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  1. #1
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    Default Cutting slabs - what are useful smaller lengths/thicknesses?

    One of the problems that I sometimes face when slabbing a fallen tree out in the forest is that I'm on my own and only have the ute - which makes getting big slabs loaded and home difficult. I'm just wondering what smaller sizes others find to be useful to later use to make serving trays, cutting boards etc - length and thickness?

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  3. #2
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    It's usually tree dependent but generally the thinner and wider you go the more of a gamble you take.
    If I have lots of something I tend to gamble on milling a few thinner slabs. Success is generally mixed and unpredictable. Better if milled into dimensions that are also not too wide than id left as whole slabs.

    Years ago I had a half dozen small (400mm) freshly milled swamp oak logs I decided to cut into into 1" thick , trunk wide slabs - 3 months later despite serious clamping etc I had a pile of pretzels.

    Trees with junctions like branch/trunk unions especially if the tree was leaning etc can be problematic - even when thick cut.

    Trees that have been down for a while may be a bit more stable.
    - I milled a 450mm fire scarred sheoak that had been down for over a year into 1" slabs and it was OK
    - With Spotted Gums I usually wait until the bark has fallen off which is between 3 and 6 months.
    They are a touch harder but then tend to split and warp less.

  4. #3
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    Cheers Bob. There's a fallen tree that I've got in mind to cut into smaller pieces so as I can easily bring it home in the ute without needing someone else to help me get the pieces into the ute. I might try cutting some at 40mm thick, some at 30 and some at 25 and then see how they fare.

  5. #4
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    If you can clear an access path through the bush, a sack trolley with decent pump up tires and a ratchet strap can move a lot of shorter length lumber over a fair distance. Better still one with fatter/wider brickies barrow tyres. I have wheels/tyres for my CSMs as well.

    Here are two designs I have used - The one on the left uses a cheap sack trolley but I now use the "removable - bolt on" wheels like the one on the right

    BIL-standing.jpg
    076 with 60" bar - all ally mill
    upright.jpg

    880 with 44" bar - Mill is mix of steel and ally
    Jwheels2.jpg

  6. #5
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    I stopped carrying slabs at the same time I gave up footy. That was about 30 years ago and I can move a slab easier now than I ever could back then.
    I mill with a Tassie Lucasmill - In other words a mill with two heads - A slabber on one end and a swing blade on the other. Sawn timber is loaded onto a flat bed trailer positioned at either end, or sometimes two trailers, one at each end. The sawn slab is raised at one end with a pair of wedges and a pipe roller slid under, same at the other using a crow bar. A smaller dia pipe is slipped under the centre. When the slab is pushed towards the trailer the back roller comes free at the end with slab dropping onto the smaller dia centre roller. This creates a wider opening at the leading end so that the freed roller can be easily inserted under the leading edge of the slab and forward we go. Once the slab reaches its balance point at the end of the log, the front pipe roller, which now has become redundant, is placed on the trailer bed to receive the leading slab end and the slab is either pushed by hand or pulled with a winch, depending on weight, onto the trailer. A one man operation without the back ache.

  7. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by rustynail View Post
    I stopped carrying slabs at the same time I gave up footy. That was about 30 years ago and I can move a slab easier now than I ever could back then.
    I mill with a Tassie Lucasmill - In other words a mill with two heads - A slabber on one end and a swing blade on the other. Sawn timber is loaded onto a flat bed trailer positioned at either end, or sometimes two trailers, one at each end.
    This is fine, and have done similar things myself, provided vehicles can be located close to the ends of logs. However, I believe the OP only has a chainsaw mill and is walking into bushland to get at his logs so he can't readily get his vehicles close by.

    Something else you might want to consider to reduce weight is removing the edges and/or slicing up the slabs width wise, in half or 1/3rds. If you only have a CS on hand then a mini (or edge) mill will easily do this.
    Something like this one Granberg Edging Mill G555B
    These are relatively easy to make if you have a welder or a mate with a welder.

    start.jpg

  8. #7
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    He says its him and the ute.

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