Help with firewood barn

[agg221]

1 hour ago, the village idiot said:

Milling small diameter wood for cladding would be a bit tedious I imagine.

I have never found it as bad as you might think (depending on how small is small?). The trick is not to try and do it the same way as you would with a large oak sawlog, but to use a method more like you would use for production sawing of softwood.

 

A vertical bandsaw is very workable and does not need to be huge if you can beg or borrow access to one. I screw a straight board to the base of the log with the side lined up with a line through it, and use a low fence; that sets the first face. I then unscrew, rotate so the flat face is downwards and screw back on to the board, again running against the side of the board as a straight edge. You now have a pair of faces at right-angles. I tend to prep a batch like that and then just set up the fence to the right thickness and run off board after board. It might be a bit of a pain if you need very long boards (what height are you aiming for at the sides and how much wall will you have?) but I have quite happily run 3m field maple logs up to about 10" diameter through work's bandsaw. The hardest bit was singlehandedly manoeuvring them onto the table for the first cut as they weighed a ton - best done when H&S had gone home for the night!

 

Given where I got my ideas for sleds etc from, another option if you are not in a rush would be to see if you can come to an arrangement with someone wanting to demonstrate sawmilling with their traction engine at an event later this year. These are outdoor events so I would think they are one of the more likely things for Boris to let us do.

 

1 hour ago, the village idiot said:

Nice to see you back by the way!

Thank you - nice to be back. I was down in Exeter with Robin on Friday btw.

 

Alec

Edited March 15, 2021 by agg221

[the village idiot]

1 hour ago, agg221 said:

I have never found it as bad as you might think (depending on how small is small?). The trick is not to try and do it the same way as you would with a large oak sawlog, but to use a method more like you would use for production sawing of softwood.

 

A vertical bandsaw is very workable and does not need to be huge if you can beg or borrow access to one. I screw a straight board to the base of the log with the side lined up with a line through it, and use a low fence; that sets the first face. I then unscrew, rotate so the flat face is downwards and screw back on to the board, again running against the side of the board as a straight edge. You now have a pair of faces at right-angles. I tend to prep a batch like that and then just set up the fence to the right thickness and run off board after board. It might be a bit of a pain if you need very long boards (what height are you aiming for at the sides and how much wall will you have?) but I have quite happily run 3m field maple logs up to about 10" diameter through work's bandsaw. The hardest bit was singlehandedly manoeuvring them onto the table for the first cut as they weighed a ton - best done when H&S had gone home for the night!

 

Given where I got my ideas for sleds etc from, another option if you are not in a rush would be to see if you can come to an arrangement with someone wanting to demonstrate sawmilling with their traction engine at an event later this year. These are outdoor events so I would think they are one of the more likely things for Boris to let us do.

 

Thank you - nice to be back. I was down in Exeter with Robin on Friday btw.

 

Alec

Thanks Alec,

 

The barn is 5mtrs to the eaves, 6.5mtrs to the apex, 11mtrs deep and 40 mtrs long.

 

I understand your technique but am far too lazy to put it into practice.

 

I am planning to have access to a lucas or a norwood bandsaw for producing the cladding. I like the idea of using poplar so will have a look around the wood to see what is available.

 

Thanks again for the idea.

[rarefish383]

I like old fashioned board and batten. it stays pretty dry, but doesn't seal tight.

How To Install Board-and-Batten Siding - Hobby Farms

WWW.HOBBYFARMS.COM

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Try this simple, traditional siding method to protect your home build barns, sheds or outbuildings.

 

[Woodworks]

Apologies if its already been mentioned but just came across this that might be of interest 

Brimstone Ash - Vastern

WWW.VASTERN.CO.UK

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Produced from ash, the most prolific white wood in our mixed woodlands, Brimstone Ash is the most popular item in the range.