What to do with this Beech?

[Arbtech Tree Services]

Thanks for that Alec:thumbup1: by the time I finish typing a post the thread has moved on!!

[Rob D]

 

If it's any good, stand a 'half' up on edge and mill 'properly' the other way. That way you only have the one wide cut to make and all your decent boards are quarter or rift sawn, so are more stable and have more interesting grain.

 

Alec

 

 

 

 

It's a good point and worth re stating - on the whole through sawn timber is not the best way to saw wood although at first appears to be the easiest way.

 

 

Halve a log first then saw it - that's what you want!

 

 

[ben_inthewoods]

Interesting comments and advice, would this pattern of cuts lend itself to quarter sawing with a Lucas mill for reducing the tension and increasing the stability of the sawn produce? I have a few hundred beech with a dbh of around 50cm that I could have a go at and a new kitchen needed next autumn.

 

It seems a shame to firewood this size of timber, but the market for sawn beech appears small and of low value. Looking to the uses for sawn beech, is there a useful small dimension size that could be considered a stock item?

 

Cheers

Ben

[skyhuck]

Interesting comments and advice, would this pattern of cuts lend itself to quarter sawing with a Lucas mill for reducing the tension and increasing the stability of the sawn produce? I have a few hundred beech with a dbh of around 50cm that I could have a go at and a new kitchen needed next autumn.

 

It seems a shame to firewood this size of timber, but the market for sawn beech appears small and of low value. Looking to the uses for sawn beech, is there a useful small dimension size that could be considered a stock item?

 

Cheers

Ben

 

You should be able to get around £60 a tonne for clean Beech saw logs, less haulage.

[Rob D]

You could do the same type of thing with the Lucas - the only pain being positioning the log.

 

 

Beech seems to me not really sought after so worth putting your energy elsewhere unless you manage to tap into a market...

 

 

 

[ben_inthewoods]

You should be able to get around £60 a tonne for clean Beech saw logs, less haulage.

 

Hi, that's really the issue. I can get £40/t at roadside as firewood, which is not far off £60 minus the haulage down to hardwood mills of central Scotland, northern England. I would like to add value if possible by milling on the estate, but fear being left with a lot of sawn timber with no market.

 

I only have one modest sized kitchen to use as a test job

 

I'm happy to experiment.

 

Cheers

Ben

[muttley9050]

Beech will make a beautiful kitchen,one of my favourite woods to work and i mill it when i get the chance. Not really sure why its hard to sell/out fashion as i prefer to oak for internal work. Could be a market in kitchen counter tops, but they take skill to make. If you really want to add value then best to mill it season it and turn it into product yourself.

[ben_inthewoods]

I agree I do like the look of beech, especially for a kitchen. I will give manufacturing for myself a go, but reasonable felling cuts do not make a joiner; I could be producing plenty of sawn firewood!

 

I did start milling to better understand what I was selling in the round, so it does follow that some manufacturing would help me understand milling.

 

One query at the start of this process is how thin is it sensible to mill beech straight from the log for air drying? is it a case of less haste more speed?

 

I was thinking of cutting 3/4" x 4 1/4" x short length to dress down to 1/2". Storing in drying shed under weight?

 

Cheers

Ben

[Rob D]

I've tried milling at 3/4" but very difficult to keep it straight...

 

 

Personally the thinnest I ever go now is 1 1/4" - but there may be others who have had better luck with thinner boards...

[muttley9050]

I agree with Rob, 3/4 is too thin. If your building a kitchen yourself why do it with thin, weak, hard to join timber. For an average kitchen I would mill mostly 1 1/4" to plane down to around an 1" good for chunky doors and panels. Some 4 1/4" for feature legs etc and some 2 1/4" to add strength where needed. I would mill some at 1" and see how it goes this would be good for loose shelves etc. Make sure it goes beneath everything else when drying, and this will keep it straighter.

James