Harvesting own trees?

**Picaroon** · 31st August 2004, 03:14 PM

On our property in the Southern Highlands of NSW we have lots of trees and quite a few that have blown down or been struck by lightening over the years. Yes, they are good for firewood, but is it worth trying to harvest any of the wood? My meagre knowledge of timber species indicates that they are 'gum' trees!! I know, I know!! Other threads have indicated that there are hundreds of 'gum' species and I have no idea what sort of 'gum' trees they are ... the timber appears to be generally of a yellow toning ... perhaps 'Yellow Gum!!".

To 'harvest' timber, do you have to use green or living trees or can you harvest from dead trees lying on the ground? We have one formerly beautiful gum that was hit by lightening earlier in the year (we lost 3 cows that had been camping under the tree ... could have been worse, we had 33 cows in the same paddock!!) and whilst it is still standing, it has now died off and will undoubtedly fall over in time. Would this be any good? When the lightening hit the tree it removed a strip about 75mm wide by 20mm deep all the way from the top to the ground and blew the strip about 30 feet away ... looked like a zipper right down the tree.

**vsquizz** · 31st August 2004, 03:44 PM

Picaroon, G'day. You can certainly mill your tree green or well dead, it will still require seasoning. Have a look here;

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...9002#post69002

and there is some other threads in the timber forum well worth reading.

Cant help you with the species but the portable mill guys will. You can always transport logs to a mill nearby if you have one. Again look through the older threads in the timber forum.

You can use chainsaw slabbers, Lucas Mills, WoodMizer, BushMaster just to name a few. Try the Yellow pages but better still get a reference off other land holders for the mobile woodmilling guys.

The lightning struck tree may have lots of fractures on the medullary rays. The way to tell is to run a chainsaw through it.

Beware of your state regulations regarding the felling of trees. Its perfectly alright for a developer to bulldoze Hundreds of trees but if a cocky knocks down one to grow food...Look out. Contact forrestry and your name is ..Bill right.

Work out what you might do with the timber so you can discuss the matter with a miller. Better still, sell some to a woody here on the forum and recover some of your costs.

Above all, make good use of our Australian Hardwood. Its renewable but the tree in question may have taken 70 years or more to grow. For every one you mill up try and plant three natives trees where they will provide weather protection for stock. Look up tube nurseries or ask forrestry, they are cheap, free or subsidised for cocky's. Enjoy yourself in the process.

Cheers

**AlexS** · 31st August 2004, 05:12 PM

Picaroon, have a chat to the Woodage, Mittagong. They are able to collect, mill and dry local timber if it's worth while.

**Tonyz** · 31st August 2004, 09:53 PM

hey picaroon any chance of a photo of your 'zippered' tree sounds magic hmm immagine being able to use part of that length in a dining table what a talking peice
tonto

**Picaroon** · 2nd September 2004, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by AlexS

Picaroon, have a chat to the Woodage, Mittagong. They are able to collect, mill and dry local timber if it's worth while.

Thanks, I will try the Woodage ... I now recall reading about them recovering trees from some of the major road widening projects around Sydney.
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Alan

**Picaroon** · 2nd September 2004, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by Tonto

hey picaroon any chance of a photo of your 'zippered' tree sounds magic hmm immagine being able to use part of that length in a dining table what a talking peice
tonto

I haven't gone to photography with the tree ... we kept a piece of the zipper near our back door as a talking point when friends heard about the dead cows etc!
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Alan

danielcook · 6th September 2004, 12:36 PM

Hi..

Sorry to hear about the cows - I've been in a similar situation, we lost five steers under a camphor laurel tree.

I'm new to this forum (only posted once I think even though I signed up a qhile ago) but I have some experience in this matter.

Most sawmills won't touch a tree thats been struck by lightning. As VS said, the tree is possibly internally damaged and when it runs along the breaker saw pieces can fly out and skewer people - it has happened.

Also trees that have had millions of volts run through them are likened to have been placed in a gigantic microwave! The area thats been stipped is probably hard as rock and has been "boiled" of all moisture.

So be very careful with whatever you decide to do. I'm not trying to put you off milling the timber, just be careful.

Daniel..

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