Back to milling at last

**BobL** · 1st May 2014, 10:38 PM

Although I have been milling some small short stuff mainly for craft use I haven't milled anything big for more than 12 months. Anyway I've started a job to make some stairs and sculptures for Canning City Council at a themed children's playground near Bannister creek which is a habitat for the endangered Wester Australian Long necked tortoise so the theme is this tortoise.

Here's a picture of the general scene.
My first job is to build a set of stairs from a foot path to the top of that stone wall
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Here is a close up of the stone wall.
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The stone wall is the plinth for a short flying fox.
Where possible the city council has specified the use of local materials so the stairs are going to be made out of solid Lemon Scented Gum.
Here is candidate log 1.
Back to milling at last-block1-jpg

The stairs are going to be made from two large (2m long, 600 mm wide and 350 mm thick blocks and these will be stacked on top of each other and then the treads cut out in situ. Precision was not a requirement but I tried to get then reasonably regular in shape.

Here's the reference cut on the first block
[ Back to milling at last-1stcut-jpg

The wood is moderately green (and I reckon way too good for these stairs) but even so it is still quite hard.
Additional problems were
- termites had already got their teeth into the cracks on the bigger Block so there was clay inside the wood.
- to make things a bit more interesting some biting black ants had also taken up residence and they also got right up inside my daks - i.e. not pleasant!

Then from the reference cut I had to make the 350mm deep cut.
The width of that cut at the other end of the log was 960mm which is close to the max width cut of the BIL Mill which is 1m
Back to milling at last-2ndcut-jpg

The deepest cut I have ever made before with the BIL mill was 300 mm. When I made this mill I was going to limit the depth to 12" but at the last moment I up that to 500mm and then I think it ended up at 450mm - well I was glad I had done this because it made things a lot easier.

This block was then ready to put into place
[ Back to milling at last-block1iplace-jpg

Back to milling at last-block1iplace-jpg

A tread will be cut with a beam bill in the top corner. The front of the bottom step will retain some natural edge.

Block 2 - this log was a lot cleaner and a bit smaller so things speeded up a tad
Back to milling at last-block2a-jpg

This block had to have the sides cut more or less square to each other
Back to milling at last-block2b-jpg

I used the fork lift/loader to steady the block while I was cutting it as it was sitting on a curved edge in sand.
Back to milling at last-block2c-jpg

By then I was tired as and decide to call it quits for the day.
More pics tomorrow.

Oh wait - one more, Here's a pic of the guys making the tortoise backs. As you can see the tortoise backs are quite big. The back of the biggest one will be 2 x 3 m. They are using truck tyres covered with crumbled car tyre rubber. My job will be to cut up and sort of carve some legs and the neck/head out of logs.
Back to milling at last-turtles-jpg

**shedbound** · 1st May 2014, 11:13 PM

looks like an awesome job

I would love that sort of work would be the hell out of building houses! Keep up the pics, thanks Bob

**Barterbuilt** · 2nd May 2014, 05:54 AM

Excellent

Should be a very satisfying job, better than just a stack of timber in the shed that nobody sees.

**BobL** · 2nd May 2014, 07:33 AM

Cheers Guys. Yeah it was great to fire up the 880 and seeing how well it chomped on that wood.

I'm feeling pretty tired today as I haven't done this level of physical work for some time but it's only for a few days and then I can have a break.

**artme** · 2nd May 2014, 10:39 AM

Good project to work on Bob!! A good workout for you!!

**dai sensei** · 2nd May 2014, 10:53 AM

Wow what a great job to wrk on, shame I couldn't be there (in a fit form too), to give you a hand. Looking forward to progress shots.

So is it a job for love or are you actually getting paid for this one?

**Anorak Bob** · 2nd May 2014, 11:41 AM

Hi Bob,

Great work as expected. Certainly worlds away from delving for star connections!

In the sensitive environment of a playground situated near the habitat of endangered fauna, how is the issue of termite protection addressed, that's if it is addressed? Could be that Nature is left to her own?

Bob.

**Willy Nelson** · 2nd May 2014, 08:26 PM

Yay, Bob is milling again, just in time for winter. Good job, please keep the piccys coming
Cheers
Willy

**Bushmiller** · 2nd May 2014, 09:24 PM

Nice job Bob. Keep the pix coming.

Regards
Paul

**Sawdust Maker** · 2nd May 2014, 09:31 PM

Nice job - looks like you're enjoying yourself

**BobL** · 2nd May 2014, 09:55 PM

Thanks for all the responses.

Originally Posted by dai sensei

So is it a job for love or are you actually getting paid for this one?

This one is what I would deem a, "tidy little earner"

Originally Posted by artme

Good project to work on Bob!! A good workout for you!!

I have to admit I woke up this morning a wee bit weary and stiff jointed.
And I'm even more tired this evening although today was only a 5 hours day whereas yesterday was 9 hours.

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

Great work as expected. Certainly worlds away from delving for star connections!

Yes it's a bit of a contrast - or maybe not - sweating from handling fine wires is not that different from sweating handling the brute of a Chain Saw Mill. There's definitely more dust with the CSM.

In the sensitive environment of a playground situated near the habitat of endangered fauna, how is the issue of termite protection addressed, that's if it is addressed? Could be that Nature is left to her own?

A serious attempt is being made to address termites. a fair bit of termite barrier cloth is being used under logs etc and a bunch of underground baits will be laid. This is a project that seem to have a fair size budget.

I have a few more pics on the phone - I will post later.

**BobL** · 3rd May 2014, 12:15 AM

Not much time to take pics today as it turned into one of those days.
Shocking night's sleep because the fire alarm battery low alarm started chirping it 2 am
Finally at 4:30 I got up went down the shed got the tall ladder and pulled out the battery - then couldn't get back to sleep of course
Slept in and got there late - forklift/loader would not start - half an hour later it decides to start!
At 2pm I ran out of mix and while there was a servo close by I had to drive home (20 minutes) to get the lube.
While I was there I grabbed a drink and swapped the overalls for shorts as it was quite warm out in the sun.
Back at the site by 3pm when the tree lopper's lads turned up with the truck to take the forklift back to the yard and

couldn't find the forklift keys looked everywhere in the sawdust and then realised - at home in the overalls pocket.?
Just about to drive home when I spotted an black dot in the sawdust right at my feet and sure enough the loader keys! Whew.
By then it was beer o'clock and the boss came round with his 4WD with the thermostatically controlled medical kit in the back.

Anyway here are a few pics

The stone wall the stairs have to lean on is not vertical so I had to cut a 8.5º tapered back on the top block so it would fit flush up against the stone work.
I could have used the mill but as no one would see this I did it free hand and it worked out fine
Also you can see the riser cut for one of the steps - I also did that free hand and it worked out really well

Back to milling at last-taperedback-jpg

Prepping to cut out the tread - this one I messed up by restarting the cut in a separate place. DOH!
Part of this was being in a rush and part was not using the rail mill as planned.
The boss said to leave it and try and resurrect it tomorrow - if not we cut a new block.
Back to milling at last-step-jpg

Here are the stairs in situ, a concrete path is being laid along the top of the yellow sand and up to the bottom step
Back to milling at last-stairs1-jpg

Here you can see the black anti-termite cloth underneath.
Back to milling at last-stairs2-jpg

This is going to be a kids activity bench - just a flat topped (and bottomed log)
Back to milling at last-table1-jpg

There was a fair bit of Longihorn beetle infestation on the sapwood of this log.
When I peeled the mainly sapwood flitch off the top of the log there were dozens of minced larvae and bits of close to hatching beetles in the sawdust.

This recently hatched and beheaded beetle managed to crawl out of its hole and crawl about on top of the log for 10 minutes before ceasing to move.
Back to milling at last-longihorn-jpg

How's the finish eh - I think I have this chain "singing" - to tell the truth it was a bit blunt for this cut.

**Christos** · 3rd May 2014, 12:02 PM

Interesting job site.

**BobL** · 3rd May 2014, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by Christos

Interesting job site.

The local kids are fascinated by the "equipment" and are eager to play on it. "When's it gunna be ready mister?" has been a common question by the kids. As usually they were promised it would be finished last Jan but a couple of the tradies messed up and new tradies had to get called in. None the less it will be a great park and hopefully help to get the locals away from the ubiquitous device screen.

**artme** · 3rd May 2014, 01:14 PM

Wish I was there to see the kids start using it!!

I think kids are so accustomed to plastic and pipes that they yearn for something different.

Imagine them counting growth rings, running their hands over the natural curves of the timber, and even
relishing the size of your pieces.

Was going to comment on the finish but you beat me to it!

Until I had my saw blades sharpened a couple of days ago that was the finish I was getting in radiata!!

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