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I have an opportunity to share in some silky osk logs. Tree felled a few months ago. 3 lengths, say 2@2m and 1 @4m. About 40cm diameter.
We were thinking of slabbing it with a chainsaw. What is the best way to cut it? Im thinking the 4m log is just too long to handle or use. Any thoughts on what would be a maximum usable length?
Alternatively, if chainsaw is a Bad Idea, any suggestions as to how else to cut it? Can you hire mills?
When I don't know what I'm going to use a log for I usually mill it into 50mm thick slabs and leave it to dry. Good storage is important - out of direct sunlight, flat surface with 19-25mm thick "stickers" spaced every 500 mm or so between each slab and a bit of weight on top if you can. If the slabs don't warp, 50 mm means you can get a 45 mm dressed slab out of them, or after cutting boards or strips off the slab these can be split in half with a conventional BS and when dressed generates ~20 mm thick timber. If you are sure you want table legs etc you can cut the odd slabs to the desired thickness plus and allowance for drying and dressing but it will of course take longer to dry.
The ideal sawing is a bandsaw mill - even if you could hire one (I doubt it) the learning curve is on the steep side. A chainsaw mill has a less steep learning curve but wastes more timber as it generates ~8 mm kerf with conventional chains. There are special chains call Lopro chains that generate a 6mm kerf but these are not easy to obtain and most chainsaws don't have the drive sprockets to be able to use that type of chain. I use chainsaw mills when log access is limited but otherwise I take the log to my mates BS mill.
As BobL said, 50mm is a good starting point unless you have some specific requirements. Resawing a 50mm board into something thinner with a chainsaw mill can leave a lot of waste, especially if you want 25mm boards, the remainder will be somewhere near 12mm by the time you allow for the saw kerf and a dressing allowance. Wide boards are always popular so 50mm slabs could find a market. Ask more questions about local requirements before you start the saw!
I slabbed some a few years ago, I wish that I had quarter sawn more of it because that’s where silky oak shines! Flat sawn boards are pretty boring.
I build ukuleles, this is silky oak on the back and sides, quarter sawn.
The tree was about the same size 400-450mm
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If you are looking for lace grain you will need to quarter saw.
Quarter sawn is definitely the way to go but can that be done with a chainsaw mill? If it can, then forget the wide slabs and go for colour and sparkle!
To get more quarter sawn, I slab the centre out of the log around 50-70mm thick depending on diameter and then stand the two out side pieces together on their sides and add a 90x35 between them top and bottom to cut them into quarters at the same thickness.
I have 1/2 cube of Blackwood drying cut that way. All cut with a chainsaw mill.
Like this?
Attachment 493921
Seems achievable...
What would be the longest likely to be useful? Obviously the longer the more unwieldy...
Pretty much but do two cuts on the second drawing so you have a 50mm quarter sawn piece off each side. Add a third 90x35 in that centre area to give a bit of stability. I use a “ladder “ I made from two 50x50 RHS and some 90x35’s for the rungs. I use it to sit the mill on for every cut. Screw it on top of the 90x35 and mill away!
Sorry I don’t have any photos of my set up, I get too excited and start cutting :)
The length is up to you, but try and keep everything similar sizes so you can sticker the timber and strap it down to dry. Odd sizes are more difficult to stack and dry. Keep thickness the same so it all dries at the same rate too.
Am currently half way through cutting about 20 logs 300-400 Dia. using a band saw mill, The larger ones are quarter sawn usually about 40mm thickness and then stickered and airdried in a drying shed for about 18+ months before finishing into 18mm and 10mm boards. I use the 10mm boards for box making and do find silky oak is a very easy timber to process and also takes a wide variety of finishes that can yield some very nice grain features.
Cheers,
Paintman
Here you go, this is how I get a few quarters from a log. More Blackwood. I have already cut the first pieces from these, this is the second cut giving me a 150mm cant quarter sawn. I will then break it down on the bandsaw a bit more to dry. This log is about 500mm wide.
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