Thread: Tree felling at home - useful?

How were you planning on supporting the log while you passed it through your bandsaw?

How do you know they are mature?

150 - 300 mm doesn't sound that big to me.

Also, I didn't know that pine trees had "multiple trunks"

Not to say that they don't mind, just that I haven't heard of it.

Don't sound like radiata.
Possibly Cypress Macrocarpra going by the multiple trunks description.
Very nice timber, well worth salvaging as much as possible.

You need to break the logs down at least to quarters otherwise the logs will get many radial splits as they dry out.

Originally Posted by craigb

How were you planning on supporting the log while you passed it through your bandsaw?

How do you know they are mature?

150 - 300 mm doesn't sound that big to me.

Also, I didn't know that pine trees had "multiple trunks"

Not to say that they don't mind, just that I haven't heard of it.

Well, I dunno

I don't have the bandsaw yet, so I haven't even started to think how I might use it...

The trees are mature. They would be between 30 and 50 years old. Some have died in the last few years. Looking at the cross-sections of the trunks, I'm surprised how clean the timber is, I expected to see a lot of borers etc. It's also pretty straight. They are definitely not radiata, but I thought they were some sort of pine. Maybe they are a cypress.

At the base, before the trunk splits into several trunks, they would be between 50-80cm diameter.

echninda, what do you mean quartered? How do you do that?

I've got some photo's I'll post them in a couple of minutes, just got to fight the technology...

Ok, I hope this works, a couple of photos:

Shot of the first felled tree trunk with other trees in the background:




Full height photo of tree behind the felled tree:



Cross section of one of the logs:



Does that help identify the tree?

woodbe.

You need to seal the ends.
Like right NOW before splitting starts.

Do not know the timber but looks turnable.

Originally Posted by DavidG

You need to seal the ends.
Like right NOW before splitting starts.

Do not know the timber but looks turnable.

But it's dark out there!

Well, there's more coming down next week. Will sealing the ends stop the radial splits echninda was talking about?

How does one seal the ends? Paint or something?

Michael

Originally Posted by woodbe

But it's dark out there!

Well, there's more coming down next week. Will sealing the ends stop the radial splits echninda was talking about?

How does one seal the ends? Paint or something?

Michael

Sealing will slow down drying from the ends and hence slow down cracking. I buy mis-tinted tins of paint from Bunnings or my local paint shop. Ususally no more than half-price and I prefer to use a good exterior acrylic, although anything will do in a pinch.

Hi Michael,

Nice timber, as others have said get the ends sealed as quickly as possible and "split" logs into quarters as soon as you can.

For end sealer I use green wood sealer which I got from LEDA on Richmond road, if they don't carry it any more then they can at least tell you where you may be able to get it.

Himzo.

Originally Posted by himzol

Hi Michael,

Nice timber, as others have said get the ends sealed as quickly as possible and "split" logs into quarters as soon as you can.

For end sealer I use green wood sealer which I got from LEDA on Richmond road, if they don't carry it any more then they can at least tell you where you may be able to get it.

Himzo.

Hey thanks, I'll check that out this morning.

How would I go about splitting the logs into quarters?

Michael

Originally Posted by woodbe

Ok, I hope this works, a couple of photos:

Shot of the first felled tree trunk with other trees in the background:




Full height photo of tree behind the felled tree:



Cross section of one of the logs:



Does that help identify the tree?

woodbe.

Cypress is the timber. Turns well but can be a bit bland.

I agree... looks like Macrocarpa cypress.
I saw a lot of it for various projects, it's good timber.
Looks a lot like NZ kauri when it's finished.

Some idea..
Saw slices out of the larger trunks lengthwise with a chainsaw. Let them dry for 12 months and level them off with a router / frame. Coffee table tops.

Split the logs in 1/2 or quarters with chainsaw and let them dry like that. You can resaw them later once they are dry and you have a bandsaw.

Cut them into turning blanks if thats what you are into.

The sections around the large knots where the wood is under stress will often have neat curly grain in it too, so keep an eye open for that.

Cheers

Ian

Some samples

1st is a serving tray glued up of offcuts of Mac and Laswon cypress. The mac is the darker coloured wood.

2nd is my dining room wall panelled in Macrocarpa. Needs a couple more coats of poly yet. (WIP)

3rd pic is a BRANCH from a big mac that we sawed up. Notice my mate standing beside it wondering where to start with the chainsaw. It was over 1m dia at the base, rest of the tree it broke out of is in the background, we haven't decided how to cut down the rest yet
A mature Macrocarpa will be somewhere between 1 and 3 Meters dia . Taking them out now is probably a good idea if they are near your house.

Cheers

Ian

Thanks Ian,

Wall and tray look good!

Not sure what effect it would have, it's about a 20" rainfall here, but in any case, there are about 11 of these trees in the front yard, 4 or 5 in direct proximity to the house. At least one of them is completely dead. We're in a bushfire area, so we and the fire service are a bit jumpy about the amount of combustible material so close to the building.

Apart from the the fire and fall-on-house risk, all the dead grey understorey is depressing and the house is deprived of light. It looks like an escapee from Transylvania hidden inside the forest like that

Once they're out, we plan to put in a mixture of smaller trees, probably some natives and manchurian pears to give us good winter light and summer shade.

These are small compared to the monsters on the other side of the house...

Michael

Originally Posted by woodbe

Hey thanks, I'll check that out this morning.

How would I go about splitting the logs into quarters?

Michael

Well theres several ways,

wedges and sledge hammer, bloody hard work!!!

depending on what you plan to do with the rest, fire wood etc.. then hireing a comercial log splitter.. (Coetes would be best, hire on Sat morning, pay for one day get Sunday free)

If you have a chain saw and something like triton super jaws then you could rip them in half that way.

We're in a bushfire area

, where abouts? I'm at crafers west.

Himzo.