Advice Please - Got an "Opportunity"

[Smithgor]

I've been impressed with the quality of info and professionalism of users on this forum. Hopefully, therefore, someone can help me with an 'opportunity' that has presented itself.

 

I've been chainsawing small stuff for years at my place in N France but have just taken down a fairly large ash tree that had a potentially dangerous lean on it. I need to deal with the trunk - about 24" dia and pretty straight over about 20+ ft. - which it well over the capability of my 14" Husky.

 

I also have a need for a load of wooden posts so want to convert the trunk of the ash into 6" square(ish) posts about 10 ft long. The tree is fairly inaccessible to transport and in the absence of a local guy with the right kit I've been considering the options.

 

My take on 'the right kit' would be a Stihl 660 with a 36" bar and a mill set up to cut 6" slices, rather than planks. Is this the right starting point?

These dont seem to be readily hireable in the UK (West Yorks) or does someone know different?

 

Another option I'm considering is buying the saw, new or used, + ripping chain, etc to sell on after doing the job - the 2nd hand value of the 660 seems high so hopefully I'd not lose (much) money. I have access to steel fabrication kit and reckon I could build a solid mill. Alternatively, again I could buy one commercially and it sell on I suppose. Am I being realistic?

 

I was planning to stack the 6" slices until next year before ripping them longitudinally with the Husky to make the square section posts - thinking being that I'd have a better chance of the posts being straight(er) at the end of the processing. Am I right?

 

As I say, any thoughts by those of you in the know would be gratefully received.

[agg221]

Hi, I'll venture an opinion on your questions - sure others will too.

 

What do you want the posts for? Ash really isn't durable outside. Its a fairly high strength wood for its weight, and isn't inclined to break in brittle fashion, hence its use for tool handles etc. It has a very pronounced open grain, so tends to quickly look 'dirty' if used for interior flooring or similar.

 

Your selected equipment of a 660 with a 36" bar would do the job quite satisfactorily (that's what I use). In milling, more power is better, and ash can be particularly hard to mill, so an 880 would be better than a 660, and more torque is better still so an 076 or 090 would be ideal. The latter two are obsolete models so you certainly won't find them for hire, and to be honest I would be surprised if you could find the other two available as they're very large displacement saws and don't fit the normal domestic hire market.

 

Buying and moving it on afterwards is a viable option, but you are unlikely to make your money back. To be honest, you are likely lose more than by just buying the timber. The only way I think you might not make a loss would be to scan ebay for an 075 or 076 (076 is preferable as the starter parts are easier to get) in working order with suitable length bar. Geography is on your side, as there seem to be a reasonable number that turn up in Yorkshire, and this model is pretty robust and so heavy that many of them haven't been abused on a daily basis. I would go and see it, check it starts, idles and runs up, oils properly (including the auxiliary oiler button) and run a cut through a nice big piece of wood. Prices on saws are seasonal and we're entering the lowest dip so you stand a chance of getting one for about £250 if the seller insists on cash on collection. If you are ready to sell in about October you will probably get about £300 for it, which will offset the cost of a ripping chain at about £30. To be honest, I would advertise the mill and ripping chain on here (if you've literally only run it through one tree, not hit any nails and send a photo to show how minimal the wear is I'll happily buy the chain for £25 inc. postage).

 

I would cut the posts straight out as posts. If you want an accurate size as finished, I'd make them slightly oversize, say 6.5in square, and then run them through a planer-thicknesser once dry. This will take about 6yrs if you're air drying!

 

Hope this helps.

 

Alec

[Smithgor]

Hi, thanks for the really comprehensive answer, Alec.

Posts will be used for a fairly substantial pergola so they just need to stay in position for a fair few years and get covered in climbers. Dont even need to be particularly accurate or square.

I suppose I'm expecting it to cost some money but I do have to shift this tree, and even making the remainder into firewood will necessitate a new saw and yield me a fair bit of firewood, worth a few bob.

Another option I've thought of, having seen another post on here, is to use an Alaskan MiniMill, maybe with a 20" or 25" bar - lower cost, less accurate probably, but than that is not an issue. the 25" bar would be ideal for sawing the trunk into sections as well.

[Paul Jenks]

Firewood and buy the posts. Nice answer Alec

[gensetsteve]

I had 20 2ft buts 10ft long perfectly straight ash. Took us a day to ring and split for firewood. If were u I would borrow or hire a 70cc saw and dice it up.

[Daniël Bos]

If you insist on using the ash for the posts, and make sure they never get wet, they'll do ok. As mentioned above they do not like weather of any sort though.

I'd forget about the mill and split them with wedges, you'll have much less work, much less financial outlay and the result will be stronger then when milled, you can then cut them to size with the saw you already have.

 

Personally I'd burn them though.....

[Smithgor]

Sounds like from both a financial and aesthetics/durability point of view the ash would be better converted to firewood. I'll source some decent posts out there.

Really appreciate your guidance, everyone. Think you've saved me cash and a load of time.

[The Woodman]

Hi, I am not sure that a lot of folk appreciate the opportunity that you have to make something useful from this Ash tree. I would try looking for someone with a portable mill who can do this for you, they do exist in France, it would be sin to reduce it to firewood, unfortunately two cold winters in row have pushed the re-sale cost of logs up so much that folk in general are doing very little else with their timber. What ever you do I wish you the best of luck, if it were financially viable I would come over and cut it myself !

best regards

The Woodman