Thread: Saw for Milling Blackbutt in WA

or three or four or five etc etc etc

Originally Posted by vsquizz

I'm looking for a portable saw that can split a Blackbutt (E.Patens) in the South West of WA. The log is 2 metres in dia. at the butt and 1.5 at the first fork. (The council was going to burn it!!.) As far as I know its too big for a woodmizer and as the now proud owner wants some slabs a Lucas wont be required until its split. The butt section is about 9 metres long. Any help with contacts or how to approach this would be great...there should be enough wood for a new coffee table and maybe a bread board or two....

In Albany I would take the log/logs to Redmond Mill or to Frayney and Thompson, both conventional circular saw mills, if they can't be handled by a horizontal bandsaw type unit. The problem would be that big mills generally require the logs be above a minimum length.
Let your fingers do the walking and phone every mill you can find in the yellow pages to ascertain their requirements and, particularly, the cost.

Try here

Rob: Yep thanks for that. We have been onto two mills but transporting is the problem. (not to mention the expense) Even if we could actually get the log on a truck we would need 2 D9's to pull the truck out of the paddock, its a bit wet..sorry I didn't mention that it the post. What I'm really looking for is somebody with one of those doubled ended big mother chainsaws to quartersaw out some slabs through the guts and then maybe get a lucas in for the rest.

Sir Stinkie: Thanks very much but already looked there, they don't have anything in WA yet but its a great idea. (WA stands for Wait Awhile)

Squizzy, where are you located?
A suggestion that perhaps you give CALM a ring for their list of millers in your area.
Your above post only just beat me,but you have answered the question ALSO try Calm for tree fallers that may be able to help with large saws etc.
Cheers

Thanks Johnno, I'll give CALM a call.

I'd love to get a referral from somebody who has had some recent experience.

Try giving the bloke who runs Westford Milling machines a ring hes sold dozens of mills to people around Perth and should be able to reccomened someone. When we milled a big Jarrah down in Serpentine we used someone from Mandurah and I since I cant say anything good about them I wont say anything at all.
But there are a few people around with truly humungous saws. The Husqvana people on Welshpool rd know a few as they supply the chains and bars.

Thanks Steve, I'll give them a call.

Where abouts in the s/w

Cheers
Piego

A Westford mill? Isn’t that the little gadget you attach to a chain saw?
Mm may be you can cat a few slices from the top with that one, didn't you say 2 metres diameter? The Lucas Mill slabbing accessory reaches 1.5 meter, and so does the Peterson. I'm not sure there is any portable mill that can slab through 2 meters, but I may be wrong.

Perhaps you could slab it with a large chainsaw mill on two opposite sides until it's diameter is down to 1.5 meters, and then use the Lucas mill slabbing gadget to get straight through it... this is providing you can get the machinery to turn such monster around. Must be 300 years old easy.

Marc, just got back this evening from having one of the portable saw guys have a look at it. Yes shes over 250 years (got sick of counting) {it was suggested I just count across the diameter and divide by 2??:confused: } and 1.9 m in dia at the butt. Our plan is to break it down with a chainsaw as suggested such that the portable guys can get their teeth into it. The trouble is I think I'm going to be the sucker on the end of the big Husky (widow maker).

Thanks for the tips guys. I'll try and post a few photos down the track.