Scots pine?

[spandit]

Been given a large Scots pine butt, about 30" diameter, 10' long, seems fairly straight. Is it worth getting milled or should I just cut it (somehow) into logs?

 

If the latter, my little 14" chainsaw won't work - might have to see about hammering wedges all the way along and splitting it. Fortunately, there's a load of oak coming with it (not significant diameter) so can make some!

[agg221]

Whether it is worth getting milled depends on whether you have a use for the timber.

 

It is not a high value timber (i.e. not very expensive to buy either) but it is good for structural use in sheds/outbuildings so long as the design keeps it from getting wet, or as cladding it is OK if regularly coated. You wouldn't be able to use it for anything which needs to pass building regs. as being softwood you would need mechanical grading, but for anything else, common sense in not using bits with large knots or where the grain runs straight out of the side (i.e. the visual grading standards used for hardwoods) will stop you having problems.

 

You will get about 30-35 cu.ft out of that as sawn timber. To buy that seasoned from a timber merchant would be around £350-400 so if you can get it milled for less and have a use for it then it's worth doing.

 

Getting it milled may be the issue. As a single log, you don't have a day's work for a portable band mill, static mills may or may not touch a log from an unknown source due to the risk of the metal and whilst it is a nice job for an Alaskan, unless you are milling structural sections it will work out rather inefficient. If I was doing it, I would reckon I could through and through saw it with the Alaskan in a half day, so long as you wanted 2" and thicker boards which you might then rip down once dry into 4"x2" or 6"x2" etc. depending on intended use. An assortment of 2", 3" and 4" would probably be about right.

 

The other option is, if you think you have a reasonable chance of more decent sawlogs is to batch them up, stored off the ground and get them milled together on a bandmill. That would be a lot more efficient as a sawn price per cu.ft. but put the up front cost up.

 

Alec

[se7enthdevil]

a nice wide log like that should be of better quality than lesser diameter logs.

 

i know i'm biased but i think it should be milled.

[spandit]

Here is a (poor) photo of load 1:

 

 

There is a similar sized log on the other side of the trailer but the guy who is giving it to me has already attempted to saw it into bits as getting it on the trailer was difficult enough! I'm told the next loads are going to be mainly oak, which is good, as having a mix of oak and softwood to burn is pretty ideal.

 

If it turns out to be knotty, is it legal to split logs with black powder in this country?

[Forest2Furniture]

a nice wide log like that should be of better quality than lesser diameter logs.

 

i know i'm biased but i think it should be milled.

 

What he said

[Mike Dempsey]

Here is the way I look at choosing timbers for milling. I normally only do sycamore, oak, beech and douglas fir because I can use these timbers after I have kiln dried them for a variety of projects for customers. If it was a choice between scots pine and any of the above then the pine would be left. I don't even cut it up for firewood unless my mate is running short. I will do other timbers such as walnut, yew and elm if I come across them as I see them as premium timbers because there isn't a lot of it about where I live.

[spandit]

I might see about carving it into a rustic bench to put in the twigloo (willow dome). Seems a shame just to cut it up for firewood as hardly short at the moment, especially with the large willow I've felled.

 

The difficult is going to be moving it to where it would be best placed. Not sure whether my Jimny will be able to drag it that far and loading it into my horse trailer would be problematic.

[spandit]

Just had a look today now that they're round here and the guy who is giving them to me has chainsawed most of the way through in several places. Longest section is about 5' long so big enough for a bench but not long enough to mill

[Gnome]

Smaller milled lengths can be used for rustic signs and relief carving practice bits. Ive made a dining table and coffee table out of pine no problem as well as plenty of relief carving. Not everyone is after cabinet making quality stuff. Wouldnt use it for bowl turning mind.