milling in northumberland

[nick1854]

Just wondering if there is anyone local able to mill softwoods (douglas, spruce, larch) into boards with a mobile mill. I think the largest logs are 70cm diameter. The site will be in the Hexham area, probably cutting in October. The timber will be used to clad a new building to be used for star-gazing and watching wildlife. Could you do this Jonathan? Though I suspect your woodmizer will be long gone by October.

 

Thanks

[StephF]

Hi Nick

I've just spoken to Richard Wilson and he has asked us to look at the timber, to see if we could do it with our mill.

We are based in Stonehaugh and have seen the plans for star gazing installation, so are interested in helping, but the list in village hall last saturday asking for volenteers all seemed to be builders, did not think we had relevent skills|

If we could not do it I will ask someone we know who has a mobile mill.

Edited August 9, 2013 by StephF

[nick1854]

Hi Steph

 

I did think you might know someone and was surprised Richard hadn't asked......but he has now!

 

I would have thought it is a job for a mobile mill as the timber required is boards (and a decent quantity) rather than big section stuff.

 

Nick

[StephF]

Hi Steph

 

I did think you might know someone and was surprised Richard hadn't asked......but he has now!

 

I would have thought it is a job for a mobile mill as the timber required is boards (and a decent quantity) rather than big section stuff.

 

Nick

 

Would our Alaskan mill produce good enough boards? (that is what we have.)

If not, there are a few people we can ask. Tim is keen to help if the Alaskan mill would do the job.

[nick1854]

Steph

 

I don't have any direct experience of Alaskan milling, but have bought quite a bit of timber cut this way. Some of it has had a rough finished surface, whereas other stuff has been smooth enough to use off the saw (certainly for cladding). I suppose this is all down to the Alaskan set-up, blade type, sharpness etc.

 

Nick

[Big J]

Hi Nick,

 

I could certainly do it, and I should be well up to speed with the new sawmill by then (my new one arrives in Grangemouth on the 1st of September). I just need to sort out the transport options and I can get back to you. Do you have any idea what kind of volume of timber there is to cut?

 

Jonathan

[agg221]

Steph

 

I don't have any direct experience of Alaskan milling, but have bought quite a bit of timber cut this way. Some of it has had a rough finished surface, whereas other stuff has been smooth enough to use off the saw (certainly for cladding). I suppose this is all down to the Alaskan set-up, blade type, sharpness etc.

 

Nick

 

A brief comment on this - the three controllable variables which seem to give the best finish with an Alaskan are to use Granberg chain, to minimise the hook on the teeth and to use as short a bar as possible which seems to reduce vibration. Other factors which you can't control are the species, the straightness of the grain and how fast grown the tree was.

 

You can use an Alaskan for cladding, but it's a bit inefficient - you're taking 10mm of kerf each time, so for typical boards you are turning around a third of your timber into sawdust. Since cladding doesn't have to be dead flat/planed to an absolutely uniform thickness you don't lose anything in planing up if a bandsaw blade wanders, so a bandsaw is significantly more efficient (~2mm kerf). The other advantage if you want feather edge is that, because the mill head doesn't reference to the log, you can simply saw the cant to width, stand it on edge and then put a half inch stick under one side to tilt it, take a board, take the stick out, take a board, repeat (thanks tommer9 ).

 

Alec

[keith threadgall]

Hi Nick

I am based at Jedburgh and have an LT40 , you can phone me on 07789551686.

Regards

Keith