Thanks: 0
Likes: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 15 of 34
Thread: I don't recommend it but...
-
29th September 2009, 12:35 AM #1
I don't recommend it but...
I had a bit of a problem today;
I have very little log left (in fact after today - none) and I need the decking for our front verandah. It isn't fun with kids and Wifey trying to negotiate bare joists. As much as I've tried to make it a no-go zone, everyone has had a tumble of some description, so decking is a priority.
Two rather small logs was what I had to work with both under 0.8 cubic metres So I'm slicing away to get whatever we can from the two logs and bugger me if the log is sitting in a bit of a hollow and the one endframe can't go any lower.
So this is what I was facing...
The bolster is a 4x3 screwed onto a 6x2 and the blocks to the sides of the log are 38mm as an idea of scale. That's a heap of log to throw away because you can't get low enough. So I could try and lift the end of the log up or lower the mill somehow. I was on my own as usual and not keen on trying to 'pick up' the end of the log and definitely didn't want to lose the remaining volume.
In the end, I got down to a bottom flitch of this...
Now first things first, I don't recommend this to anyone (I only did it as a very last resort to recover a bit more) and I know Lucas wouldn't recommend it either, but I did it by digging the endframe down into the dirt. Some wouldn't see this as much of a problem, but there is a very good reason Lucas have made the endframes in a way which stops the rails from getting closer to the ground; it's to stop the blade digging into the dirt when swinging the blade. During a horizontal or vertical cut everything is fine, but on swinging, one edge of the blade drops quite a bit below the line of the cut and has the potential to bite the dirt.
I was going really steady between cuts and swinging the blade very cautiously, but I got there and managed to squeeze these out of the original bottom flitch...
7 more boards, which doesn't equate to very much and I don't think I'd do it again, it was a bit nerve racking as I wasn't wanting the extra boards to cost me a blade re-tip either, but I did manage to get through. You can probably see in the pic, the dirt I put back over the endframe so I didn't trip walking over the little trench I made.
Ps. Also I don't do it, or recommend it either, but I put the boards on the rails just to take the pic. I don't like having any extra weight other than the mill head on the rails when cutting.I love my Lucas!! ...just ask me!
Allan.
-
29th September 2009 12:35 AM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Age
- 2010
- Posts
- Many
-
29th September 2009, 01:14 AM #2
I avoid digging after having spent four years leaning on a shovel so don't worry I wont do it Do you dress the boards before you put them down?
-
29th September 2009, 08:03 AM #3
[QUOTE=Burnsy;1040519]I avoid digging after having spent four years leaning on a shovel so don't worry I wont do itQUOTE]
did u work for teh concil?
www.carlweiss.com.au
Mobile Sawmilling & Logging Service
8" & 10" Lucas Mills, bobcat, 4wd tractor, 12 ton dozer, stihl saws.
-
29th September 2009, 08:10 AM #4
-
29th September 2009, 10:57 AM #5.
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 27,794
Nice boards sidigi!
And what about getting your self a jack?
-
29th September 2009, 11:49 AM #6
Thanks Bob, I've thought about a jack, maybe one of those hi-lift Land Cruiser types you see, but when you haven't got one, it doesn't matter much if you know what you need hey? I could have easily gained 6-8" with one of them, then blocked up the bolsters to suit, but on site I had an iron bar and a square mouth metal shovel, so digin it was.I love my Lucas!! ...just ask me!
Allan.
-
29th September 2009, 12:13 PM #7
Mike, I've done 3 sets of decking for here at home to date;
1. I sliced, brought home, dressed both faces, sent the boards through the table saw and arised the top two corners, then laid. So they where less than a week from being a tree.
2. Sliced, left stickered and strapped for a month, dressed both faces, table saw, arised, then laid.
3. Stickered and strapped for nearly 3 months then dressed top face, table saw, arised, laid.
So, I was looking at the finish on them while sawing yesterday and am thinking of leaving them rough sawn, table saw and aris then lay. Ultimately I will have to get it past the Minister of Home Affairs and Taste...
What do you reckon? I will get a pic of the finish today maybe so you can have a look.I love my Lucas!! ...just ask me!
Allan.
-
29th September 2009, 12:44 PM #8.
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 27,794
-
29th September 2009, 02:05 PM #9
-
29th September 2009, 02:07 PM #10
-
29th September 2009, 03:51 PM #11
1) I laid it really tight, clamped boards together before screwing them down. It was a really great looking bit of decking, but as I expected it has shrunk, which caused gaps between boards around the size I wanted about 5mm, but the face of the boards have surface checking up to 1mm wide, but up to 1012 per board on some boards - boards where 5x1 blanks.
2) I thought 1 month was ok to lose a heap of moisture and didn't gap them when laying, but also didn't clamp them together before screwing down, these have surface checking aswell, but not as wide as 1, but they have gaps up to 1/2"
3) After 2) I didn't want wide gaps again, so again pushed them together, but just used my chisel as a 'clamp' to hold them against each other before screwing down. This deck had been exposed for most of it's life until about 5 months ago. While being exposed it had a heap of trouble with rain and the boards swelled tight against each other. Now it's been covered it has settled down to gaps about 5mm. The best bit is the finish, all the boards are nice smooth and don't have any surface checking.
So of the 3 different decks, I'm happy with giving the boards 3 months air drying, stickered, and strapped, then machine just one face to get them all sitting flat, but use a 2mm nail as spacer between boards if it'll be exposed or push it up lightly if being covered.
With these... I don't have the luxury of 3 months air drying, I'm sure someone will really hurt themselves in that timeI love my Lucas!! ...just ask me!
Allan.
-
29th September 2009, 04:15 PM #12
So here are a few pics of the finish off the saw. I only had my phone camera, so sorry for the quality - be nice if Bob could come over and take some pics using his contraption!!!
The step on the side of this board is between 0.5mm - 1.0mm. to help with a bit of perspective, the boards are 150x28mm and on most of the sawmarks, when you run your finger nail along the board you don't get caught up by the sawmarks.
What do you guys think? I'm reluctant to dress one side as they are so green, I don't want a difference in surface area between both faces to aid in cupping the boards, also due to finances and time, these will be nailed down instead of screwed, not really happy about using nails, but it's a separate deck area to the others which have screws and I gotta get it down before one of the kids break a leg or something silly. I'll be using those timberlock nails with the annular shanks. Also I think leaving them rough sawn will help to disguise surface checking, I'll clamp them hard against each other when laying and nail about 1" in from each side.I love my Lucas!! ...just ask me!
Allan.
-
29th September 2009, 04:48 PM #13
http://www.graysonline.com/Lot.aspx?id=4046215
If you want nail (timber lock)
-
29th September 2009, 04:50 PM #14
When I was living on the west coast of Tassi I owned a holiday house on the north coast at Hawley Beach. I was putting up a decking outside the front door one morning and had a job interview at the pulp mill at around mid day. l left it a little late and was rushing back inside to shower and change when I went through the joists and busted a rib and split the back of my head open. Rushed down to the docs, got my head stitched up, rang the mill and told them I was held up. Got there half an hour late and did the interview with a bandage wrapped around my head that made me look like I had just had a frontal lobotomy.
I was actually told I was the preferred candidtate but they could not employ me because of union restrictions and they had to employ from within the company as they were retrenching staff - this was despite the position being for an environmental specialist for which they had no suitable internal people to transfer. Lucky as if I had of got it I would not have returned to WA and met LOML.
-
29th September 2009, 05:49 PM #15
Krunchie we nailin 'cause we already have the hardware, although I don't like using nails, oh well.
Mike, exactly what I am scared off and no matter how much I keep telling eveyone not to walk on bloody joists, they just won't listen. Yeah I walk on 'em, but I have to to do work and if i get hurt well it's my fault and I'm big enough and ugly enough to deal with that, but the kids!!! oh well I gotta get the deck down soon.I love my Lucas!! ...just ask me!
Allan.
Similar Threads
-
Can I recommend
By jow104 in forum NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH WOODWORKReplies: 5Last Post: 21st November 2007, 10:21 PM -
Multimeter - Which One Would You Recommend
By Metal Head in forum HAND TOOLS - POWEREDReplies: 29Last Post: 2nd April 2007, 08:14 AM -
What tig do you recommend
By charger in forum METALWORK FORUMReplies: 11Last Post: 4th June 2006, 12:28 AM -
Recommend This Site
By R. McCarthy in forum WOODWORK - GENERALReplies: 3Last Post: 15th April 2005, 12:54 PM