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Cb168321
10th July 2016, 10:50 PM
Not sure if this is the right forum but here we go.

My job for the power company allows access to hardwood timber poles - ironbark, tallow wood to name a few. My issue lies in the milling required to create usable timber.

Given the inherent metal in the poles (nails, coach screws) metal detecting is required but raises the price substantially.

I have been quoted $800 dollars for a 10 meter tallow wood power pole and would like to confirm if to the best of your knowledge if this is a cost worthy practice to continue or if i could practically purchase the timber for a similiar price?

The pole will be slabbed with a band saw creating sleeper size pieces. Any input would be great thanks.

Acco
11th July 2016, 01:08 AM
First thing I'd be checking is what treatment have the poles had.

The $800 sounds to be on the high side to me if that is for the saw milling cost but if it's supply and milled, it sounds reasonable.

Paul39
11th July 2016, 04:22 AM
Not sure if this is the right forum but here we go.

My job for the power company allows access to hardwood timber poles - ironbark, tallow wood to name a few. My issue lies in the milling required to create usable timber.

Given the inherent metal in the poles (nails, coach screws) metal detecting is required but raises the price substantially.

I have been quoted $800 dollars for a 10 meter tallow wood power pole and would like to confirm if to the best of your knowledge if this is a cost worthy practice to continue or if i could practically purchase the timber for a similiar price?

The pole will be slabbed with a band saw creating sleeper size pieces. Any input would be great thanks.

Ask your sawyer how many useable pieces or board feet you will get. Take that number and size to a timber supplier and ask for a price.

Also ask the sawyer who pays for a bandsaw blade in case a piece of steel or stone is missed in the inspection.

$800 just for cutting seems high to me, and at the end you still have reclaimed wood with all its "character", flaws, etc.

I am a long way from your market, and frugal (cheap), with a yard full of free timber picked up off the side of the road or called to come get.

Cb168321
11th July 2016, 11:04 AM
First thing I'd be checking is what treatment have the poles had.

The $800 sounds to be on the high side to me if that is for the saw milling cost but if it's supply and milled, it sounds reasonable.

The poles are generally 1940's and older and have only been treated from the ground level down hence the species used from my understanding.

I am supplying the poles and delivering them to the factory.

Cb168321
11th July 2016, 11:09 AM
Ask your sawyer how many useable pieces or board feet you will get. Take that number and size to a timber supplier and ask for a price.

Also ask the sawyer who pays for a bandsaw blade in case a piece of steel or stone is missed in the inspection.

$800 just for cutting seems high to me, and at the end you still have reclaimed wood with all its "character", flaws, etc.

I am a long way from your market, and frugal (cheap), with a yard full of free timber picked up off the side of the road or called to come get.

The priced is fixed regardless of any damage to his equipment.

Have you got a link for anywhere in victoria that sells non reclaimed timber? I was of the impression this stuff wasnt exactly an off the shelf item or being sold at extravagant meterage rates.

BobL
11th July 2016, 11:18 AM
Ask your sawyer how many useable pieces or board feet you will get. Take that number and size to a timber supplier and ask for a price. .

That's sort of how I would deal with it as well. Work out how many "sleepers" you would get out of a log and go price them from a timber supplier.
If you are not getting at least a factor of two out of the $$ spent I would not bother.

Most folks forget that handling and storing and caring for large pieces of milled timber can also represents a substantial cost.

You don't say what you want to do with the timber but if you are hoping to sell them and are not a salesman type, then being a timber merchant is no picnic either.

BobL
11th July 2016, 11:22 AM
The priced is fixed regardless of any damage to his equipment.

Have you got a link for anywhere in victoria that sells non reclaimed timber? I was of the impression this stuff wasnt exactly an off the shelf item or being sold at extravagant meterage rates.

It pays to check the location of the poster, Paul is in North Carolina in the US.

The reason for the prices is because small timber milling, storage and management is expensive and can be a PITA

Cb168321
11th July 2016, 06:56 PM
That's sort of how I would deal with it as well. Work out how many "sleepers" you would get out of a log and go price them from a timber supplier.
If you are not getting at least a factor of two out of the $$ spent I would not bother.

Most folks forget that handling and storing and caring for large pieces of milled timber can also represents a substantial cost.

You don't say what you want to do with the timber but if you are hoping to sell them and are not a salesman type, then being a timber merchant is no picnic either.

Personal use and thanks for the heads up on the posters locations.

clear out
14th July 2016, 09:31 AM
We used to split 2ft lengths of old power poles back in the 70s to fire the pottery kiln at UNSW.
Burns at a great heat. Works up a good thirst during a 24 hr firing with 20 yr olds to keep in line.
I later was buying sleepers from Burwood tip for $1 each. They came from the McDonaldtown yards and the council thought they would chop em up with a chainsaw and make a killing selling em. Most got buried.
Cut them in two on the Wadkin PK sliding table saw and then short enough on the Wadkin DR30 bandsaw to fit in our slow combustion stove.Figured bandsaw blades were cheaper than 18" circ saw blades.
Not friendly to have a slow combustion in the city anymore.
Used a few for landscaping in the yard but the white ants liked them too much so am gradually replacing the ones near the house with treated pine.
If you only want sleepers surely they would be cheaper to buy rather than re sawing old poles.
Was it an urban myth that there were thousands of Jarrah sleepers strewn across the Nullabor when they were replaced with conc.
H.