Cedar for milling - Ashtead, Surrey

[Treemoose]

Thanks!

Been sent home now induction tomorrow they say but who know eh?

 

I could probably do it some time during the week but it just depends on when she pops the little blighter out. For all I know she could be in labour for the next few days . . . sorry it's so vague

[nepia]

Well, Mrs Treemoose did her bit so a round of applause for the new family.

 

My thanks to dad John, who came and milled the stem on Tuesday: John, you will never find me near a 10' board again - 8' all the way from now on. My forearms were locked in the grip position after lugging those blighters out.

Was a long day but it's gratifying that the timber's gone to better use than firewood.

 

Thanks also are due to Rob D who was forthcoming with his expert advice: I've never been involved in a job involving an Alaskan before.

 

Some pics.

 

Jon

[Big 'Ammer]

Was there more profit in selling the timber for planking than its firewood value?

[nepia]

Was there more profit in selling the timber for planking than its firewood value?

 

 

 

If you'd started your question 'would there be more...' I'd have said probably not as every splinter of that tree had to handballed down a horrible narrow side passage; even an Arbtrolley wouldn't come close to negotiating it. I worked out that having rung up the stem and axed it into manageable lumps carrying it to a vehicle would have been the equivalent of picking up one such lump and going for a 4-5 mile yomp with it. I.e. I'd have spent days on the job. I'm bloody glad I avoided it.

 

But in reality bring to mind the phrase 'horrendous underquote'! I just needed the tree gone.

[nepia]

Was there more profit in selling the timber for planking than its firewood value?

 

 

Occurs to me now that you probably hoped for a more serious answer - sorry!

 

Taking into account the wood alone it was worth more as firewood, little doubt about that. But in this instance I had to factor the cost of my considerable time ringing/splitting and handballing it out because of the awful access: even a crane would have been impossible in a world of limitless funding as it couldn't have got closer than 50-60 yards.

 

I hope this is a bit more constructive than my last effort.

 

Jon

[delabodge]

jon next time call me, didnt see the post in time,,,had a good use for it in rings,,,,but nice looking planks,,,all the same,,,

[nepia]

Will certainly bear you in mind Clive - thanks. I'd have been interested to see how you would have got rings out though; the access really was that bad.

[Pat Ferrett]

I went to even more bother than planking the butt on site pre buying an Alaskan mill and got 4 + myself to roll 6ft sections of Cedar across a lawn and man handled into the trailer and then onto the body of the truck, the last section was so heavy that we managed to use rachet straps to pull it into the trailer and then pull the trailer accross the lawn. That last section was so heavy that DM Chainsaw didnt want to lift it with their forklift so the only way to get it out was to pull the trailer sideways with the truck and roll the whole thing.

It didnt make economic sense but then just because we are into tree work for the money doesnt mean we have to sell our souls to the bank manager on every job.

Planked and made into a blanket chest the wood will live on longer than the extra tenner that the logs might have made.

[nepia]

Thanks for the moral support Pat! You're quite right of course: I won't pretend that moral rectitude was the original plan, more making the best of a bad job (the quote) but at least it wasn't a leyland.

 

Back at Pulborough today, laurel-bashing.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I enjoyed this thread, I was glad to see the timber go to good homes rather than a firewood stack round the back of someones shed.