Rob D

Some of them are oiled with a wipe of walnut oil but a lot of them I'm now sanding down to 400 grit and this seems to seal the pores of the wood.... I've had a cedar board in the kitchen and been using it to cut meat, spill things on, put it in the dishwasher and in short abused it - still looks fine other than a few knife scratches.

If you're not sure what to make and you have a small log mill start producing chopping boards.... I say chopping boards but just boards for chopping, displaying, etc. Lots of people say 'should be end grain etc etc.... ' don't worry about that as if people want to buy that they can buy all the imported stuff. Oak, beech, cedar, apple, cherry, sycamore are all food safe. Mill to 1 1/4" and get them planed to 1" or 3/4" when dry. They are easy to take to retailers and mark up for you and them is good. Offer them sale or return. Any that don't sell in one outlet re package and take to another. Even offcuts look good sanded smooth on the front. The backs now I just run quickly over and leave the saw marks in. I'm churning them out and they're selling like hot cakes - I get between £5 to £30 dependent on size but out of one small branch of cherry you can get 20 boards! I get them engraved for £1-00 each but this isn't really necessary. The main thing is to get the facing surface as smooth as silk. Sand them as a long plank first then cut them to size afterwards cutting out the knots and holes. They are easy to produce and easy to sell. Taking another 200 to Exbury Gardens tom morning - here's a few examples.

Alright John - sorely tempted but can't do at the mo...... I do love elm - so much easier to dry than most woods. To everyone else I've had around 5-6 shipments of elm from big J and it's been cracking timber!

Ditto above - very handy

I think really it comes down to using a) standard chain with 30 degree angle and also b) chisel chain rather than semi or micro and c) pushing quite hard on the mill. Ripping chain tends to give you the smoothness shown in between the washboard effect here.

I got some great pics today for you Chris! I think the washboarding could be down to perhaps too much pressure on the mill as I think you'd already worked out. I use my Husky 390 in a small log mill type set up with 28" bar and ripping chain if I just want to rip a few boards without fiddling. The pics are of some oak - but interestingly the washboard effect is not all the way down - which means it can't just be the chain and nothing else.

Don't agree here Andy! They may have done a crane job 2 weeks in but I bet there were other more experienced climbers giving them back up and advice. And did they climb before doing their tickets? If so they already had some experience. I'd ask to step back from being lead climber and your reasons why. If they keep pushing you I'd start to look around for another job.

That's superb!

That's pretty shocking really - but I'm sure the kind inmates of where ever he ends up won't take the mickey tooooo much

Spaulted holly one looks great - rare as well...

I think that's a fair rate after climbing for 12 months and in todays climate. If you start to find you're getting too busy then I'd put your day rate up.

As said - stay of the mobile! Have a great first day

This does crop up a bit - to be blunt your tree is not worth anything. Put some pics up and if you're lucky you may be able to get someone to come in and clear it for free but forget about being paid for the timber.

That's nice and the colours compliment each other which is almost impossible to do!

Yep there's never enough but you've certainly made a fair few things recently.

Ha ha! Love the lamp - that's a labour of love to complete with a chisel.

That's a great idea you've done by morticing in the seat into the upright logs.... not seen that before. I wonder if the seat came out a little then the back could also be done in the same way? Like it

No worrys - a few people want the site left tidy but this then has a bearing on how much they get for the log.... If you had logs in a yard yep prob would be a few more quid... but unfortunately there's not many logs worth more than firewood. You either want very straight, knot free clean hardwood or something with very nice patterns, figure or burring and these are worth more. Rippled sycamore is the one to look out for - that's worth a few quid!

I paid £70-00 for the timber and milled on site. Customer even helped me load it into truck and mess was left... was at the back of garden and he wasn't fussed. I find it really varies from job to job. Most mobile saw millers are not that well set up for cleaning the site afterwards.... the last ones I've done as contract style milling I left the mess but only after agreeing this beforehand.

I won't make it this year unfortunately .... got to focus on other projects but I went to the first and second one and it was great to meet people on here and have a few beers in the evening..... I hope to be there next year though

Ha ha! They are all worthless Mick .....except the one I had off you which Jaguar bought for £50,000-00.... Next beer is on me!

I have heard loads of these stories and although I profess my ignorance in a great many things they are 97% just that... a good story. It looks good for people like aston martin and bentley to say they paid £10,000 for a root ball as it then helps to justify the £20-000 they charge to put a thin slice of it in a car!

This is true - there will be a walnut tree now and again that will be worth it which is why I put 97%! There are sawmills to handle the timber but quality trees like this one will be 1 in 1000. I know people who sell to the gun makers and a good friend of mine has been round Holland and Holland.... You have to have the right tree with walnut for it to be worth good money - and they will be very very very rare. I have milled about 20 now and have more of an idea how to value them. If you're cutting one down use this thread is it may be worth good money if it's the right one. Colour, sap ring and shake. http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/alaskan-mill/39337-if-youre-trying-sell-walnut-butt.html Here's a 4 footer we milled - some of the timber we even left there. Colour not that great and a massive sap ring - but no shake. http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/alaskan-mill/42073-milling-4ft-walnut-butt-stihl-090-a.html

You have a 1/4" chain but the file size you need will be 5/32" max but even better 3.5mm - very small. 1/4" files are massive! You can buy at this reputable online retailer with a high standard of customer care! Products for the category: Round files Put in 'FREEPOST' in the voucher code if it's just a few files you want.

Nice work - you'll love it! I found the NPTC courses really good.