Big J
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Everything posted by Big J
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Update: I'm doing a kiln load of Elm next week, cut to order. I'll make the same offer to you rabble as I did to the local cabinet makers. Elm, cut to your specification, dried to 8-12%, £28 a cubic foot plus VAT. Measurement is done on the hoppus measure, a good variety of logs available (around 30 tonnes). Delivery is by pallet which is an additional, though not substantial cost. Price is only on the basis of taking a whole log and individual boards will be available later at £36 a cubic foot. Prices plus VAT. Get in touch if interested Jonathan
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Hi Robert, Sorry no one replied, must have slipped me by as well. I cut in the 1 to 2.5" range usually, with the odd bits thicker. Regarding markets to sell in, try contacting local furniture makers in your area, though you'll really need a kiln. See my DIY kiln thread on how to build one cheaply. Jonathan
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It's very nice stuff, but mill thick if it's got occluded bark as the boards will just fall apart. It's very soft and cuts like a dream.
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That is a very sweet little machine. Light enough to tow behind a Landie as well. How much are they?
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We had double doors on our Villager stove at our old house and they were a nightmare to seal. Single doors are far better in that regard, as air tightness is the key to efficiency. I'm mostly unable to wear trousers in the house at the moment, such is the internal temperature. It's not that warm up here yet, and we're heating the whole house (130 square metres) on about one basket of wood a day at the moment.
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Well yes, until they fall out.
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I jest It's just this modern fashion for tall, boxy stoves that frustrates me. I spent ages looking for our first stove before settling on a Bullerjan. There are very few stoves that are long and deep (a layout that reduces the risk of logs falling out and maximises log length). On the same pallet as my monster stove, I brought up a little 7kw version of it for my retired ex-neighbour. Same art deco glass front door, 19" max log length, £285. Jonathan
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All too small. If it can't take a two foot log, what's the point!?!?
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I just replaced my Bullerjan (bit too small for the house, even at 11kw) with a stove made by Martin Champion of Champion Stove Company I originally got a small one (the Bonnie) for my office at work. I was very impressed by the build quality and price, so commissioned a monster for the house. It has the glass fronted door with the art deco sunburst pattern (you'll find pictures in the gallery). The firebox internal dimensions (with the firebricks in place) are 680mm x 400mm x 400mm. We reckon it is 20kw. Either way, it doesn't use that much wood, stays in overnight on softwood (noble fir) and I love it. Best thing is, it's British made and costs buttons. I'm not sure what he would generally charge for this stove (all his stoves are named after British motorcycles, so mine is named The Dominator!) as mine was a prototype and a bit cheaper. I would be surprised if it was over £500 though (no VAT). Here is a crap picture of mine:
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Huge odd shaped timber, oak and elm
Big J replied to wainwright forestry ltd's topic in Milling Forum
PM sent -
Huge odd shaped timber, oak and elm
Big J replied to wainwright forestry ltd's topic in Milling Forum
Welcome to the forum! Any pictures? Where are you? -
what expectations do you have for your buisness.
Big J replied to Matthew Storrs's topic in General chat
Us too Plans for the business are to continue expanding sales on the current site without increasing overheads. I think that I can put another 50% on turnover, whilst maintaining workload - it's just a question of efficiency. I also do not want employees - I like the flexibility of occasional labour, but I'm very happy that my wage bill is less than 5% of turnover. Employees/contractors are a PITA sometimes. Business goals wise, I'd like to aim the business more into the supply of other large scale timber users. Other sawmills and larger production cabinet makers. Selling individual boards is time consuming. You often find that the people buying the most timber take up the least time. Finally, I'd like to move north, but that's not for a few years yet. Jonathan -
Hi James, I'd replied on the thread about the yew - I unfortunately don't have much in the way of stock at the moment beyond 6 very nice, very large boards that a customer has already bought. Sorry about that! Home of wood - might not be economical to send them if it's only 6 pieces.
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Holy thread revival Batman! I don't have much in the way of good yew in the yard at the moment. I've got 6 stunning pippy yew boards I've been waiting for months for a customer to collect. Perhaps I ought to threaten to sell them to someone else.... Otherwise, do you have any other species you are interested in? Jonathan
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Looks like a useful piece of kit to get started with: mobile sawmill | eBay Would be very good for producing beams, where the higher level of wastage isn't so much of an issue. The cut quality from a chainsawmill on rails is at least as good as a band saw mill too. £1800 is a bit high for a starting bid, but it's probably worth that. If anyone does get it, I'm happy to collect it for diesel money - I'm curious to see it! Jonathan
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I have a good sized log that I'd describe as heavily pipped, though perhaps not burred. It is however showing signs of being spalted, which adds a dimension of interest. It can be cut to order and kilned, but I'm doing a full kiln load of customers buying by the log (on the hoppus measure). Timber will be discounted over 20% to £28 a hoppus foot though, so a very economical way to purchase timber. Roughly speaking there are about 35-40 cubic foot in the first 8-9ft length of that stem. Would be 10 weeks from now until it's ready (10% MC) Jonathan
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All the very best for a rapid recovery.
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How many do you need? I can get some Scots in if you'd needing enough of them. I reckon that I might struggle to get a 12" square out of the spruce in the yard (just) and the douglas fir might be a bit much.
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Protect your oak from as much sunlight as possible, and moderate draught. I've heard that sawyers on the other side of the pond use hessian sheets over stacks to stabilise the drying process. Thinner stock is less capable of moving (thinner boards, less timber to exert a drying stress on the rest of the stack) so seems to check less. I must admit that this is relatively new to me. I always knew that cutting oak in spring was risky business but wasn't aware that different thicknesses reacted differently. It's also the same reason why you should cut thicker stock from boards closer to the heart - crown cut boards, with their propensity to move produce worse thick boards. I'm not sure of the method Alec is referring to. I quarter by chainsaw milling the log in half, ratchet strapping the two halves together, rotate 90 degrees and then repeat. Lots of that elm left, yep. Generally about £14 a cube off the saw at the moment - nice forest grown stock. Jonathan
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Screw splitters? Ours cost about £600 to build and is extremely quick so long as it's not too knotty.
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Beams are different. Doesn't matter about surface checking. It's very detrimental to furniture grade timber though.
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Now really, and I've still got a couple hundred cube of 1" and 1.25" Oak to cut. That said, if you are going to cut late, cut thin to minimise checking. Nice beech
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If you are needing a bar set up, I'm selling my 50" bar, 3 chains and mill as I've just upgraded to a double ended milling set up. Jonathan
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PM sent
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Quarter it. Much more stable boards, far less waste on drying.
