Thread: How steep for felling and milling

Originally Posted by Dion N

Went up to my house site at Tamborine Mountain today after the survey did the site setout for the house. Now that the pegs are in the ground I can see that there are three flooded gums (Euc. Grandis) that need to go as they are a potential risk to the house in a storm, are going to drop leaves in the gutters and most importantly, be in the way of the sewerage dispersal trenches. Problem is, the block is on a steep slope and the clump of trees is at the bottom, (around 30 metres horizontally and around 7 m vertically from the parking pad up the top). The three trees are 300-500 diameter and up to 25m tall (estimated).

Attached contour plan gives you an idea of the situation. Trees are in the southern "clump."

I understand (from a conversation with Exador)that flooded gum tends to split and warp off the saw due to the stresses caused by fast growth rates, but I am thinking that it should be useful for fence posts, fence rails and maybe some 150 x 50 or 125 x 50 for outdoor structures where appearance/ straightness is not critical.

So I have a few questions:

Are the trees worth milling or is it too much trouble on this slope?

How steep a slope can a Lucas set up on?

Could the trees be felled and then milled in place with a chainsaw mill?

Would millers have the ability to winch say 500mm diameter by 4m sections of wet logs up a slope to a flat milling area?

And how do sawmillers quote? Hourly rates plus travel? Individual quotes for each job? Daily rates?

If is all too hard, I guess I will just have them fallen and cut up in place and end up with quite a few years firewood...

Sounds like a job for weisyboy

Dion, you could try member "Reiner" he has a block up Tambourine



which he got me down to mill.

He'd have contact details for the 'equipment' he used to get his logs up to his flat mill site





Flooded gum does tend to grow faster than other gums, but the issue will be more that it grew on a slope I feel, the heart will be badly off-centre on your logs, and as they are smaller diameter (300-500) tension will be a large factor in milling them.

As for your intended use of the flooded gum, if you are looking for any longevity from it, you shouldn't use it in ground and/or exposed, it doesn't have a good enough natural durability - it is rated class 3 durability. If you sent it off after cutting to be treated, you could get longer from it.

Lucas mill can set up on a slope up to 30 deg, but I'd doubt you'd find a miller happy to work on that kind of angle or if they did they'd charge extra.

Felling and milling in place could be done with a chainsaw mill although this will just give slabs, you then have to get the slabs up to the flat and also re-saw later.

With an average diameter of 500mm and length of 4m you'd be looking at around 850kg, then need to drag it up hill... that's a very big ask for a whinch. Like I said contact member Reiner he'll let you know how he got his logs onto the flat.

Dion as for charges on milling jobs, most of us operate on a volume of log basis, with travel costs added, some do an hourly rate from start to finish. I do hourly rate for slabbing work and volume for sawblade work.

Have you got pics from the 'flat area' to show the FG's?

Also I know another forum member who is looking for FG if you just wanted to sell the logs?

Sigidi

Thanks for the comprehensive reply.

Here's a picture from the side, showing the slope, one of the trees and the flat pad at the top.

I'm not desperate to mill the trees, they just need to go and I wondered if it was worth the effort to mill them. From your reponse I guess it probably isn't and that I will have a lot of fire wood. It's probably easier to hire a local tree lopper and skip the milling.

As for the other forum member who is looking for FG, are these logs likely to be what they are after? (size and accessibility?)

Dion

Not sure about if they would suit him or not, but best to ask you never know he may politely say no or snap ya hand off wanting them. I've sent him a PM about this thread

if they were felled "up" the slope a good tractor should be able to pull them up the hill. run a chain around the log and to the lower linkage arms and use the linkage to lift the end of the log. They should pull up that slope no worries.

i will be down your way on the 30/31 i can come and have a look if you like.

if you dont want them milled i may be able to fall them and take the logs.

give me a call if you like.

ill pm you.

Dion
Can you post better pics of the trees themselves?
Woody

Dion
Are the trees in a rush to come down?

Dion
Are you getting my PMs?
Woody

Woody - yes I did get your PM's, I just didn't log on yesterday as I fell asleep whilst I was putting the little fella to bed and didn't wake up until 4 am. Picture of the trees attached. I am sort of in a hurry to get them cut down. Footings for the steel poles go in tomorrow. Whilst the steel frame is being manufactured, I have a two week window to have the trees removed, sewerage and tank pads cut and the sewerage system installed.



Carl - many thanks for the offer. At this stage I am going for the firewood option.

I have a quote to have them removed and cut into firewood for $1200 plus I get around $600 worth of firewood and a credit for the woodchips (ie they'll take them away and I can have the same amount back within 6 months once I get the gardens done). So cost works out to about $200 per tree which seems reasonable to me.

Thanks for the pic Dion - all the best