Lucas Mill nearly met its Match

[skc101fc]

No I don't quarter saw. If the customer asked for it I would but I would also have to learn fast! Nearly all of my work is producing construction type timber for farm sheds or fencing. Some of my arty clients have had me slab their logs but invariably don't know what they're going to do with it apart from storing the slabs indefinitely !!

Seems a shame to use the lucas just to produce firewood. I cut short oak as 8 x 8 gateposts at 7 or 8 foot long. Lighter and shorter lengths still make strainers. The unusable knot ends would go for firewood.

Farmers don't tend to care where the pith lies or that there's knots in the timber as long as the posts last forever or longer.

Shaun

[Billhook]

I agree, it is a shame to use the Lucas for firewood, but there is a bit of logic when you have trees like this that are too big to chainsaw easily, and have too many faults and branches. Then you have to deal with the rings which means a lot of lifting and manoeuvring and splitting.

With the Lucas waltzing through the big trunk, cutting 8x8 lengths they are easily loaded with the forklift and then presented to the Palax Combi to be sawn into lengths that will fit exactly into the Clearview 650. Loaded with the conveyor into one ton potato boxes so there is no heavy handling or axe work.

When stacked neatly in the stove they can last for 10 hours when shut down.

 

Most of my Lucas work is like yours, cutting usable lengths of 3x2 or4x2 for general repairs or joinery

I am much more picky than I used to be when selecting timber for floors and furniture, and this happens more rarely as I have no floors left to do and no room for any more furniture!

 

Have you ever used the lap (bevel) board attachment? I have not, more of an Australian/US thing I suppose.

[skc101fc]

Yes I got the bevel cutter and have never really got on with it. That said, I've only used it twice. One dimension is obviously locked in place by the sliding scale. The second measure - the thin edge is achieved by travelling the required thickness and measuring manually on the scale plus making an allowance for kerf. Straightforward enough, but to do at speed to be productive isn't great, and I wouldn't dare to do it for a paying customer until I'm much more proficient. Wastage is very high per board produced due to the kerf width being almost the same as the narrow edge, and the damage to the next layer below when the inclined blade cuts in 1/4 -1/2 inch .

All in all its not my favourite component. Perhaps with more use I'd get to appreciate it

[muttley9050]

I quite enjoy cutting feather boards with my lucas. Tis a bit wasteful but I can rattle out boards as quick as an 7x1. As for the over cutting below just line up the mill with these on the next cut. I just use the exact dimensions on the lucas instructions and my boards are all +/- 2 mm or so. Which i think in sawn timber is pretty good. You just have to get in the rhythm of it.

I've also slabbed dome big old 5ft beech but do find it a bit of a chore. Got a job coming up of 4 x 10ft x 4'6" Oak butts to slab into 2" boards. Not really looking forward to that but got some ideas to speed up the cut a little.

I quarter saw a bit done a few plane trees and you have to quarter them yto get lace wood and i also like to quarter saw decent oak where possible. Don't do it 100% properly but 85% or so I guess. Will try to create an image of the cutting pattern I use.

I also have the planer head on order which should be with me any day now. In fact I must phone fuel wood tomorrow and check it's where abouts. I will post some pics up when it arrives.

James

Edited February 18, 2016 by muttley9050

[skc101fc]

James

Not wanting to take this off topic I've sent a pm

Shaun