what is the hardest wood to mill

[Ian G 2]

Hi all

As I'm new too the chainsaw milling i was wondering what woods are hardest to mill what puts the most strain on the saw.

 

I have got some larch that I'm going to rip up into 6 by 4 mini sleepers to make a retaining wall around garden and was wondering how tough it was going to be compered to the cherry that i just done

[muttley9050]

Larch will be easier to mill than cherry.

Imo the hardest wood to mill is burr elm as you can't get hold of any.

James

[Big Beech]

to add to James`s list. Big Beech is also hard

[burrell_]

I find elm mills quite easy

Oak is hard on the saw

Acasia is hard to

[se7enthdevil]

not that i've ever done any milling but i believe that reclaimed greenheart and ekki are two of the hardest.

 

Greenheart | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwoods)

Ekki | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwoods)

 

there will be a few others but if were sticking to british timbers i believe hornbeam is one of the toughest

[NI Tree]

any wood with any metal in it

[MATTMOSS]

Laburnum.

[s.varty]

Years ago a firm I was working for was given a few blocks of wood to cut into planks for the customer, as soon as it hit the band saw it blunted the blade, we found out from the customer that it was African iron wood and was once used as blocks on the old sailing ships to stop the cargo shifting in rough sea,s. Totally useless information to the op, I know.

[agg221]

I find oak reasonably easy as it chips out along the grain but ash is surprisingly tough. Cherry is straightforward but I have done some very hard spruce, and the sycamore I did for Steve was much harder work than I had anticipated.

 

I think some of it is species, some growing location and some how the grain is - eg knots, straightness, twist etc

 

Alec

[Mike Dempsey]

I have milled up some beech before that was like concrete, on other occasions the saw has flown through it.

The hardest one to mill up is the log you start on with a dull chain and persevere without sharpening it!