Milling so far.

[Big Bolt]

Blaisey what make is the grapple on you boxer ?

[Rob D]

Horse chestnut - I wouldn't worry about milling this...

 

Maple - def worth a shot milling as even if a little soft in places the burrs should still look good.

 

Planked larch - if you have a project in mind great but otherwise you may find it hangs around....

 

 

A few things I've learnt about milling (all unfortunately the hard way...)

 

 

• if you're not sure about whether something is worth milling it prob isn't - save those elboes for something that is worth milling!
  
• if you're looking to sell the timber softwoods in wide boards are not that popular - it's hardwoods folks want...
  
• don't burn yourself out by milling everything that comes your way - the mill will work hard for 3 months then be banished to the back of the shed.....
  
• try to have a plan as to what you'll do with the timber. For instance are you going to sell it? make it into something then sell it? make yourself something and keep it? If none of these then don't mill it!
  
• if you can sell the wood then sell it - don't keep hold of it for yourself!
  
• use the off cuts and pieces that won't sell to use to experiment with as that way as it's good fun and if it ends up as firewood it's no loss
  
• watch tying the throttle open - you really need to rest the saw 3 or 4 times down the log on idle to allow it to cool off, also at the end of the log idle it for 2 mins with the odd rev. By tying the throttle (particularly in hot summer) you can score a piston like this (I know )
  
• try and find something that you can make quickly and easily from the wood you plank so you can get some money back in - lean towards items that are cheap if rough and ready rather than expensive and beautifully finished and sanded.
  

[Rob D]

Oh and finally as you have a that great wee boxer - think about larger, heavy solid pieces where you're only doing a couple of cuts to turn an unwieldy log into a seat or similar.....

 

.....you have the advantage in that you can deliver them with your boxer.... a major advantage!

[Blaisey]

cheers Rob D those extra braces are great even on the 36" bar

 

 

Big Bolt its a "Boxer grab" was a bit more than I wanted to spend but its great and I've forgotten the cost as its always so useful.

[Blaisey]

I was hoping Big J would know a way to stabilise The chestnut?

[Big J]

You are a brave man to mill horse chestnut!

 

I've no experience with chestnut up here at all. We don't have much in the way of good sweet chestnut, and I wouldn't touch horse chestnut with a barge pole. What I mill is largely dictated by customer demand seeing as I am only a timber seller, not a maker.

 

Something I learned pretty early on with the milling is that it takes the same amount of time to mill poor quality logs as top grade sawlogs. The difference is that with the good stuff, you'll sell it (or be able to use it yourself for making stuff). With poor grade timber, it might well end up as firewood.

 

Jonathan

[Blaisey]

Cheers J and the field Maple?

 

[Big J]

Wouldn't bother either - but I'm pretty picky with what I mill! The only way that it would be worth milling is to bandmill it so that you can take a clean slab from the outside, rotate through 90 degrees, take another clean slab, rotate 90 degrees and so on. This way you maximise the appearance of the burr and eventually (hopefully) end up with the rotten section boxed in the middle.

[Blaisey]

Got it, Rodger that.... Thanks for the advice watch this space, I'll get to it

[delabodge]

some great tips from big j ,rob and agg221,,really is a good deal of valuable experience on here,most it through trial and error, from my experience i wouldnt bother with the chestnut, but the maple is worth a go,,,be tempted to metal detect it though, as all the boundary ones Ive milled,,usually have fence parts in them,

Made some benches out of larch last yr,,grain looks nice and its quite durable,,