Tips & Info

Safety:

Working around logs and sawmills can be hazardous. When you are helping I strongly suggest that you wear: Steel-Toe boots, gloves, hearing and eye protection at all times.
For everyone's safety, do exactly as the sawyer instructs (where to stand, how to move around the sawmill, where to stack the boards and scraps, etc....).

And:

This will be fun and a great learning experience.
You'll likely see something most people have never seen........the process of turning one of God's trees into lumber.
And, you will sleep very will that night!

More on Logs:

Once logs are "felled" (cut-down) and cut to length, the ends should be "Sealed" - The same day you cut the logs! Paint can be used but I highly recommend a product called "Anchor-Seal"...google it and buy it!. It will greatly reduce the ends of the logs checking, or cracking, and thereby reducing the quantity and quality of lumber you can get from each log.
"Bucking", or cutting your logs to length. Cut the ends STRAIGHT and cut the length 6" longer than the boards you wish to get from the log. For example: if you want 8' boards, then cut your logs 8'6". If you want 10' boards, then cut your logs 10'6"...... 12' = 12'6" and 16' = 16'6"'

Stacking & Drying your Lumber:

One of the most critical parts of producing quality lumber is the "Stacking" and "Air-Drying" process.
When the boards are sawed, you will remove the lumber from the sawmill and start "Stacking". Simply stacking boards on top of each other won't work. The boards won't dry, the won't dry flat, and mold will eat em' up!. You will need "Stickers" to use in between each layer of boards. Typically a 1" x 1" piece of the same species placed every 16" - 24" on each row of lumber. (Remember, you need to start on a SOLID, LEVEL surface - an uneven base will result in crooked boards).
We can cut the stickers from the logs, as is common (but that can eat into the lumber yield). Some folks will make their own stickers by ripping store bought 2x4's or buying furring strips or even lathes/stakes from the a lumber yard. It's up to you. Ideally, stickers need to be Dry, Straight, Flat, Clean and must be completely consistent in size....about 4' long and 1" x 1". Or if you're ripping a 2x4 up, the end size would be 1" tall x 1.5" wide x 4' long.
I also highly recommend that you take steps to eliminate and/or prevent bugs from eating up the wood. I use, and I encourage you to use, a product such as Timbor or Bora-Care.....google it and buy it. You will mix this in a sprayer, and spray each board "As You Stack"! This is a critical step.
Your fresh cut lumber will be very WET. Your lumber will need to Air-Dry to get the Moisture Content (MC) down to a workable level. This process will take weeks to months to years based on the species of wood, the thickness of the lumber, time of year, and weather. About the lowest you will be able to get the MC down to will be roughly 13% +/- here in East Texas. That will be sufficient for any outdoor projects. However, if you need lumber dry for inside use / furniture, etc.... you will need to have the lumber "Kiln-Dried" down to 7-8% MC. For more info google "Moisture Content in Wood" or "Air-Drying fresh cut lumber".....there will be plenty of helpful information.
For more info on drying and "Stickering", go up top and click on "THE PROCESS", scroll down the page and click on a couple of the links listed for Drying / Stacking / Stickering.

Logs:

16" to 24" diameter logs produce a lot of lumber and are a great size to saw.
8' to 16' long logs are great lengths to saw.
Logs need to be a minimum of 10" in diameter on the Small End of the log - Max 35".
Once logs get into the 16" +/- range, you will have to have equipment to handle them.
If possible, avoid logs with a lot of "Taper" from one end to the other. Cedar's are bad about having a lot of taper with longer logs.
Ideal logs need to be straight, clean of mud/dirt, recently "felled", & completely De-Limbed.
Logs should be "neatly" stacked with the Small Ends together. The sawmill will pull right up next to the stack. FYI - The loading arm on the sawmill is on the "Driver's side" of the truck. Please keep that in mind when staging your logs in an area.

Left-Overs:

Once the sawmilling is over and your boards are stacked, you will have some cleaning up to do. The sawing will generate sawdust and scraps of logs/boards that you need to dispose of....bury, burn, haul off, cut up for firewood, etc....