Milling the log in Melbourne

**dai sensei** · 30th November 2013, 09:30 PM

Well I finally got around to milling up the ~~Redgum~~, ~~Cadagi~~, Bluegum (see https://www.woodworkforums.com/f132/advice-178406/). First up job was to cut up all the slices the tree feller had left for firewood, as they were too big to manhandle, then move them out of the way. I then docked the log from both ends, to try and remove the end cracking already evident, plus reduce length from 2.9m back to the maximum my milling ladder can handle which is 2.1m (also the clear length inside my trailer). I then cut the docks into woodturning blanks to give away.

Finally set up on the log for a 90mm cant cut, later cut into firewood.

gum set-up.jpg

I used my 4' bar which attaches to the milling frame using clamps (rather than bolts for the other bars - note to self, drill holes in 4' bar). The clamps have a central wheel and upper and lower skid plates to guide the mill around the bark, but unfortunately the edges of the skid guides kept digging in the thick bark, so I had to abandon the pulley system and revert back to pushing (and unfortunately seesawing) so the finish was not the best

. I'll have to mod my mill when get back to more wheels (like Bob has adopted if memory serves me correct).

gum 1.jpg

All the following photos are after taking a cut/slab. Anyway started milling the first slab and realised I didn't change the depth setting, so it was 90mm thick

. Too late to change so I decided to keep going and cut my beams from the slab (for table legs/bearers etc) as it was too heavy for me to manhandle myself. I ended up with 2 no. 300x90 planks after cutting the sapwood/bark off (another note to self, improve freehand cutting by following line

)

gum 3.jpg gum beams blanks.jpg

I then cut a 50mm slab (pushing again

) and noted a large sap vein that formed a blood filled crack. I also noted this sap vein went in a 400mm dia circle at the end of the log

gum 4.jpg log sap vein.jpg

I was pretty close to the pith by then, and as I had already cut a 90mm slab I was supposed to cut around the pith, I decided to keep going cutting 50mm slabs. They all formed cracks along the blood line, and no doubt the pith will crack too, so I may end up with quite a few boards in lieu of slabs when they dry. Or just be prepared for resin filling/joining across the cracks/blood veins. So ended up with 6 no. 50mm slabs in all varying from 600 to 800 wide. The last 4 slabs were cut with the aid of my 4:1 rope pulley system that gave a really good surface finish with a lot less effort too.

gum 2.jpg gum 5.jpg gum 6.jpg gum 7.jpg gum 8.jpg

The final cant still had some decent red for over half the length. So I slabbed another 50mm to 2/3 log length, then cut 2 no 250mm wide boards. There were still a few bits of red in the remaining cant, so I freehand cut 6 more small 200x200x50mm turning blanks before slicing the remainder into firewood.

The following is the 6 slabs and 4 beams, all end sealed and boron washed, tied onto the ute ready to head home. A friend (and forumite) of Richard (the owner) came around and took the pick of the larger turning blanks, he has a Stubby, but I did keep one to give to DJ and rough turn when I see him soon. I threw all the other woodturning blanks (bowls/plates/pepper grinders etc etc) in the trailer to take to the get together next Sunday (see https://www.woodworkforums.com/f69/bbq-donvale-179262/)

loaded truck 2.jpg loaded truck 1.jpg

All up it took the best part of Friday & today, so I am totally stuffed now, waiting for the painkillers to kick in

. Big thank you to Richard for access to the log, and all the help loading the trailer, the biggest slab was around 120kgs. Thanks to Scott for putting me in touch with Richard.

My mother is almost Ok with storing the slabs until I get back in ~12 months, but my sisters are not (worried they will stay there), so I am leaving on ute for now whilst I consider options. If anyone wants to tempt me to sell the load (& deliver in Melb surrounds) on the ute now (ie as is) PM me.

Cheers

**gawdelpus** · 30th November 2013, 09:58 PM

Just a Glutton (for punishment) lol. That's a mighty effort there Neil ,Hope its all worthwhile in the end

Cheers ~ John

**DJ’s Timber** · 30th November 2013, 10:14 PM

As previously said Neil, still welcome to stack them here, can fork the load straight off your ute as is. Cleared the other qtr acre this week, so have quite a bit of spare space at the moment

**dai sensei** · 30th November 2013, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by DJ's Timber

As previously said Neil, still welcome to stack them here, can fork the load straight off your ute as is. Cleared the other qtr acre this week, so have quite a bit of spare space at the moment

Thanks DJ, certainly an option.

**Sigidi** · 1st December 2013, 07:26 AM

good work mate

**tassietimbers** · 1st December 2013, 08:20 PM

Hi there.

Very good effort there on the chainsaw mill, and some nice slabs. Brought back a few memories of hanging on the end of my old 090 for months on end. Just made a few observations from your photos, and thought I would throw a few ideas your way, for what they are worth.

That gum vein/crack you encountered will always open up as the timber dries, hence we never slab or board any material inside this ring that we wish to recover. Even if it appears to be too big to be the heart, we treat it as the heart and base our measurements around it.

When my milling was limited to a chain saw mill, we would slab down in 60mm slabs until that ring, then mill 125mm or 150mm slabs through the heart section and 'wings'. They would then have the heart ripped out of them freehand and become the billets for 125 or 1500mm square leg stock. This would greatly reduce the amount of passes required to go through the bony heart and where white ant material may have existed.

Once through the bottom of the ring, we would go back to 60mm slabs.

I also noted your rail length is 2.1m, which is about the standard length of an 8 seater table. If you can mill out to 2.4m, it will allow you a little end split during drying and a bit extra for getting the boards into a thicknesser, and still dock a clean 2.1m board.

Anyway, still a super effort and as always, a great learning experience. Keep the sawdust flying.

Cheers

James

**dai sensei** · 1st December 2013, 09:03 PM

Thanks for the feedback James. I too would have preferred not to mill through the sap vein area, but as a weekend warrior, I don't get to pick and chose my logs

. You are perfectly correct though, it has cracked along the veins already and the crack may extend through to the end of the slab as it dries. If it does, I will either cut them into boards and rejoin them, or use resin and ties and keep them as features (assuming I don't sell them).

I mill on 2.1m max logs because that is what fits into the trailer, the ladder is actually 3m long, which allows room for start/stop position for the mill. From the 2.1m timbers I aim to get ~1.8m min, I didn't know the standard size for 8 seater was the larger 2.1m

, guess I'm used to the old 6 footer where we used to squeeze up

**DJ’s Timber** · 1st December 2013, 09:45 PM

Originally Posted by DJ's Timber

As previously said Neil, still welcome to stack them here, can fork the load straight off your ute as is. Cleared the other qtr acre this week, so have quite a bit of spare space at the moment

Originally Posted by dai sensei

Thanks DJ, certainly an option.

Just realised that there is another option, I'm meant to be picking up the new ute this week and between the two of us, we could transfer it fairly easily and I could then unload it once I'm home with the forks.

**artme** · 2nd December 2013, 04:01 PM

Good job there Nei!!

The vein problem is an annoyance but something I am sure you, or others, can work around.

**PhilthyMills** · 10th December 2013, 09:55 PM

G'day Neil,

Some lovely colour there, and yes - I'm a weekend warrior too, so I can't be too picky about the logs I come across either.

I noticed you said you "boron washed" the slabs in addition to the end-seal.

What's it mean to "boron wash"?

Thanks,
Phil

**dai sensei** · 10th December 2013, 10:50 PM

I dissolve Boron (pure Boron powder is best, but whilst travelling I just use Borax from the local hardware or supermarket) in water and wash down each side of the slabs with it. This Boron soaks in and also forms crystals on the surface as the water evaporates and this keeps the borers away.

All the slabs are stacked and stickered in my mother's carport, strapped down with 3 ratchet straps, then covered with white shadecloth to help blend in with the painted white brick walls on 2 sides (protects from hot north-easterly wind

). Unfortunately most of the slabs cut within the sap vein region are cracking between the veins, so will probably all end up as boards to be rejoined, or resin filled. They will stay here until I return in Jan/Feb 2015 to sell them or take them home with me.

**dai sensei** · 14th March 2015, 09:49 PM

Went back to my mother's house today and split the pack. The slabs/beams look pretty good with some cracking as expected but plenty for a few tables. I've decided to try and sell the pack on Ebay (see https://www.woodworkforums.com/f275/0-5m3-bluegum-slabs-beams-193311) to save me taking it back to Qld, but if it doesn't sell, I'll just take it back in the trailer that is half empty in readiness.

2.jpg 1.jpg 3.jpg 4.jpg

**Willy Nelson** · 15th March 2015, 01:02 AM

Hello Neil
Good thread, great photos, lovely colour in the slabs and heaps of info, we need more of this. Maybe as the weather cools down we will see more milling
Cheers
Willy

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