Silky Oak from a backyard

**Bushmiller** · 14th October 2022, 03:43 PM

I have very limited experience of cutting or even using, for that matter, Silky Oak. My cutting experience came from a neighbours rather small log and the using was for a backsaw handle.

Kenyon Replica 19 inch.JPG

However, recently another neighbour's carer asked if I would like a log he had lying in his backyard. To cut a long story short I said yes to this but quite underestimated the size of the log. I was told it was six meters long, but in the pic it looked fairly slim. I headed off to the nearby town with the old ute (40Km away) and realised by mistake as soon as Manny commented that I had not brought my trailer as well. The log was in fact only 5.3m long and I cut it into three sections. The middle section was 600mm diameter.

Initially we loaded the two small sections onto the ute. It looked a bit much and as I would have to come back for the third piece we offloaded the smaller section. I returned this morning with the trailer for the other two bits.

The second error I made was in thinking that Silky Oak is one of the lighter hard woods. At 620Kg/m³ it is one of the lighter hardwoods....but only when it is dry. In the green state it weighs in at a hefty 1100kg/m³! I calculated that the middle section weighed about 560Kg. The two logs together would have severely tested the old girl's carrying capacity.

Some pix. the butt end:

P1080457 (Medium).JPG

And the third and smallest section, which has the remains of many limbs so only small lengths will be recoverable.

P1080455 (Medium).JPG

Although my intention is to cut the logs fairly soon I still sealed the ends as we all know about plans:

P1080465 (Medium).JPG P1080468 (Medium).JPG

I normally use any old paint that I no longer have a use for end sealing. That is not the best solution for sealing the ends of logs, but it is my past practice and better than nothing. However, I had some bathroom floor sealant left over from our new bathroom and decided to use this. It is a very glutinous substance and a single coat absolutely covered. I think the viscosity would be better measured as "slump." It took me five minutes to seal the six ends and fifteen minutes to clean up (with water) the manky four inch brush I keep for such purposes

P1080462 (Medium).JPG P1080464 (Medium).JPG

Regards
Paul

**johknee** · 14th October 2022, 06:03 PM

I'm eagerly awaiting a "How many saw handles can I get from a 5.3m Silky Oak log?" thread!

**Bushmiller** · 14th October 2022, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by johknee

I'm eagerly awaiting a "How many saw handles can I get from a 5.3m Silky Oak log?" thread!

I can already give a precise guesstimate: Ever such a lot!

Regards
Paul

**Scribbly Gum** · 14th October 2022, 08:29 PM

That's great Paul.
You'll get some awesome timber from that.
The silky oak timber that I used for my chest of drawers all came from the one tree which the fellas at the Hastings Woodworkers had slabbed.
It had been air dried for some years and came up quite nicely
It will be a treat to see yours in a couple of years
Tom

IMG_20220926_165743.jpg

**Log Dog** · 15th October 2022, 01:04 AM

Hi Paul

'Backyard' Southern Silky Oaks are often the prettiest

Hard grown they tend to develop birdseye characteristics

Also seem to be much more colourful...so to speak
Attaining red/pink,brown and golden hues.

I note the sapwood margin on your logs to be very slender

A good indicator that it has had a tough long life

These pics from a specimen around 80cm dbh

Wonderful species this one...good fortune milling!

Log Dog

**Bushmiller** · 15th October 2022, 08:11 AM

Log Dog

Thanks forthose pix and the comment. The sapwood is certainly thinish so you may well be right. Unfortunately I will have to cut this with a chainsaw as my bandsaw mill is down in NSW. We will ss how it goes.

Regards
Paul

**Bushmiller** · 15th October 2022, 08:13 AM

Tom

Your chest od drawers came up well. For a long time Silky Oak was a prized furniture timber.

Regards
Paul

**Simplicity** · 15th October 2022, 05:58 PM

I thought you Blokes up there though Silk oak was a weed.
Now I’m not so Sure, fantastic score Paul, I’m green with envy.

Do you know any thing about making Tool handles I hear it’s good for that.

Cheers Matt.

**Mountain Ash** · 16th October 2022, 01:44 PM

Lovely handle Paul, and many more to come! I do lots of bathroom renovations and that membrane paint is a real pain. Good to find another use for it. Do you use a grain filler for the pores? I have found that the SO I have turned tends to be very coarse to touch.

**Bushmiller** · 16th October 2022, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by Simplicity

Do you know any thing about making Tool handles I hear it’s good for that.

Cheers Matt.

Regards
Paul

**Bushmiller** · 16th October 2022, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

Lovely handle Paul, and many more to come! I do lots of bathroom renovations and that membrane paint is a real pain. Good to find another use for it. Do you use a grain filler for the pores? I have found that the SO I have turned tends to be very coarse to touch.

MA

I have to say that I really have had too little experience to comment. I am struggling to remember exactly now, but I think that saw handle I treated with BLO first before finishing so that would have had a degree of filling. Although that particular handle came up well I felt that Silky Oak was a little soft for handles and certainly softer than the timbers I had used to date. As an Oak type timber it is visually impressive. having said that I anticipate making more handles from it: probably backsaw rather than full size handsaw. The tight figure lends itself to smaller projects.

Regards
Paul

**BobL** · 16th October 2022, 06:44 PM

I haven't milled anything for about 6 months and I'm only interested these days in milling something interesting but this morning my brother called and said he had the remains of 40 year old flowering plum trunk and a bit of root ball and did I want it?

Photo is a bit deceptive. The main trunk is only about 300mm in diameter but the root ball is close to 600 mm so it might have something interesting in there.
FloweringfPlum.jpg

Lots of solid and rocks still embedded in the roots - cant tell if its worth a cut until I give it a go cleaning it.
Anyone milled one before?

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