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Thread: blue gum slabs
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21st January 2010, 07:57 AM #1New Member
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blue gum slabs
Hi all new to forum and timber slabs .As a stonemason we don't have much to do with it. Have asked a few chippies at work but would prefer a more broad view from people who are a little more experienced in the field. Recently we hve had a 45 foot blue gum slabbed(even though it has a very dark red colour the guy who slabbed it said it was a blue gum and it has been stressed it whole life growing on rocks).
My initial questions are
1.What would be the best was to store these slabs and for what amount of time should they be stored?
2.I know it is a topic in itself but filling cracks and holes what are some of the best methods and products? I have around 2m3 of saw dust from the milling process can i use that?
3. The slabs are around 2-2.4m long and 800 t0 1400 wide. what price roundabouts would they fetch.
Any help would be greatly appreciated as i would hate to see these beautiful pieces go to waste . Thanks Brett
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21st January 2010, 12:39 PM #2Skwair2rownd
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Stack carefully using spacer sticks every 400mm or so along the length of the slabs. Garden stakes are good for this as they are a uniform size and are easy to buy.
Stack away from intense heat and direct sunlight but make sure there is good airflow around the stack.
allow about a year for each 25mm thickness .
Forget about keeping the sawdust. Attend to cracks and checking when making the articles from the timber.
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21st January 2010, 10:20 PM #3
What Art said. Use diggers casting resin to fill the cracks.
Pricing is a bit hard, "My" sawmill sells slabs that big for $3850 per cube levelled and sanded, $3300 for just levelled and a bit less for rough. You wouldn't be able to get those prices because I'm assuming you don't have a way to dress the slabs and you aren't a timber retailer.
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7th February 2010, 07:52 PM #4Novice
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You can most certainly keep the sawdust if you don't want the cracks to be noticeable after they are filled, I use a marine product called "West Systems", it is a resin to which you add a hardener along with your sawdust, fill the cracks to a little above the surface to allow for shrinkage after it has dried, then sand the slab starting at 80/100 grit all the way up to 2000 grit ( auto paint shops) and the slab will come out smooth as wet glass
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7th February 2010, 09:16 PM #5SENIOR MEMBER
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hey funky, what do you pay for your casting resin? i nearly fell off my perch when i had to pay $19 for 500 mls at bunny's. as for the sawdust leave it in a pile mix it with chook poo and throw it on the garden. as for filling cracks,what funky said.what i do is is put black cement colour in the casting rein. especially if i'm filling holes in timber with alot of gum vein. like sawmiller said some dry sawdust off the orbital sander will match as well. if very fine cracks or chips need to be filled the just steal some of lovey's nail polish and mix with very fine dust
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11th February 2010, 08:28 PM #6
I think we pay about that much, it's not cheap stuff
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12th February 2010, 07:56 AM #7
Be careful if you're going to use the Diggers Casting resin for filling holes and cracks, best to do it in layers less than 10mm otherwise it shrinks too much and can crack. There are better products out there for filling holes and cracks.
Here is a old thread with a bit of info, also suggest you have a look at the CASTING & STABILISATION section in the Pen Turning section as there is some good knowledge in there and sources on where to get stuff as well.
Cheers
DJ
ADMIN
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12th February 2010, 06:10 PM #8
Sawmiller is spot on. You get an even better result with sander dust - closer colour match. I keep separate jars for each timber species I use.
WEST is good, but almost any epoxy will work as well - I use a local fibreglass shops generic epoxy, just as good and 35% cheaper. Its easier if you use the slow action hardener, especially if it is hot.
Cheers
Graeme
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13th February 2010, 05:52 PM #9
store in dry shed, racked with battens between them to allow air to circulate.
store in piles of 5 to 6 high so weight will help keep them all straight.
store for a minimum of 2 years and use moisture meter to check for moisture content...BG will be dry at between 10 and 12 % depending on humidity...
grease or wax ends to prevent splittage
have fun.."I am brother to dragons, companion to owls"
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14th February 2010, 03:27 PM #10
pics of teh slabs can be found here.
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f132/y...ys-job-107725/
up to 1.5m wide.
the tree had less than 12mm of sapwood witch is strange for bluegum witch can have over 50mm. must have been growing on very little watter and nutrients.
some beautiful slabs there.
you should get $500 each for the big ones if they dried as good as the ones i have here. these ones are dry already down to 14%mc in the center.
pile teh sawdust and mix grass clipings with it. it will compost down quite quickly.
i fill cracks with car bog tinted with pigment.
www.carlweiss.com.au
Mobile Sawmilling & Logging Service
8" & 10" Lucas Mills, bobcat, 4wd tractor, 12 ton dozer, stihl saws.
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20th February 2010, 04:27 PM #11New Member
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Hey guys thanks for all your replies I want to make something of these slabs.Hey carl I lost your number cause I wanted to ask you a few more questions but here you are. Recomend Carl to anyone did a great job and it was stinking hot. The slabs that have larger borer holes and cracks are they worth doing anything with. I thought some people might find these natural defects desirable. Carl have you done anything with the slabs from my place yet? Have to go more questions to come. Thanks all
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20th February 2010, 06:38 PM #12
Nah those defective ones with borer holes are no good better stick em on a truck headed my way I might have a use for them....lol
yes they are desireable for people making rustic furniture I.E. outdoor patio furniture and bars etc. or even in some cases as structural boards where appearance doesn't matter.
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