Squaredy

I estimate from what you said that this log has an average diameter of 3ft. In which case it is 140 cubic feet which is around 4 tons. So you need another 5 or 6 logs about the same. This assumes of course you can get a full size timber lorry there. I do agree it is a shame when logs like this get turned into firewood. Sadly there are very few people who are willing or able to collect individual stems for a modest price. Sometimes a local farmer will help with a tractor and trailer, but if they are going to do it as a one off job and charge say £200, as the log is worth maybe £280 it is barely viable.

If it were part of a parcel that would make at least one lorry load I would agree with £70 per ton. If it is on it’s own the transport cost is so high it is almost worthless. If you can deliver it of course that is different.

6 feet I believe. The bar is nearly 8 feet long!

Well I have taken the plunge and today purchased a second hand Peterson Dedicated Wide Slabber from another Arbtalker. Thanks to @MikesMill for that. It is generally sound condition, though with some alignement issues, but I think I can sort this out. I will start off with some reasonable size logs - three foot diameter or so, and then soon mill my 6ft diameter Cedar of Lebanon, 5ft Plane etc. I will post pics when there is something good to show! I think my transit just limped home as the throttle is becoming unresponsive. This may be the last time I need it so I guess that is good timing. Large slabs here we come.....

Thank you Andrew I appreciate your input. It is not too late for my project - I am waiting for my spuds to finish so I haven't started groundwork yet! I think I will be using a membrane under the slab as well as using waterproof concrete. I had leftover plastic DPM from another job, or is there some huge advantage of using Visqueen? And yes I was hoping it would just be of a size that it can be cast as one with no joints.

Surely there is an Arbtalker who has some dried Alder for the original poster? I know most of it gets chopped up for firewood but someone must have some dry slabs somewhere.....?

I have today found out that NRW (Welsh FC) have been poisoning hundreds of Larch trees near me. Apparently they were going to miss their own deadline to fell, imposed in the Plant Health Order and so decided to poison the trees as the only other way of complying. So now there are many dead standing Larch, which if left long enough no forester is going to want to fell, and will end up with much reduced timber value. I am probably being a bit naive - is this a common practise?

Les, thanks for the offer, but what is your setup? What wonder have you created....?

Yeah thanks for that Johnsond, I appreciate your comments. I do like fabricating things, but I have to be realistic about my time, as I am also fabricating a new drying shed at my yard, and a garden building at home. I do have a helper so two handed milling is an option.

Well yes I think chainsaw slabber is the way to go. The difficulty is knowing how they compare. If they were cars I would simply take them all out for a test drive. As it is, I can't even see them all running. For the most part you have to place an order based on a few Youtube videos and tech specs. Hence my question asking for experience of Arbtalkers who may know some of these machines.

Actually I hadn't really considered this option. It is a lot of money mind, £5000 + VAT or so once you factor in the Stihl Ms880. But thank you Andy I will look into it.

Yeah I have looked into the wide bandsaws, and most are prohibitively expensive (WM1000 I believe is £50,000 plus) but there are cheaper ones from Cooks and Hudson, but they are generally limited to 1.2m. 1.2m is not bad but I currently have about ten logs in my yard over that size. Thanks for your input Steve.

Ooooh that is not good. Don't accept the fixed penalty but go to court, and tell the court that losing your license will impact your ability to do your job. They have the power to give you a hefty fine instead of a ban. Or just accept the lower fixed fine and a ban.

Well this is a turnip for the books....No Arbtalkers have anything to say about this...!?

I am looking to buy a dedicated wide slabber as soon as possible and would appreciate the benefit of experience and knowledge of fellow Arbtalkers. I have just sold my Lucas Mill with the slabbing attachment, so I am aware of the capabilities of this (too slow for regular use on wide logs). What I really need is to be able to compare the capabilities of the Peterson Dedicated Wide Slabber, The Lucas Dedicated Slabber, and even possibly the Turbosaw Slabber which launched last year. To my amazement there is even a Lucas Slabber which has a 9ft cut width! I do not need that, but up to around 5ft would be good. With the proceeds of my Lucas Mill and my bounce back loan I can spend £10,000 or more if necessary. The Lucas slabber is just under £10,000 the Peterson is £14,500. Or I could even keep the cash and hire in a miller as and when, but looking at my yard at the moment I currently have about 20 days work for a wide slabber, so what is the point in paying a specialist about £7000 when I could buy the mill and use it whenever I need. I do regularly get large logs and have the market for the slabs. Before Big J says, I know all about the difficulty in handling and stacking large slabs, and how they distort when drying. I have the logs, I have the customers, I just need the means to convert the logs.

My experience of grants is they involve a lot of complicated paperwork, jumping through hoops, and you have to buy new. So for instance if you want to buy a half decent tractor you might get a good second hand one for £10,000, but the grant may force you to buy a new one for £22,000, so unless it funds £12,000 it might be pointless. Also they often require you to have the whole amount of cash up front and claim it back, which might be self-defeating. I know it is a loan not a grant, but Bounce Back Loan as Les says has really great terms, all interest paid by governement for one year, and then a really low interest rate.

LOL thanks for that Nepia. Still is a beautiful tree for sure.

You mean you put the chainsaw slabber on the mill? If not how did you get two 4" slabs? I do a similar thing with my Lucas mill, but only get one wide slab from the middle.

I actually did knot spot that.......!

There is a guy who lives in Ipswich makes his entire living doing knotting and splicing and associated consultancy. I forget his name but he trades as footrope knots. What he does not know about knots is not worth knowing.

But why? I admit it sounds like a boring plantation, but any more than Spruce? And far more useful timber I would venture.

Thanks Nepia, cool.

I am very ignorant of the Field Maple so your comments are interesting. I have no idea why I never get offered them. Once had a sugar maple from a tree surgeon, but out of maybe 2000 tons of local logs milled in the last 12 years not one Field Maple. I am from Kenley, so I used to go to Caterham a lot for lots of reasons, and always loved the Cedar by the road. Haven't seen it for maybe 30 years.

Well done you, very nice.

And is that pergola built of Leylandii?