Burnsy's 8-30

[Burnsy]

Just put my deposit down on a new 8-30:2tsup:. Very excited, counting down the days to the holidays now as I will have it in time:D. Log collecting can now start in earnest.

Anyone who is lopping trees with decent sized trunks in Perth and want the trunks taken away for free instead of having to pay to have them cut up and dumped, feel free to PM me. I will also be contract milling if anyone is interested.

Burnsy

[Steve Fryar]

Very cool.Will you be slabbing or both?I'm still toying with the idea but for a hobby...what is the going rate for a big Lucas by the way?:U

[weisyboy]

onya mate. should have some fun with it.:2tsup:

[Burnsy]

Very cool.Will you be slabbing or both?I'm still toying with the idea but for a hobby...what is the going rate for a big Lucas by the way?:U

Only milling boards to start as I think there are enough people around making slabs and not enough market for them. I will buy a slabber in the future when someone wants to pay me to use it so it then pays for itself with my time. New 8-30 is $16G inc GST.

[Sigidi]

Great to 'officially' here about it:) good stuff Mike.

Milling rates vary a bit depending on operator and machine. $200 per cube seems top dollar for swingblading and $110hour for slabbing seems to be the norm too. Having said this everyone needs to find a rate which works for them. It's hard to know how much experience someone has just because they have a mill and when it comes to timber versus great timber, that experience plays more a part than the machine. Just my opinion

[BobL]

Good news Burnsy. Let the sawdust fly. :2tsup:

[Burnsy]

Great to 'officially' here about it:) good stuff Mike.

Milling rates vary a bit depending on operator and machine. $200 per cube seems top dollar for swingblading and $110hour for slabbing seems to be the norm too. Having said this everyone needs to find a rate which works for them. It's hard to know how much experience someone has just because they have a mill and when it comes to timber versus great timber, that experience plays more a part than the machine. Just my opinion

I think you are on the money there regarding experience, when was the last time you read a post on here about maximising quarter sawn boards out of a log:wink:.

Not being happy with just buying a mill today I bought a project trailer as well. I have started a new thread here (http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?p=849146#post849146)and would be interested in comments from lucas owners as to what they find useful in a trailer regarding size and setup and what they use their trailers for. I already have a trailer that the lucas will fit on but figured I needed something a little bigger and with a larger load capacity to carry timber and maybe logs on. Will only carry small logs or larger ones that loppers can crane onto the trailer for me, not worried about getting them off as I figure I can mill over the trailer if I need to, anyone else done this before?

[Ibanez]

I think you are on the money there regarding experience, when was the last time you read a post on here about maximising quarter sawn boards out of a log:wink:.

Not being happy with just buying a mill today I bought a project trailer as well. I have started a new thread here (http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?p=849146#post849146)and would be interested in comments from lucas owners as to what they find useful in a trailer regarding size and setup and what they use their trailers for. I already have a trailer that the lucas will fit on but figured I needed something a little bigger and with a larger load capacity to carry timber and maybe logs on. Will only carry small logs or larger ones that loppers can crane onto the trailer for me, not worried about getting them off as I figure I can mill over the trailer if I need to, anyone else done this before?


I have just bought a 6-18 and test rode it Monday (24th Nov) Speewah near Kuranda on 38 deg 80% humidity day of all days to start, anyway also spent two weeks upgrading my trailer while waiting for Lucas to arrive.

At this stage I can transport 4metres in length, slabs and boards etc on a single axle 1750kg trailer 7 x 5 with an extended draw bar, the trailer deck has removable ends so loading all timber etc is very easy, I have an Oversize sign and flags to stay legal re length.

I have made a triagle support frame for a hi lift jack- log lifter, I saw on another thread (thanks BobL) and via a winch and rollers can load very heavy slabs or logs quite easily, although most of what I cut from now will be furniture and building timber the flexibility of being able to carry slabs etc is handy.

I would love a tandem/car trailer BUT all my $$ went to the mill so I needed to make do with what I had and modify to suit, For me it works well as the trailer can transport the mill and move my timber safely and easily.

I'L detail my log loading procedure on another thread.

Shayne

[Sigidi]

Shayne at 1750kg, you might have to do two trips with a days milling, but I know what it's like when you chuck the money at the machine and have to make do with everything else for it:)

Look forward to seeing your thread on your trailer

[Ibanez]

Shayne at 1750kg, you might have to do two trips with a days milling, but I know what it's like when you chuck the money at the machine and have to make do with everything else for it:)

Look forward to seeing your thread on your trailer


At the moment I can leave mill onsite for the next 12 months if I need to as I work through my log pile so there is only timber transport to deal with at moment, But I know that wont always be the case so either a tandem is on cards for next year or a light truck, $$$ will be key though

[Marginata]

Maaaate! Great news Mike. When do you get it?

[Burnsy]

Maaaate! Great news Mike. When do you get it?
Should have it for the holidays so start putting the hard word on all your neigbours not to send trunks to landfill when they get lopping done:2tsup:.

[Burnsy]

:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup::2tsup::2tsup::2tsup::2tsup::2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

[weisyboy]

just gotta put it together.

[Burnsy]

just gotta put it together.
Friday is the start of school holidays so Friday will be play day. Just got an email from an earth mover who I spoke to last week, he has a heavily wooded block that they are starting to clear tomorrow, drop by in the morning, tell them what I want and they will put it aside for me:2tsup: Have only spoken to two contractors so far, both are real keen for me to take as much as I can as they don't want to deal with the oversize stuff. I guess I now have to find a place to store all this timber:doh:

[weisyboy]

storage is a big problem.

[Ibanez]

Friday is the start of school holidays so Friday will be play day. Just got an email from an earth mover who I spoke to last week, he has a heavily wooded block that they are starting to clear tomorrow, drop by in the morning, tell them what I want and they will put it aside for me:2tsup: Have only spoken to two contractors so far, both are real keen for me to take as much as I can as they don't want to deal with the oversize stuff. I guess I now have to find a place to store all this timber:doh:



looks good in a box better over a log though

Storage is my BIG issue, as I'm primarily cutting for furniture and instuments my longest pieces are 3000mm with the occaisional 4000mm destined for tables but with over 100 logs that takes a lot of space,

Even though I have bother swinger and slabber, I've decided to slab most for the sake of timber drying stability as I will resawing later any way cutting boards etc out of the slabs to try to ensure wide flat pieces.

Shayne

[Sigidi]

Hey Great stuff Mike!! Whoo hoo, you and your hat brought a smile to ma face:2tsup:

[BobL]

Whoo - Hooo - very slick - now lets see the sawdust!

[Burnsy]

First day off and no time really available. Managed to get it out of the box and a few of the non-fitted parts fitted up.

[Sigidi]

Feels good Mike? again a smaile when I thought I was in for frowns!! Good on ya.

what are those three grey/gal bars near the corner of the carriage?

[Ibanez]

Burnsey, I unpacked mine on the back lawn, set it completely up and just stared at it for a while still not believing what I was seeing ,the pain in my lower back went away, :2tsup:walked into garage looked at steel chainsaw mill, pain came back, :o


The feeling hasn't changed :D
Shayne

[BobL]

Looking good !

[Burnsy]

what are those three grey/gal bars near the corner of the carriage?

They are the ground spikes for the upright stays, there is a flange welded into the corner with holes in it and they had them sitting in there in the crate. Left them there as then I won't loose them:D

Still no milling today, spent the day paving a mates new pool, can't stand paving, hate it and wouldn't do it even when builders were offering me $700 plus per day last Christmas but it seems I am just too nice a guy - went and spent the day doing something I hate for free instead of playing with the mill. Just realised "the mill" needs a name. Has anyone else named theirs?

Determined to fire it up tomorrow, don't care if it is Sunday. If Jesus was a carpenter then it must be OK to mill on a Sunday:wink:

[Sigidi]

Oh Clever little spot, I might drill that web out to fit mine - I'm always leaving them on a job:(

Naming - yeah mine(Lucas that is) is Larry, chainsaw is Harry, truck is Donkey

Mike you gotta learn to say "NO" especially when you have a brand new shiny mill to play with!! get out there and make some sawdust! and you can say that's step 1 in a 12 step plan from Lucas Anonymous:)

[charlsie]

it's a good little spot .i put eye bolts in mine so i can crane it onto the truck .just wondering why you would slab stuff to resaw later why not cut over size timber so it dries quicker than slabs? a quick dimension table i put down is what i use when cutting this allows for shrink warp degrade and anything else the numbers are all in millimeters the first being what u cut using the mill the second what it should dress out to (for hardwood only) pretty good for both back and qtr sawn

saw cut...................... dressed size
19 mm ......................12-16mm
28mm.......................... 19mm
44mm........................... 35mm
56mm........................... 42-45mm
84mm............................ 70mm
106mm........................... 90mm
134mm ............................110-115- 120mm
159mm............................. 140mm
213mm............................... 190mm
i think lucas owners will find the 213mm cut the largest they can cut unless you have the 9 inch blade so if you cut say an 8"x2" board (213mmx56mm) it will dress to 190mmx45mm which is what u get from the big green shed

[Sigidi]

Charlsie, ya lost me, who's talking about re-sawing?

[Burnsy]

Fired up the beast today, LOML says it should be called Linus, so I guess Linus it is:D.

Had a sheoak sitting around that I threw under Linus as his first test, beautiful flame in the timber but full of rot, still a fair bit of usable timber in it, just needs docking out. As the log was small I just cut 1 1/2 inch boards through the whole thing horizontally and vertical cutting along a crack where I could. Amazingly easy and quick to cut after slabbing the last sheoak with my chainsaw mill. Easily cut the full depth of the blade without any trouble. Now to go an find some big logs that I can set up over and enjoy a few hours milling instead of only ten minutes:C

I must say that while assembling the Lucas, the fine details included in the mill continually amazed me. After owning and operating a fair bit of machinery in my time I find that most stuff is designed by non-users who have never had to turn a spanner on their equipment. The little things like the change in the casting profile to allow you to get your fingers in when putting the locking nut on the back of the blade bolts are gold as far as I am concerned. You can see that the mill would work fine without that profile change and you could still change the blade and fit the nuts (just with a little more time and a swearing) but they have taken the time to include anyway:2tsup:

[Sigidi]

There ya go Mike, that first pic is what I've been waiting to see:2tsup:

good for you mate, you may not quite have it yet, but I see a growing sawdust addiction in your future:) As you get wiser with that new sawmill of yours remember us mere mortals who don't have as many ponies to play with and reflect on us from time to time:)

[charlsie]

Even though I have bother swinger and slabber, I've decided to slab most for the sake of timber drying stability as I will resawing later any way cutting boards etc out of the slabs to try to ensure wide flat pieces.

Shayne[/quote]
sigi this come from shayne about 10 posts up i thought i had sawdust in the eye till i found it. it'll take stuff all time to get the sawdust pile up then all you have to do is get rid of it .that's the part i hate.and i've got the bobby to load into others trailers

[Burnsy]

it'll take stuff all time to get the sawdust pile up then all you have to do is get rid of it .that's the part i hate.and i've got the bobby to load into others trailers

Hoping to not do that much milling at home as I don't want to give the neigbours the shytes. I plan on bagging the sawdust and selling it when it gets that bad:) Having said this I have been surprised how quite the mill is. Most noise seems to come from the drive belts/gearbox, other than that, even when cutting the Koehler is pretty quiet and the blade cutting is very quiet - nowhere near as bad as the obnoxious blowers my neigbours all use for hours on end!

[Ibanez]

Even though I have bother swinger and slabber, I've decided to slab most for the sake of timber drying stability as I will resawing later any way cutting boards etc out of the slabs to try to ensure wide flat pieces.

Shayne
sigi this come from shayne about 10 posts up i thought i had sawdust in the eye till i found it. it'll take stuff all time to get the sawdust pile up then all you have to do is get rid of it .that's the part i hate.and i've got the bobby to load into others trailers[/quote]

By slabbing and resawing I've now got boards upto 350mm and 450mm wide and 4 metres long in some cases, very flat and stable with the EMC I am after, ensuring that when ready, I have timber suitable for my purpose, to get what you want sometimes you need to think outside of the norm and do whats right for you.:2tsup:

Shayne

[charlsie]

shayne, your dead right if you know the end product and how to get it off you go and good onya:2tsup:

[texx]

please be very careful with bagged sawdust , specially if it is damp sawdust .
spontaneous combustion

ask any floor sander and they will tell you .
i lost count of how many times i finished a floor sanding job then got back to the office and the next day i had an irrate customer on the phone asking why i set alight to the saw dust pile in the back yard when they just asked me to leave in in a pile in the corner of the yard .a few times i got back to a job that i was still working on and forgot and left the dust bag half full on the machine overnight and it was smoldering the next morning some times with a sanding machine it is a tiny spark from hitting a nail that can start the problem .
but some times its just because the floor had been oiled at some time , also we used to some times mop kero on the floor makes it cut better in some cases.
but green timber would have enough moisture to make me nervous .

[Burnsy]

I have been sitting on this bluegum for a week waiting for the right weather, BOM said it was right but they were wrong and it still hit 35 there:rolleyes:. Was worth the effort and I had fun, also is a benefit working on the side of the road- good exposure so hopefully a few more jobs will come from it:2tsup:.

The log was 4.1 metres long and has been sitting on the edge of the road awaiting slabbing for two years. I dropped by one afternoon and said I won't slab t but am happy to cut it into boards, owners were happy with this as long as I cut a layer of large 200x50mm boards through the middle of it for them keeping the natural edge as they could rejoin them. Lucky I did it this way as there was no way I was going to be able to move a full slab that long:oo:

Log was not able to be moved and was right on the edge of the road so I only got through about 3/5 of it before I ran out of height. The remaining log will make a nice bench for them in their garden if they can move it:wink:.

I know bluegum is not sort after but this was a nice log and I got 0.35 cubic metres out of it, mostly quartersawn into boards that would be suitable to make a big dining table. Nice colour and some fiddle back grain in the big boards. All stacked and stickered now awaiting some keen woody.

I am not full bottle on bluegums, it was the one with the bark that sheds from the top stringing all over it in the canopy and with thick fibrous bark around the main trunk. Can anyone advise whether this description fits Eucalyptus Regans?

[Burnsy]

I am not full bottle on bluegums, it was the one with the bark that sheds from the top stringing all over it in the canopy and with thick fibrous bark around the main trunk. Can anyone advise whether this description fits Eucalyptus Regans?

Looks like it could have been Tasmanian Bluegum or Eucalyptus globulus or Sydney Bluegum Eucalyptus saligna that has the ribboning bark in the canopy so I am still a bit lost. Does anyone know if E. saligna has the ribbed nuts with various different numbers (between 3 and 6) of valve openings to allow the seed to exit? I am leaning toward E. globulas as the timber is lighter and the nuts fit the description. Unfortunately with the tree having been down for two years there is not much else to go on!

[eddie the eagle]

E. Globulus doesn't lose branches easily, Burnsy, and the leaves are huge - about 10" long and 1/5" wide.

Cheers,

eddie

(Who sent away a leaf/seed pod of Tassie Blue Gum for identification when I was looking for a backyard tree for a huge block.)

[funkychicken]

Looks like Black Butt

[Johncs]

Just put my deposit down on a new 8-30:2tsup:. Very excited, counting down the days to the holidays now as I will have it in time:D. Log collecting can now start in earnest.

Anyone who is lopping trees with decent sized trunks in Perth and want the trunks taken away for free instead of having to pay to have them cut up and dumped, feel free to PM me. I will also be contract milling if anyone is interested.

Burnsy

Want some palms:U

[Burnsy]

Want some palms:U

Got two thanks and they do just good at pushing the Lucas back and forward over lovely hardwood:2tsup:

[Shedhand]

Burnsy, that looks suspiciously like a Festool machine.....:D the colour gaives it away mate..... I just read the complete thread. You making any money out of it yet? Hope so and good luck.

[Burnsy]

Burnsy, that looks suspiciously like a Festool machine.....:D the colour gaives it away mate..... I just read the complete thread. You making any money out of it yet? Hope so and good luck.

Long way off paying it off but I have time and I am having fun:D