Thread: How big is my problem?

Thanks for all the responses. Looks like there is a house lot of timber there.

I'm about to get a neighbour who used to work in the timber industry here years ago to ID these logs so I'l have an idea as to useage and value.

Originally Posted by itsposs

The logs he s got would most likely bust the timberkings and woodmizers up they are too light on in the mill deck. 12 dry years followed by 2 wet years means that timber will be hard as the proverbial its a job for the radialsaws post some pics if ya get the job Sigidi

Can you elaborate a bit more on these 2 statements?

From pictures I have seen of these 2 mills working they look strong enough to park a semi on.

I can't work out how timber will be any harder under these circumstances that at any other time.

It comes down to use and experience. Get out from under ya rock get out there and see for your self I have and do every day. I wont even use the mill I brought to try and MIll the Timber I am felling atm. You need to look at our timber densitys as well We see big logs on video but the weight of our big logs compared to their big logs is well over double bit like the price of those MIlls really double.

Originally Posted by itsposs

It comes down to use and experience. Get out from under ya rock get out there and see for your self I have and do every day. I wont even use the mill I brought to try and MIll the Timber I am felling atm. You need to look at our timber densitys as well We see big logs on video but the weight of our big logs compared to their big logs is well over double bit like the price of those MIlls really double.

I find your last 2 posts rude and somewhat incorrect Bruce yes our timbers are denser but when green, the logs you see in the bandsaw videos would be pretty much on par for overall weight, and some of the oaks and such would probably be heavier.

The biggest issue I could see with the size of the logs and a bandsaw is that the throat opening would not be large enough to accommodate breaking the logs down. which is where something like a lucas would win out.

Telling someone looking for advice to crawl out from under their rock and have a look is just rude and arrogant and uncalled for. And honestly I would not consider you the person on this forum experienced enough to be the one to tell someone such a thing.

Personally I would consider sigidis comments on time etc. to be quite accurate, and honest. I agree also with als comment about movement and truly some timbers, such as many of the eucalypts are better backsawn and other timbers such as the oaks distort less when quarter sawn and then other logs respond better to a combination of both. This is something that a good sawyer learns over time, oh and of course there are also timbers which build up little stress and it doesn't really matter how they are cut such as pine.

For the quantity of timber the OP is talking I would recommend he works out what he needs and get a sawyer to cut it for him, The buying of a mill and doing it himself sounds attractive but there are a number of factors other than just the purchasing of a mill to consider. If he still wanted to buy a mill and do it himself I would advise that he spends some time working with and talking to sawyers who do it on a daily basis and have been doing it for more than a few years.

Well Travis when your address is under a rock I ve no problem saying get out from under a rock , I worked out a little while back that half the stuff I took as gospel from you and few others is bull dust My advise is to you harden up if you find that insulting.

Originally Posted by itsposs

It comes down to use and experience.And yours is? Get out from under ya rock get out there and see for your self I have and do every day. I wont even use the mill I brought to try and MIll the Timber I am felling atm.From reading your previous posts I thought your saw was going to be the be all and end all of all saws. Rather silly getting a saw that you can't use, isn't it? You need to look at our timber densitys as well We see big logs on video but the weight of our big logs compared to their big logs is well over double bit like the price of those MIlls really double. Gotta get the "dig" in, eh?

Now, you still haven't answered the second question about why a log is harder given the circumstances you quote

12 dry years followed by 2 wet years means that timber will be hard as the proverbial its a job for the radialsaws

I can understand Travis answer about the size of log not being able to be cut because of the limit in the head. That makes sense rather than the bed won't hold up.

I hadn't really intended to start an argument here, but I do have to comment on one statement. I'm assuming the 12 dry years and 2 wet years was meant to apply to my timber.

If this is the case I would like to correct this. We're located in the wet tropics, just north of Tully (Australia's wettest town according to some) Our forest is lowland tropical rainforest Mt Edna which is on our place rises to just 173 meters. Put Mt Edna Queensland into Google Earth to have a look.

Average rainfall over the last 7 years was just under 4 meters PA (4000 mm or roughly six times Melbourne's or four times Sydney's rainfall)

Originally Posted by itsposs

It comes down to use and experience. Get out from under ya rock get out there and see for your self I have and do every day. I wont even use the mill I brought to try and MIll the Timber I am felling atm. You need to look at our timber densitys as well We see big logs on video but the weight of our big logs compared to their big logs is well over double bit like the price of those MIlls really double.

So your much self professed 'experience' is coming from what? the last 8 weeks? Its easy to represent yourself as something on the internet and 'talk' a good talk evading direct questions when pushed a little bit more than the grand talk.

And the rest of your statement sounds like you bought a cheap mill that wont cut our timber - does that sum it up?

I think the problem here is, there seems to be these 'statements' made about things which others may not feel are correct and therefore they explain that statement isn't correct. As GT mentioned they haven't had any of this 12 years dry and 2 years wet you mentioned Bruce, even given that circumstance are you trying to say a bluegum or a silky oak would have greater density because of 12 years of dry weather???

I think knowing you are dropping some hard ironbark at the moment (but having said that, ironbark is just bloody hard isn't it) and that you are very green at doing that, you are listening to people around you at the time (which in itself isn't a bad thing although not understanding what is being said and just blurting it out is wherein the problem lies) then just parroting what they are saying without having realised why it would make a difference, or that it wouldn't apply directly to other situations

I figure GT is doing a great thing by wanting to use this timber rather than let it rot

Originally Posted by gonetroppo

I hadn't really intended to start an argument here, but I do have to comment on one statement. I'm assuming the 12 dry years and 2 wet years was meant to apply to my timber.

If this is the case I would like to correct this. We're located in the wet tropics, just north of Tully (Australia's wettest town according to some) Our forest is lowland tropical rainforest Mt Edna which is on our place rises to just 173 meters. Put Mt Edna Queensland into Google Earth to have a look.

Average rainfall over the last 7 years was just under 4 meters PA (4000 mm or roughly six times Melbourne's or four times Sydney's rainfall)

I'll never winge about Dorrigo's weather again. I thought 2000mm a year was wet. Don't know how you put up with a place that gets 4000mm. Unless your on the Tully river in a raft.

cheers
Steve

Originally Posted by Blarney

Can you elaborate a bit more on these 2 statements?

From pictures I have seen of these 2 mills working they look strong enough to park a semi on.

I can't work out how timber will be any harder under these circumstances that at any other time.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think what we're talking about here is the initial placement and then turning of big logs on the bed and running rails of a portable bandsaw. From my experience this can be a problem with big logs if the log is accidently or carelessly dropped. The frame can be bent and therefore the mill rails and therefore the cuts are also bent. If I am turning a really big log I take it off the saw and flip it then gently put it back on. Never let the farmer load the log

cheers
steve

Gonetroppo

Just returning to your opening post you do need to carefully think about the timber you anticipate requiring.

A 12 x 8 beam is humungus. Most saws (portable) would be unable to cut that. My bandsaw, for example has a maximum depth of 7".

Timbers that size are hard to get and in the past were used for large wharehouses and churches. You may be able to use smaller timbers with hardly any loss of strength. I am sure you appreciate that timber derives most of it's strength from depth rather than width.

A 12 x 4 would have almost the same strength as a 12 x 8 and in practical terms far easiers to handle (but still a nightmare). Swingblade saws would be unable to perform a 12" cut without reversing the direction of the cutting head. So while they can do it, it is fiddly. You may not need timber anywhere near that size unless you are looking for a particular effect.

We built a house with exposed rafters or cathedral ceilings if you prefer. The rafters were 150 x 50 and 200 x 50. We also used ridge beams 300 x 75 of which there were three with the longest being 3.3m, but all the timber was cut at a full scale sawmill long before I had a mill of my own. This last beam, which is not long, weighed over 80kg. All the timber was ironbark. 80Kg is quite heavy enough when you have to lift it 5m in the air by yourself. I had to make up a special boom crane for the tractor.

I don't think the wet and dry seasons are going to have an effect on cutting. The sheer size of the timbers is more the problem.

Regards
Paul

just a thought but you need a copy of the timbers guide to establish the: f : rating of your timber and the species , is it lycid susceptable ? if you are going to use it structually.not big problem , good luck with the program ,not much of a blow up here , but had us worried , best regards Bob

Care factors pretty low now on your thoughts Allen. So What ever. Gotta love fake member accounts

bobsreturn2003 which timber guide are you talking about? There are a few thats all. Is it the one AS1684.3 .

Originally Posted by itsposs

Care factors pretty low now on your thoughts Allen. So What ever. Gotta love fake member accounts What are you on about here?

bobsreturn2003 which timber guide are you talking about? There are a few thats all. Is it the one AS1684.3 .

You still haven't answered the second question.