Looking after your milled timber

[18 stoner]

Since getting arrival of my Alaskan, (many thanks go to Dave, Combined Tree Services:001_cool:), just wondering how you guys treat your planks after milling to stop warp and splitting.

 

I have some black walnut that has been cut into 6 to 8 foot logs for about 2 years now, and also have a dead Which Elm to take down in about 3-4 weeks. This has also been dead for almost two seasons, the stem is around 25 foot and approx 24" DBH. Also a couple of live common ash to take out in rear gardens might be viable instead of firewood:sneaky2:

 

So just wondering are there "best thicknesses" to cut, or am I still going to have to stack them for a short while, with spacers like green wood?

 

Not really too interested in making stuff to sell at this point, just perhaps a bench or two and some chairs, and anything else that comes to mind later.

 

Any thoughts welcome. Pete.

[tommer9]

Good effort on the mill mate! You can mill almost anything you like, as it is always more valuable than firewood, although you may not see a top return for a year or two for drying. Even though the trees you mention have been dead for a while, wood in the round just doesnt seaon. My fave tale is when my mate bought 30 acres of woods next to his farm, and we couldnt understand why this pisece of hedge had been built- 12'long in the middle of the wood. Until i noticed what appeared to be a tall tree stump a few feet off. I tturned out that the 'hedge' was an oak log, the sapwood had rotted completeley and there was about 6" of earth (years of rotten leaf matter etc) with a healthy selectin of understory growing off it! We dragged it out, cleaned the crap off and milled it, and it was sodden in the middle- as wet as if it had just been felled.

 

When you have milled the timber, it is essential to dry it out properly. This requires a level base, ideally concrete, with some sturdy (3x3?) bearers every 18". Put your first board down, then directly abovr the bearers put some 1" stickers, then your second board etc etc all the way up. Ideally you want to weigh the top board down as much as you can. Another milled log is pretty good, and banding the boards "in stick" with the sort of bands you get round concrete blocks etc. (although personally i dont bother) The wood doesnt have to be kept indoors, some say it is better not for a year or so, but they dont want to be in direct exposure to the elements either. A pole barn is ideal. Dont cover them with plastic. To air dry in this country, which will get you to a minimum of approx 20% moicture, the rule of thumb for hardwoods is 'a year per inch, and one for luck'. i.e a 2" board wil take 3 years. Softwoods half that. For flooring or funiture use you will need to get it in a kiln to reach 10-12% moisture. If you are making garden furniture then you can make it green.

 

As for thicnesses, it is very difficult to say. For commercial milling, all thicnesses have their place. For yourself just think of the final use for the timber- kitchen sideboards, window ledges etc. Oak is a good seller in lintel sizes if you find you have loads and want to shift some.

 

Hope some of that helps. Happy milling.

[Quickthorn]

Painting the ends of each board helps to cut down the risk of splitting

[tommer9]

Painting the ends of each board helps to cut down the risk of splitting

 

Oops, forgot to mention one of the most important things in my thesis:blushing: Have just put that in another thread!

Paint the log ends before you mill. There are proprietry products out there, but TBH any paint will suffice.

[18 stoner]

Many thanks for that, a great start! That would have taken me half an hour to type that Tom, all good tips:001_cool:

[tommer9]

Your welcome.

[combined tree services]

i cant wait to see what you produce pete , i used the mill once for about an hour and that was about it , tbh i didnt know and still dont know anything about miling ! however i may well have a chat with tommer and see if he has any milling to do one week end and see if he wants some free labour lol . i would love to see how its done

[tommer9]

i cant wait to see what you produce pete , i used the mill once for about an hour and that was about it , tbh i didnt know and still dont know anything about miling ! however i may well have a chat with tommer and see if he has any milling to do one week end and see if he wants some free labour lol . i would love to see how its done

 

Should be able to arrange something i would have thought.

[Rob D]

Good to know you've got an Alaskan! You'll never look back!

 

I made a contact the other day that may well make it possible for us to do something on the walnut Pete (even if you say wanted to sell half and keep half).... but because of the transport let me chase it up first. But could you e-mail me some pics of the logs you have to [email protected]?

 

As for milling the timber I've done loads for the last 3 years and now have 2 old freezer bodies and a polytunnel drying wood. As above paint the ends a couple of days before you mill (a couple of coats if you can). Then when you mill the ends are all nice and sealed and it's less messy than doing it later. I use PVA glue mixed with a little water as it's water based and there's no smell and it's cheap from B and Q.

 

I tend to mill to 2" with a chainsaw. Less than that and you generate too much sawdust. More than that and it is a long time you'll be drying for. Mill on a cool overcast day if you have the choice. In the middle of a hot summers day the sunlight will start causing small tears to open in the wood in a matter of hours.

 

You want to have stickers ready (small pieces of wood 1/2" by 1/2" or say 1" by 1/2") so that you can stack the wood and air can circulate in between. Make sure these are dry softwood - using poor stickers can stain the wood and leave marks which will decrease the value by almost half if you're not careful.

 

Also have a look at this page from my website alaskan mill I home of the portable chainsaw mill and you should find it helpful.

[Mark J]

I like the things on your treet website mate