Thread: Bandsawing a Spotted Gum

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

The Shadow knows

.

I was thinking more Dick Tracey, but I think your reference is more amusing .

Regards
Paul

I'm moving towards the solar drying component and started some preparation over the last two days.

Have you ever noticed how nothing is ever in the right place. I had placed the drying stack next to a pile of demolition cypress that I plane to utilise in my new shed, but it was in the way of where the solar kiln will be positioned. (I did know this of course.)

So first I had to move that. Recently I made up a small set of forks for the Grey Fergie, although as you can see mine is really a Red Fergie and as much use as her namesake . I had always promised myself I would never buy a Fergie as they are a pretty useless excuse for a tractor. For example; Never mind, I'll be up on my hobby horse and you'll never buck me off .

Suffice to say that a Grey (or Red) Fergie is a Claytons tractor, but still better than doing stuff by hand; Just.

Demolition Cyprus in the way of Spotty.

spotty 4 012.jpg

So here we are clearing the area.

Spotty 4 018.jpgSpotty 4 013.jpgSpotty 4 014.jpgSpotty 4 015.jpgSpotty 4 016.jpgSpotty 4 017.jpg

Then I needed to set up the frames for the solar plastic. Eight star pickets sitting 1200mm out the ground.


Spotty 4 021.jpgSpotty 4 019.jpgSpotty 4 020.jpg

The frame consists of poly pipe, 1 1/2" in this case, which I had left over from some water work done last year. The pipe sits into the star picket which was placed so the "vee" faced outwards. This allowed cable ties to pull the pipe into the picket. If I had 2" poly available I could have slid the pipe over the start picket, which would have been both better and easier.

I put the remaining frames up. Small adjustments to the height are possible by sliding the pipe up the picket. More cable ties are needed, but I ran out. Wiring is another fastening option which I did. I will end up with three fastenings per post, although there is only one at the moment.

There is deliberately a larger opening down one side of the stack(where the sample boards and connections are located) to allow me to get in there for moisture content checking.

spotty 5 005.jpgspotty 5 001.jpg

Detail of the fastening. Child's play really.

spotty 5 002.jpgspotty 5 004.jpgspotty 5 003.jpg

I'm keen to get on with the solar aspect, although perhaps the Spotty could benefit from more air drying time. At this time of the year temperatures are hardly going to be elevated so I'll think on it some more.

Regards
Paul

Looks like a simple way to cover your stack. Even if a solar system doesn't work, you can still use it to drape some shade cloth over the top during summer.

Originally Posted by dai sensei

Looks like a simple way to cover your stack. Even if a solar system doesn't work, you can still use it to drape some shade cloth over the top during summer.

Neil

I have done this before and it works, after a fashion, but this time I am planning a forced airflow to improve circulation. More on that later.

Regards
Paul

Did any of you notice my highly sophisticated tractor weights hanging off the front? They are a perfectly matched set to compliment the paltry hydraulic lifting capacity of a Fergie.

In fact the hydraulics now just give up before the front wheels "pop." Much better that way. As the ground is flat three disused batteries are adequate .

Regards
Paul

Yes I did notice and forgot to make a comment

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Did any of you notice my highly sophisticated tractor weights hanging off the front?

I thought they were to help jump start it

Have seen a drying shelter like that before. Set up your timber stacks facing north to south. Build your shelter facing east to west. Cover shelter with green house film which you can get from Jaylon Industries for about $100. Cut a small vent down the bottom on the east end and a small vent up the top on the west end. Place a few old baking trays full of butchers salt on the floor and Whalla!,, you have a solar kiln.

nifty

Originally Posted by nifty

Have seen a drying shelter like that before. Set up your timber stacks facing north to south. Build your shelter facing east to west. Cover shelter with green house film which you can get from Jaylon Industries for about $100. Cut a small vent down the bottom on the east end and a small vent up the top on the west end. Place a few old baking trays full of butchers salt on the floor and Whalla!,, you have a solar kiln.

nifty

Nifty

That sounds good but not exactly what I have in mind. In fact I covered the stack with plastic two days ago but it was too late to take pix and my work commitments have precluded me getting back to it. Sunday will be the first opportunity.

Regards
Paul

Before covering the stack I did take some more moisture readings. The figures in brackets are those taken on 4 June:

__________________________________Surface ___________________________Centre of timber

Spotted Gum (first batch) 100 x 50.............20% (49%)........................................... 54% (>70%)

Forest Red Gum (sample 1) 100 x 50..........12% (13.5%).........................................13% (14%)

Forest Red Gum (sample 2) 100 x 38..........12.5%....................................................13%

Spotted Gum (2nd batch) 125 x 25 ...........................................................................45%

......................................200 x 50............................................................................55%

Very much what I was expecting considering it was drying through winter. It does show well the huge difference in MC that can exist into the timber and the first batch of spotty is indicative of that.

Pictures of the stack on Sunday, all being well.

Regards
Paul

I keep spacing the table out in the previous post, but it closes up on me when I "submit." Hope you can understand it.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

I keep spacing the table out in the previous post, but it closes up on me when I "submit." Hope you can understand it.
Regards
Paul

Change to a fixed-size font like Courier.
Paul

something like

__________________________________ Surface ___________________________Centre of timber

Spotted Gum (first batch) 100 x 50..........20.0% (49%)............................. 54% (>70%)

Forest Red Gum (sample 1) 100 x 50..........12.0% (13.5%)............................13 % (14%)

Forest Red Gum (sample 2) 100 x 38..........12.5%....................................13%

Spotted Gum (2nd batch) 125 x 25 ...........45.0%
200 x 50............55.0%

Here you go, using the software available in the reply to thread, I was able space it out without having to insert multiple periods.

image.jpg

I simply selected 6 rows, 3 columns, no border and centre, then just type in data in each section and the software keeps it all in place.

image.jpg

	Surface	Centre
Spotted Gum (first batch) 100 x 50	20% (49%)	54% (>70%)
Forest Red Gum (sample 1) 100 x 50	12% (13.5%)	13 % (14%)
Forest Red Gum (sample 2) 100 x 38	12.5%	13%
Spotted Gum (2nd batch) 125 x 25		45%
200 x 50		55%

Lets try 4 columns instead of 3 and width at 600

	Size	Surface	Centre
Spotted Gum (first batch)	100 x 50	20% (49%)	54% (>70%)
Forest Red Gum (sample 1)	100 x 50	12% (13.5%)	13 % (14%)
Forest Red Gum (sample 2)	100 x 38	12.5%	13%
Spotted Gum (2nd batch)	125 x 25		45%
	200 x 50		55%