Thread: Resaw power pole

Originally Posted by simonmags

Some of the poles are soaked in creosote, precautions will be take before cutting etc etc.

I wouldn't bother with creosote soaked logs. A few years ago I helped a mate cut up and mill some creosote treated logs and was advised to work completely covered with an air mask and water proof gloves. Fortunately I had a Triton respirator, but within 15 minutes I was sweating profusely and after an hour my upper body was itching badly. I don't know if it was the sweat absorbing the creosote or not but I was so uncomfortable we stopped. The wood we cut was used to make part of a fence but I would use it for anything that required working close up with the wood.

BTW A swing mill will also easily mill your other logs.

It would also be nice to not spend more than a few thousand dollars getting a setup to cut the logs up or getting someone to do it if that's completly not feasible... I see that some of the swimg mills are pretty pricey up to 35k. Look likes it would do it very easily though considering it had a 35hp motor

What sort of saw (thinking bandsaw maybe?) would you look at to slice up 20 or so poles, non creosototed...

Originally Posted by simonmags

It would also be nice to not spend more than a few thousand dollars getting a setup to cut the logs up or getting someone to do it if that's completly not feasible... I see that some of the swimg mills are pretty pricey up to 35k. Look likes it would do it very easily though considering it had a 35hp motor

What sort of saw (thinking bandsaw maybe?) would you look at to slice up 20 or so poles, non creosototed...

I was more thinking of paying someone with a swing mill to do it for you. If you add up the cost of even a small second hand mill plus your learning time I'm sure you'd come out in front getting them milled. You'd learn a lot watching these guys operate but probably have to guarantee them blade replacement in case they hit something nasty.

I've not used a milling bandsaw, but my understanding is they have a steeper learning curve compared to other mills particularly in dry hard wood. Chances are you'd butcher quite a few boards and blades before you got the hang of it so being able to watch and help an experienced miller would be very helpful. Either way you'll end up paying a similar amount for a bandsaw able to cut these logs as you would for a swing mill (second hand or otherwise). The sort of bandsaw I had in mind is something like a woodmiser 15HP Wood-Mizer Portable Sawmills - LT15 Manual Sawmill , but they aint cheap either

It would be useful to know what plans/sizes you have for the lumber.

A possibly cheaper but very very hard work solution would be to use a chainsaw mill to break down the logs into smaller pieces and a use a heavy duty upright bandsaw to rip boards from the pieces. The thought of breaking up 20 dry hardwood poles with a CS mill fills me with dread and for newbies this is a good way to overload and seize a saw. This is probably the hardest way to learn CS milling so you'd need to practice on green logs for a while and make sure you can sharpen really really well. I'm sorry if I sound so negative but dry utility poles are something as a CS miller I walk right past.

Contact Brian Barrett of woodmizer Australia by email and he could tell you someone that might help out

Thanks Nifty, I found his details on the woodmizer website, will look into that. I can appreciate how tough a job this has the potential to be, even the poles that don't have any checmicals on them are quite a few years old. Probably quite hard.

Cheers

i have cut a lot of power poles (the old non treated ones) into 8x8, 6x6, 5x5, 4x4 and 8x2s for a blokes house.

was not to bad but the amount of nails was ridiculous.

i will cut more if im asked.

I'd be willing to have a look and do the job.

If you can PM me with some idea of what you want out of them and a pic or to that would help.

Jamie

onya mate.

so amny people are to precious to cut anything recycled.

If your squaring the poles down about 180mm X 180mm is the smallest heart centred structural size you can get out of them, then if your after anything out side the heart your not going to get much at all maybe a board or two from each face. Water in large amounts while cutting might keep the nasties from flying around if your game (not me though)
regards inter

Been re-sawing timber of various sources for years - just not with a Lucas.

Still the same I reckon - lots of care and patience - some of this stuff can be like concrete but the result can often be stunning.

A kitchen I had built a few years back was recycled Jarrah from the Freo wharves and Brush-box out of Darling Harbour.

Reckon the Lucas will handle it better than anything else I've ever had to contend with.

they are not to bad to cut between teh nails.

pitty there all so small.

Hi Simonmags,
Worked with the S.E.C.of Vic. for many years. Maybe the Poles are similar to the Vic. Poles. Approx. 6 - 7 ft. from ground level, there maybe a Brass or Aluminum Disc. It tell you all about the Pole.
MM = Messmate, AMM = Aust. Messmate, IB = Iron Bark, TW = Tallow Wood, & now I'm struggling to think of the others.
I collected a few Discs over the years, & will have a look for more Timbers.
Aluminum Discs came in 1958 replacing the Brass ones.
The Height of the Pole could be a No. eg. 35, 40, 45, & so on.
The other No. would give you the year of the Pole was ready for Service.
The Brass Discs we liked the best was the 00, meaning 1900, & believe it or not there are still some of these Pole in the ground today, & most likely as good as the day the were Planted.
The Creosoted Poles were bad news for our Linesman, as on a very sunny day the Liney's would have their face & Hand Burnt, & only after a few Hours of working on them.
Hope that might help.
Regards,
issatree.

As others have said, a lucas will have no trouble doing it, and as Bob said, even for 20 poles at best 1 cube each pole, you'll still be better off getting ém milled by someone else.

Know a few people in the telephone pole companies and regularly cut 'em up but only into 200 x 200. Tried boards but too much bow or spring, smaller squares are hard to keep straight also. I don't cut more than 2 creosote poles in a day - tis a bit nasty even with a good mask. Hexagonal poles are always ironbark and are rarely treated due to it's natural durability - gold, cut em all day if you are lucky enough. Unfortunately the tele boys know this and they usually end up as firewood - SACRELIGE!!!
Couple more are:
YS- Yellow Stringy
RS- Red Stringy