then don't use this method.

That's good advice from thad with the alaskan mill and ripping chain, I'll look into that if I end up taking on a big building project this spring.

I have big hardwoods and pines where I build so that's what I'll be using.

i made these

the old fashioned way.

like heckler says, a lot of it will depend on what wood you have. if you have mostly pine and hard wood then your method may just be the way to go. however, i really doubt that with cedar you can make rungs faster with the ripping method than by bucking and splitting.

i just find splitting by hand to be more enjoyable, which for me is kinda the whole point. i'm not out there to punch out trail as fast as i can, i'm out there to have fun.

keep an eye out for my next thread titled: Out There! Working the wood.

I know you made these. They are amazing examples, that is why I posted them as the ideal outcome. Also the piledriver and the shaved log stunt are prime examples of two different types of bridge building so that's why I included them.

If splitting by hand is more fun and/or easier than the ripping/splitting method I suggest then by all means do it that way. I've split my fair share of cedar and yeah its heaps fun.

I really like ripping logs with the chainsaw though and the way I suggest to make rungs might not be the easiest but it makes nice, easy to split rungs.

I'm looking forward to your next building thread synchro, your how to make cedar rungs thread is great.

I can't imagine anything faster, if there are no knots in the cedar. It's a joy, just like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNozOdzby-U

Which makes this:

and then this:

The problem with milling then splitting is that most of the time the milled part ignores the grain [HTML_REMOVED] knots of the wood. So splitting the milled slabs into rungs ends up being less efficient. When you try and split the milled bits the splits twist with the grain/knots and stuff can come out all spiraled like a candy cane or worst not split at all. When you split solely by hand you can read the grain and find the maximum use of the wood. As an added bonus you can pick how you want the grain to lie on your finished rung.

IMHO its one way or the other: mill the whole thing via saws or split by hand.

I draw the line at 6' for splitting. After that ripping becomes easier. If the wood is clear enough (no knots) then longer lengths work out fine. Tricky part here is that good clear cedar that's really long is also good for shake blocks. I leave those for the wood scavengers.

Max for me:

Typical with good clear cedar:

Sometimes a saw is invaluable when a knot is hit on a long split too.

The problem with milling then splitting is that most of the time the milled part ignores the grain [HTML_REMOVED] knots of the wood. So splitting the milled slabs into rungs ends up being less efficient. When you try and split the milled bits the splits twist with the grain/knots and stuff can come out all spiraled like a candy cane or worst not split at all. When you split solely by hand you can read the grain and find the maximum use of the wood. As an added bonus you can pick how you want the grain to lie on your finished rung.

IMHO its one way or the other: mill the whole thing via saws or split by hand.

Hmmm interesting point. As I was splitting wood "my" way today a few pieces were tough to get off and "stringy". I attributed it to a twist in the wood and knots though. Many of my rungs split nicely, probably because I was reading the grain and splitting with it.

Knnn, those slabs are beauts and that video makes a convincing argument for the traditional buck and split method. Except that piece he was using was not very long. Was the whole piece that easy to split? I was used to splitting 2.5-3ft cedar rungs which took about 5 times longer than those smaller ones.

I thought I'd demonstrate my method with actual pictures instead of stealing other peoples photos. Here I've selected the piece I'm going to split.

Here I've ripped it into 2 rung-width pieces and an end piece.

Here I've set it up on the chop block. I will chop from the same place I took the picture.

And here's the finished product a few minutes later.

It was quick and easy. BUT this method uses heartwood so if you're not okay with that then use the traditional method and get the sapwood.

ripping Cedar rungs instead of spitting them may result in a much rougher surface finish, which can prove to provide better grip when wet. BUT splitting CEDAR is a lot easier and faster than ripping, and wastes a LOT less wood. plus since splitting follows the grain, you will get a stronger, longer-lasting piece of wood…

but like others have said, effective technique depends on the wood available. eg this wood:

will not split nearly as nicely as cedar, so more sawing can be a good thing.

I guess it all depends on what kind of wood you have available in your location.

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