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Large elm butt .. double ended setup


smoothjack
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1 hour ago, Big J said:

Large elm is a rare thing. Please don't chainsaw mill it. Take it to a specialist bandmill and get it cut properly. On a 40" diameter lump (like that one is, I estimate), you'll get at least an extra two boards (more like three, as you have to take thicker top slabs with chain milling). 1 board at 7ft x 36" x 2" is 3.5 cubic foot, which air dried at £40/cubic foot (a modest price for such boards) is £140. Times that by three and you've turned £420 into sawdust that you'd otherwise have in your pocket. Couple that with the fact that the most expensive contracting mills will charge you no more than £6/HF for milling (£288 for the log) and the wastage from chainsawmilling is 1.5 times as much as the cost of getting someone else to mill it for you. 

 

If it was inaccessible and milling it on site was the only way to extract it, then fair enough. But it's already at your yard. 

Jut playing the Devils Advocate here;

 

If the lump is as the op states then its closer to 60"? Could this be milled on a specialist Bandsaw?

 

I'll guess he'll need to buy the Mill and Bar, thats about a Grand. Plus the losses you mention a Specialist seems to make sense. 

 

Will the Specialist take in a Log that might be full of metal? 

 

 

 

 

 

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20 minutes ago, The avantgardener said:

Take it to Copford Saw Mill at Horam near Heathfield, East Sussex, they have one of the biggest woodmizers in the country and can mill that size and kiln dry it for you if required.

To be honest that did cross my mind but I was unsure how large they can go .. ??

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6 hours ago, trigger_andy said:

Jut playing the Devils Advocate here;

 

If the lump is as the op states then its closer to 60"? Could this be milled on a specialist Bandsaw?

 

I'll guess he'll need to buy the Mill and Bar, thats about a Grand. Plus the losses you mention a Specialist seems to make sense. 

 

Will the Specialist take in a Log that might be full of metal? 

 

 

 

 

 

I already have the mill and saws big enough but the double bar and chain I would need ..hopefully there is no metel as this wasn’t the last piece .. this was about 6ft and up .. big j has  made a very good case though 

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I already have the mill and saws big enough but the double bar and chain I would need ..hopefully there is no metel as this wasn’t the last piece .. this was about 6ft and up .. big j has  made a very good case though 

I chainsaw mill professionally all over the uk. Big J is absolutely right.
Don't turn that incredible tree into sawdust!!!
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8 hours ago, Big J said:

Large elm is a rare thing. Please don't chainsaw mill it. Take it to a specialist bandmill and get it cut properly. On a 40" diameter lump (like that one is, I estimate), you'll get at least an extra two boards (more like three, as you have to take thicker top slabs with chain milling). 1 board at 7ft x 36" x 2" is 3.5 cubic foot, which air dried at £40/cubic foot (a modest price for such boards) is £140. Times that by three and you've turned £420 into sawdust that you'd otherwise have in your pocket. Couple that with the fact that the most expensive contracting mills will charge you no more than £6/HF for milling (£288 for the log) and the wastage from chainsawmilling is 1.5 times as much as the cost of getting someone else to mill it for you. 

 

If it was inaccessible and milling it on site was the only way to extract it, then fair enough. But it's already at your yard. 

 

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Cheers for the advice big j ..it did cross my mind .but  I thought it would probaly be a bit on the large side but I shall make a call as there only ten minutes up the road .I totally agree on the waste you get from chainsaw mill .so if it can go on a bandsaw that’s a much better option . I’ve done so much chainsaw milling I think I’m getting carried away ?were fortunate enough to still have some pretty sizable elms left down this part all (although we have been taking them down all week) ?. I have some nice bits building up 

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Edited by smoothjack
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