60 year old Norfolk pine.

[Jarrahrules]

I have a 60 year old Norfolk pine In my trailer ready to be milled.:D It is in three 3meter lengths. should i slab it or just use it to turn bowls. Has anyone slbed one before and does it look good slabed.
Regards
JAMC

[salty72]

you can always do both come down for your first cut 200mm gives you good half back for natural edge bowl; blanks 100-150 for your next cut another set of blanks then 55 for slabs and in the second half swap to swing blade and cut rails and posts for tables ( Of course that's using a lucas mill) where is Hazelwood North ?? what is the diameter of the tree?? were you going to mill it or get blokes in ??

[Jarrahrules]

Hi Salty
Hazelwood north is in Victoria in the Latrobe valley. The Tree is 150mm top and 350mm bottom. I was going to get someone else to cut it although i would like a mill. If you mill it the grain would be just straight lines so i wasn't sure if looks good.
JAMC

[Sigidi]

Jarrah, take a good quality pic of one open end and post for us, given a good quality pic I will be able to tell you if it may show good figure when quater sawn. This may help

Salty is right, you can do all sorts of different cuts, you don't have to be limited to boards if you want some slabs or bowl blanks etc. Maybe use the but log for slabs (a little on the small side though) second for boards and maybe third for bowls???

Be guided by whoever will mill it, but don't be limited to what they say. Unfortunately sometimes folkes get into a set way of things, also sometimes not.

post some pics of whatever you do:)

[Jarrahrules]

Hi SIGIDI

Thanks for the advice the bottom has less branchs.:D the top has more branches so would be better for bowls however only 150mm.
The end grained log is a half of a log.

714517145271453

Regards
Jamc:2tsup::2tsup:

[salty72]

that is some nice tight grain you will be happy with anything that is cut from that log - would you agree SIGIDI??

[Sigidi]

Sorry guys I've been under a cloud of sawdust(:)), haven't managed to get back until now.

Jarrah, thanks for the pics. By the looks of it, there will be no added benefit regarding better figure in the timber if quatersawn, so worry about quatersawing it.

Possibly slab the bigger one and then convert the others as your dersires/needs dictate. If you can give turning blanks a good home, then cool.

Like you mentioned (and as you can see in the second two pics) when these logs are cut your timber will have fairly straight lines through it's length. Some folkes may think it's plain/ordinary others make think it's well structured and regular and it may be exactly the look they want???

If you wanted to try and get something a bit different looking and wanted some slabs, maybe prop the log up at one end and run the slabs from the bottom corner of one end to the top corner of the other end, this will give very interesting oval grain lines. If you wanted to try something different. Then they can be used for realy nice interesting talking peices for back rests on benches etc???

Just an idea, posts pics for whatever you do...

[Jarrahrules]

Thanks for the advice sigidi.

I like the idea of proping up the slabs.

One other question. The butt to the tree is in the bottom of a bonfire,:~ I wasn't quick enough to get there. He saved me the log though.:2tsup: Do you think it would be worth while getting it out. :roll:It may cost me about $300 for an excavator.:C The base would be about 1.2 m long and should be 400/500 in diameter. I'm tempted.:rolleyes:
Regards
JAMC

[Jarrahrules]

Sorry guys I've been under a cloud of sawdust(:)), haven't managed to get back until now.

Jarrah, thanks for the pics. By the looks of it, there will be no added benefit regarding better figure in the timber if quatersawn, so worry about quatersawing it.

Possibly slab the bigger one and then convert the others as your dersires/needs dictate. If you can give turning blanks a good home, then cool.

Like you mentioned (and as you can see in the second two pics) when these logs are cut your timber will have fairly straight lines through it's length. Some folkes may think it's plain/ordinary others make think it's well structured and regular and it may be exactly the look they want???

If you wanted to try and get something a bit different looking and wanted some slabs, maybe prop the log up at one end and run the slabs from the bottom corner of one end to the top corner of the other end, this will give very interesting oval grain lines. If you wanted to try something different. Then they can be used for realy nice interesting talking peices for back rests on benches etc???

Just an idea, posts pics for whatever you do...
:D

Is that a typo. Should it be don't worry about quarter sawing it???

Regards
Jamc

[Sigidi]

Yep, you caught my brain getting too excited for my fingers:) "Don't" worry about quatersawing.

As for the butt, is this the root ball? If so I've tried a couple of times to make something 'special' by using root balls and cleaning them up before trying to slab them!! not an excersise I will readily repeat, but this doesn't mean you shouldn't. Although my root balls where free... so I only lost some time.

If it is a log then maybe it's worth seeing if you can get it with a neighbours tractor and some beer??

[Jarrahrules]

Tractor won't do it.:no: The bon fire has some 800mm cypress logs on it just to mention a few. Need an excavator.:doh:
It wouldn't be just the roots it would be a log as well, about 1.2m by .5 diameter. But the bottom dosn't have many if any braches so it would be all straight grain.
Regards
Jamc:D:D

[rsser]

The stuff I've cut and turned is pretty plain in colour and figure - tho occasionally there's a pink or green flash.

The bark flakes off and there's fur underneath so nat edge bowls won't look much.

When you do slab or blank it, seal the branch ends too cos they can carry rot into the heartwood.

[Jarrahrules]

Thanks urn will take your advice on board.

Regards
JAMC:2tsup::2tsup:

[Sigidi]

What about, if ya gonna get an Ecky out there, salvage some of the Cypress and get someone in to mill the whole lot? Certainly make it worthwhile, 800mm wide slabs are always a handy bit of timber to have lying around:)

[salty72]

I agree the cypress slabs would be easy worth the $300 you pay for the Ecky, at 800mm thru and 3mtrs in length that slabs would easy make $120ea

[Jarrahrules]

I could easy do that, the only problem is that our cupress is more like Oregeon. Your cypress in Queensland is much nicer(beautiful) compared to ours.
I actually have half a dozen logs in my padock ready to mill.

Regards
JAMC:D

[charlsie]

i'd wouldn't bother with the excavator ,the but log desn't sound that big,i find norfolk fairly boring but this hilps matching up when joining boards, it glues and machines well too i've got some slabs of it here .it needs to be cut fairy soon after being felled to stop the blue stain getting into it as well

[Andy Mac]

Hi Jarrahrules,
I don't mean to sound like a smartarze, but are you sure that's Norfolk Island pine? It looks suspiciously like a Pinus (elliotii?) or even Oregon, with that stripey grain. Does the timber alternate between soft and hard rings with those stripes? I'm sure the knot feature will be similar, as they branch much the same.
I haven't milled Norfolk Island pine myself, but have worked in 3 or 4 other species of Araucaria and they are very much alike. Stripey alternating grain like your picture isn't a feature! I just did a web search for pictures of the timber, and came across one table made from boards. Very much like Hoop, with plain whitish yellow sap and rich golden yellow heartwood; even grain with no distinct stripes.
Did you score an old log, or did you see the tree standing?
Please feel free to correct me!:rolleyes:

Cheers,

[rsser]

AM, my pile of NP has stripes - not striking but distinct.

[Andy Mac]

AM, my pile of NP has stripes - not striking but distinct.

OK, fair enough!:) Just had an inkling, that was all.

Cheers,

[rsser]

Inkling is good.

Often regret not acting on mine.

[Jarrahrules]

i'd wouldn't bother with the excavator ,the but log desn't sound that big,i find norfolk fairly boring but this hilps matching up when joining boards, it glues and machines well too i've got some slabs of it here .it needs to be cut fairy soon after being felled to stop the blue stain getting into it as well

What is the blue stain thing about. It has been two weeks since cut down and still in log form??

Regards
JAMC

[Jarrahrules]

Hi Jarrahrules,
I don't mean to sound like a smartarze, but are you sure that's Norfolk Island pine? It looks suspiciously like a Pinus (elliotii?) or even Oregon, with that stripey grain. Does the timber alternate between soft and hard rings with those stripes? I'm sure the knot feature will be similar, as they branch much the same.
I haven't milled Norfolk Island pine myself, but have worked in 3 or 4 other species of Araucaria and they are very much alike. Stripey alternating grain like your picture isn't a feature! I just did a web search for pictures of the timber, and came across one table made from boards. Very much like Hoop, with plain whitish yellow sap and rich golden yellow heartwood; even grain with no distinct stripes.
Did you score an old log, or did you see the tree standing?
Please feel free to correct me!:rolleyes:

Cheers,

Definetly is Norfolk pine as the property it came from Used to be my wifes family. Thats how i know it is 60 years old.
I work with douglas fir (oregeon)and it isn't that.
Your not a smart ???? it is always good to have other opinoins.
Thatnks for putting in your bit.
JAMC

[rsser]

Bluestain is a fungal infection; affects soft/medium density timbers.

In my experience it can happen within hours. Dunno whether sterilising your cutting gear would prevent it.

Certainly is a pox; produces a partial staining of the timber with a blue/grey colour.

[salty72]

it gives a grey steel look to your timber quite a feature in an otherwise very plane timber

[Andy Mac]

Definetly is Norfolk pine as the property it came from Used to be my wifes family. Thats how i know it is 60 years old.
I work with douglas fir (oregeon)and it isn't that.
Your not a smart ???? it is always good to have other opinoins.
Thatnks for putting in your bit.
JAMC

Hi Jarrahrules,
I stand corrected, hope the timber turns out good for you!:)

Cheers,

[Sigidi]

To limit blue stain you do need to cut it and sticker it in piles as soon as you are able.

And just in case anyone is wondering, no bluestain isn't a millers phurhy used to make some quick bickies for the weekend:)