Thread: RIVER SHE OAK (Casuarina Cunninghamiana)

- Agroforestry try this link Bok ni some of the other guys might have some uses for you. Rule of thumb for seasoning allow a year for every 25mm thickness

I have cut the sheoak in question over here in the west from off a plantation. Very easy to cut but can fight you a bit (stressed). Like most casuarinas i believe that it should be milled fresh down but if not it must be stored under sprinklers which does help the stress factor a bit. For drying sheoak more sticks rather than less is better, say 300mm apart and weight on top

Itsposs, thanks for the link. Wish the heart wood of the logs I've got were as small as those on Rowan Reid's photo.

Nifty, thank you very much for the suggestions. I definitely am going for the 300 mm spacing on the pins, with steelwire and tensioners to tie it down.

Now I need to identify a few possible markets before I can decide on the dimensions that I must cut. Anyone got some suggestions? Fruit crates ?

Its hard to say what would be the right thing to cut it into being that most of us are in oz and you in SA

Uses may be an issue. I have read uses as follows:

"Ornamental turnery, decorative woodware, fencing, roof shingles, excellent fuel."

Unfortunately none of it is high volume

A lot will depend on the quality of the logs and whether they tend to split during drying. The pronounced medullary rays of the casuarina family are one of their distinguishing features and make for good feature. The she oak with its pale timber does not have quite the same decorative appeal as the red casuarinas.

I would mill a couple of logs to see how they go and to ensure there is no spiral splitting. She oak is normally more straight grained than some of the other timbers in this family.

If spring in the timber is an issue, look at setting up an improvised bed for the logs so you can rotate them without losing reference. I have seen Lucas owners make a bed out of railway iron for this purpose, but really anything you have to hand.

It is quite viable to do this as you have a large quantity of material to cut. I am assuming you will have access to machinery to lift the logs.

Incidentally, the folliage is sometimes useful for drought fodder for cattle. Having said that I was never able to make my cattle eat it. Others I have spoken to told me it saved their bacon in dry times (well beef anyway). Just a comment depending on whether you have to dispose of the heads.

Regards
Paul

Paul, thank you. Yes the log ends do split during drying, but most seems to go for only about 100 mm. Will see as they get drier.
I did mill a few logs, beautiful wet of saw, but after few days in the sun starts to change shape (like most wood does anyway). So I tied some down with pins every 300mm and will see what happens over the next month.
What do you mean "If spring .. is an issue" ??

I've got a Bell logger (3 wheeler) to handle the logs. I also have a wood chipper, so all the heads go into the chipper and I sell it to citrus farmers who makes compost of it. Apparently rich in nitrogen when still green.
I also bought plans over the internet of an Adam retort (neat brick structure of 3mX1.5mX1.2m) and burns all the waste at the sawmill into charcoal. 75% less pollution than a normal kiln (heats with it's own wood gas). Some charcoal I sell to keep the cash flow happy and some goes into the compost to make biochar and ends up back in the soil for the next 1000 years. Neat carbon negative enterprise when you do that (hopefully be able to capatilize on that in the future - maybe sell some carbon credits to the Chinese) and no open fires near the sawmill.

Goeie dag Nifty. That is the exact Afrikaans translation for G'day and when I typed it I realized that is the form of greeting we use mostly here in South Africa as well. Please accept my sympathy for your not being able to be in SA, unfortunately not everybody can be so privileged. (Can't find those smiley face icons)
I've cut some 155mm x 25mm for fruit crates
120 x 40 for post and rail, and outdoor furniture.

Very nice to meet you guys and thanks for everybody taking time to post a reply.
Regards
Hennie

Originally Posted by HMS

Paul, thank you. Yes the log ends do split during drying, but most seems to go for only about 100 mm. Will see as they get drier.
I did mill a few logs, beautiful wet of saw, but after few days in the sun starts to change shape (like most wood does anyway). So I tied some down with pins every 300mm and will see what happens over the next month.
What do you mean "If spring .. is an issue" ??

If you are not milling immediately the logs are fallen, I would strongly recommend you paint the ends of the logs to reduce splitting. The splitting comes from unequal rates of drying as the ends are more exposed than timber further down the log. You can buy special paint, but use any old paint. The thicker the better or put several coats on.

If you are air drying sawn timber, to protect it from the direct rays of sun, try to place a roof over the top even if it is improvised. Sheets of roofing iron can be used. Weigh it down with anything heavy. I have used old vehicle tyres in the past. The important thing with stacking timber is to place the stickers meticulously over the top of each other. 300mm apart is good for the more difficult timbers. The stickers should be made from seasoned hardwood.

"Spring" is where the growth stress is released as the log is cut. This is most prevalent in young trees. For example, imagine making a cut along the length of the log. The timber rises upwards off the log. It can be as much as 300mm in the air before you reach the end. Instead of a straight piece of timber you have a fairly useless "U" shape. If you continue milling in this way, the "U" becomes worse and worse with subsequent boards.

In fact the under side of the log moves in the other direction (hoggs) so that you start to see clear space under the middle section. Hence my comment to turn the log and mill from alternate sides to minimise the "spring."

I am told the only way to truly cope with this problem is to have gang saws or multiple blades. Not an option in your situation. You can only attempt to minimise the problem. The effect is more noticeable on longer logs. Don't waste your time on very small logs if this problem becomes apparant.

Regards
Paul

This thread on the forum may give you an idea for uses.

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f40/sh...-table-130943/

Regards
Paul

Another suggestion may be to look around for people in SA who make musical instruments, Luthiers and the like. I sell our native sheoak (casuarina frasernia) to a guy that makes drum kits. I even got to sign the inside of Sir Elton Johns drummers new base drum once as i supplied the timber for it I am told that sheoak has a great resonance in drums, just a thought