In praise of small logs

**THE BARON** · 1st June 2016, 12:04 AM

As can be seen by my join date and the amount of posts it would be fair to say I am more of a reader than a writer mainly because I don't know anything that would be news to a lot of forum members anyway. This post is more about a change in attitude than imparting wisdom. I was a log snob,the bigger the better,anything I could move with my tractor was classed as a bit small. For proper logs I hired in earth moving machinery, working in the civil construction industry has its benefits when it comes to hire rates, however recent events have caused me to think very differently. The bloke next door cleared a large stand of trees from behind his house .something about bushfires he said, although it never worried him until he had solar panels installed. Funny that. Anyway I was offered the logs if I wanted to come and get them and even though the largest wouldn't have been 600 dia they were mostly Gympie Messmate with a few Tallowwood and Pink Bloodwood and all of them were tall and straight as. It just so happened my daughter and her husband were building a new home at the time and I had offered to cut all the bearers and joists for the extensive decks, so as I was going away for the weekend I coupled up the bobtail to the tractor and told my son in law to bring a couple of the larger logs back and we would see how they cut. He must not have listened to well because when I got back there were logs over the whole paddock, he had got every one of them, right down to about 300 dia. As the joists were 150 x 50 and the bearers from 150 x 75 to 250 x 75 I didn't hold out much hope of achieving much with what we had but if it saved dropping even one big tree it would be a good thing. That was when the attitude adjustment kicked in, there are 10 backsawn 150 x 50 in a 450 dia log, forget waste, forget cutting other smaller sizes just because you can, rip them out with the minimum of cuts possible and go onto the next log.You don't even have to think about how you are going to mill the log for the highest return, there is only one way. Actually you will only get 8 or 9 of that possible 10 from most logs but who's counting, even two out of a 300 log is better than burning it. We got everything including the large sections from those logs which surprised me more than anyone and I've been milling for longer than I care to remember. It took me twenty five years to realize that it is easier to cut straight large section timber from a small log than, for instance, 75 x 38 studs. If I live another 50 years I may one day learn something everyone else doesn't already know.

**Jamie_ward22** · 11th June 2016, 02:23 PM

Hi baron

Did you do any post with the small logs, I just got a load of spotted gum. The size range from 400-700 diameter, was going to use the small ones for 200 and 300 posts. How did you go with them moving under the Lucas.

**John.G** · 11th June 2016, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by Jamie_ward22

Hi baron

Did you do any post with the small logs, I just got a load of spotted gum. The size range from 400-700 diameter, was going to use the small ones for 200 and 300 posts. How did you go with them moving under the Lucas.

Problem with Spotty is that untreated its only rated as class 2 in ground durability, and for good posts you need a class 1.

**Jamie_ward22** · 12th June 2016, 04:00 PM

Thanks John

it shouldn't be a problem if there on post stirrups though?

**Cran** · 12th June 2016, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Jamie_ward22

Thanks John

it shouldn't be a problem if there on post stirrups though?

No problem at all, and will probably last longer than a class 1 species concreted in the ground. So long as they are free of sapwood of course.

**John.G** · 13th June 2016, 06:27 AM

Originally Posted by Cran

No problem at all, and will probably last longer than a class 1 species concreted in the ground. So long as they are free of sapwood of course.

+1.

Spotty will rot right if its got wet feet, its Class 1 above ground though.

**Jamie_ward22** · 19th June 2016, 08:45 AM

thanks guys
Do you have any tips on keeping smaller logs from moving when being milled, or is the log chocks enough.

**John.G** · 20th June 2016, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by Jamie_ward22

thanks guys
Do you have any tips on keeping smaller logs from moving when being milled, or is the log chocks enough.

IS the query about holding the log in place to saw, or about dealing with the tension issues? And what are we trying to saw it with, because the technology you have at hand makes a whole lot of difference to the answer.

**Wood Collector** · 21st June 2016, 06:01 PM

I would be interested in how to hold the half circle to prevent it from moving when cutting on a lucas saw mill. the main size that I cut is 4x2 which is used as tree trunk protection on building sites. I would like to reduce the amount of timber that is turned into fire wood due to it not being able to be cut on the lucas as it slides around.

**Jamie_ward22** · 21st June 2016, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by John.G

IS the query about holding the log in place to saw, or about dealing with the tension issues? And what are we trying to saw it with, because the technology you have at hand makes a whole lot of difference to the answer.

No just about holding it in place, I have Lucas 7/23, I haven't had to do an small diameter yet so wasn't sure the best way.

**THE BARON** · 21st June 2016, 10:11 PM

My way of holding small logs in place is the same as for large logs. Because when i roll a log under the mill it has Buckleys of landing where I want it I use a trolley jack to position the offending end so the log is aligned with the saw the way I want. I only lift the log 10 or 15 mill clear of the support then when its lined up I place a short piece of triangular cross section timber firmly on either side of the log then release the jack. The weight of log locks everything in place. The chocks are just docked offcuts that "looked right".

As a solution for the log sliding sideways when getting to the bottom ,my method is to make shallower cuts IE instead of one 100mm cut use two 50mm cuts instead. If you look at the blade in a 50mm cut the teeth are cutting along the length of the log but as the cut deepens the thrust changes to sideways. I admit it doesn't always work but that is just a drawback of swingsaws that you have to accept.

**John.G** · 22nd June 2016, 12:19 PM

If I had to go back to working bush I'd do the same as the Baron, though I always had a step sawn at the extreme "off" side of my supports so I could get a quick zero index off it, and maybe a wedge between the step and log one end for taper. I also used to put a screw jack under the middle of the log to prevent it dropping down as the last board came off.

Now I work off a fixed deck similar to a portable bandmill has, so I can turn/reposition/dog the log as required. I never could accept the limitations of livesawing - the issues with swingmills and smaller logs are nothing to do with the swingmill and everything to do with the inability to roll the log to deal with log tension.

**dropstix** · 22nd June 2016, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by Jamie_ward22

No just about holding it in place, I have Lucas 7/23, I haven't had to do an small diameter yet so wasn't sure the best way.

If you don't mind me asking, how long have you had your Lucas model and have you needed to make 8" cuts and have had to double cut with it? I'm trying to work out if I could live with a 7-23 or will have to keep saving for the 8-30. Also, do you know if you could fit the blade off the 8-30 to your model? Looks like the clutch/gearbox/shaft on it is the same as the 8-30 model? Ta.

**Jamie_ward22** · 22nd June 2016, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by dropstix

If you don't mind me asking, how long have you had your Lucas model and have you needed to make 8" cuts and have had to double cut with it? I'm trying to work out if I could live with a 7-23 or will have to keep saving for the 8-30. Also, do you know if you could fit the blade off the 8-30 to your model? Looks like the clutch/gearbox/shaft on it is the same as the 8-30 model? Ta.

Hey mate I have had the mill for a bit over two years, I don't think a 8-30 blade would fit also the smaller engine size might struggle with the bigger blade. It depends what you want to do, doing a double cut is not really a problem unless you where doing them all day it would be slow. Only takes a couple of minutes to swing the carriage. The 7-23 is great I have done full days cutting 200x75 never missed a beat.

**dropstix** · 22nd June 2016, 06:29 PM

Thanks for that. Am tempted for sure. Sorry for going off topic, but I wonder how wide a cut in dense timber the 23HP motor and that blade can handle without you either feeling like you are feeding it pretty darn slow, or the blade is at risk of wandering/heating or there's excessive bounce happening. Say you're trying a 4" wide pass in dense timber - is it going to bounce, or feel like it's taking a wet week to get to the other end of the log? What about a 6" wide pass, or would 4" be about its limit and will need to double-pass to get 6" wide boards from dense timber?

Thread: In praise of small logs

Thread Tools

Search Thread

In praise of small logs

Similar Threads

Small milling job- Blackwood logs.

holdign small logs (slabing)

Bandsaw jig plan for small logs

Milling Some Small Logs at DJ's Timber

Posting Permissions