Cutting /Milling a log

**C.Webb** · 8th June 2004, 10:43 PM

I have been offered several silky oak logs approx 900mm x 2.4m.. They are about 20 years old and have been seasoned under cover. The bloke who offered it to me has a small mill on his property but apart from knowing how to operate the machinery he has little knowledge of how to cut the log. This is what we both have in common. I once had an old book that showed many ways in which a log could be cut and hence I am somewhat intimidated. I am hoping to make some furniture out of this log. I have a large secretarial/leather inlay desk in mind and think that this would be a lovely timber but I would like to get the milling right from the start. Any suggestions anyone. I am also new to this forum.

**John Saxton** · 8th June 2004, 11:12 PM

HI, Is there any chance you can get on to the forrestry dept or a sawmiller out of the yellow pages to nadvise you to get the best out of your logs and to ensure that quartersawn you'll have the best out of the logs.

To just take to the logs on spec will obviously mean you're not going to get the best out of it grain wise and stress wise.

I can only advise from my limited knowledge that you get someone in who has a perhaps a portable mill/or can mill it with the gear you have who will in his experience have the wherewithall to get what you want.
There are guys out there who'll do it for either a fee or portion of the timber.

The forrestry dept may put you in contact with folk who may help you out.

Cheers

**glenn k** · 8th June 2004, 11:37 PM

what sort of mill has he got? This could determine how it can be milled. Grevellea has a lot of flec if you cut along the rays but you would have to radial saw to get this. Quater sawn pieces will have a lot, but silky oak looks good from all sides, so why waste wood? Get out as much as you can and match up pieces to make your desk and have lots left for other things.

**C.Webb** · 8th June 2004, 11:44 PM

Thanks guys. From what I understand he has a large bandsaw with a sliding carriage that will cut through at least 1m but apart from that I am not sure.

**C.Webb** · 9th June 2004, 12:12 AM

Glenn,
It was that flecking and pattern that I was trying to preserve or to take advantage of. If we just stick the logs on the mill and run them through I could lose all that the wood has to offer. I am so annoyed at 'lending' my book to someone and not having it at hand at times like this. It was a great book from the 30's that had so much that it included milling patterns or procedures to get the patterns out of various timbers.

**glenn k** · 9th June 2004, 10:30 AM

Sounds like a good big mill but it makes it a bit hard to quarter saw except for a few slabs though the middle. You could cut the middle then rotate the top and bottom 90 deg then quarter saw most of these. Sorry my mill is a circular saw so I don't know how to use a band saw.

**vsquizz** · 10th June 2004, 11:02 PM

Hi,

I can recommend the Revised Addition of The Technique of Furniture Making by Ernest Joyce (if you haven't already read it) 2nd edition by Alan Peters has a lot of good stuff on milling in the first chapter. You can get it through AWR or drop me an email.

Cheers

**stevephillips** · 11th June 2004, 04:02 AM

Try here http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_bas...artersawn.html

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