farmerjohn

I'd like to think i win a lot of my work that way, i have been established for nearly 10 years now and have 7 guys working full time for me, we have never been shy of work (touch wood this will continue) although i am in construction it is very similar initial contact with the client before a job is awarded. Just remember potential clients are most likely going to be out at work when you do the job, especially if it runs over a few days, they could be nervous and need to trust the person they pick as you are on there property and could potentially do some damage. They will only have a hour at MAX to chat with you when looking at a job so that is the only time you get to make the best impression possible as this is more likely what they will choose a company on, if its anything like my trade, unless a company is cutting there throte to get the work most people are pricing about the same cost per hour so it is down to how likeable, trust-worthy, polite and punctual / tidy you can make yourself out to be. When i go and price a job i am always enthusiastic (as i love what i do) and i go with the same enthusiasm as the first descent size job i got asked to price, i always take photos of past completed works, before and after!!!

Alex, was it yourself i was talking on here and we got off topic talking to about insulation materials, specifically for me a lime insulation render we had started to use?

WOW, i didnt realise that you lost so much, some rough sawn dried oak i got was 26mm thick before i started planing and prob took off 3mm top and bottom and it was pretty straight, what size do you think that was milled at? also, it was pretty good, not a lot of twist or cupping (hence only 3mm each side) is this normal on a 5" wide board or was it pretty well dried so not to need as much taking off? Alec, your 3" timber, do you kiln that? if so how long do you air dry it for before kilning? or what is a minimum time is the more appropriate question? What thickness would you expect 3" milled to shrink to and then plain up to? Apologies for all the questions guys i really do appreciate all the advice.

cheers for that james, can i ask what you would consider the smallest diameter but that is worth quarter sawing? and i take it anything below that you would cut through and through. Thanks, John

Hi Alec, I have a few sticks of oak to be milled soon that are over 2'6", i was thinking of quarter sawing them, you mentioned cutting the oak into 2-3" sections i would be drying mine, using some for myself and possibly selling a small amount, is it assumed if someone wants 1" wide boards, once the 2" stuff is dried you then re-saw the 2" stock with a bandsaw? i am going to try and kiln mine eventually so would it be best to stick to 2-3" sections rather than 1" in the kiln as well to try and reduce the range of sizes. One last general question about milling, any oak between 12" - 24", how would you cut it? just through and through or another method such as boxing out the heart? regards, John

Hi Howard, can you PM me your details please and if it is ok with you i will give you a call over the weekend, I'm at the show tomorrow, having a day off for a change and i'm in eskdale friday so no reception. think i can probably make any day next week apart from monday, are you leaving it square? i can bring my log-debarker on my 136 if you want it dressing up? it makes a really good job, just need to get a bolt for the side baring.

if you guys ever come across any nice pankable hardwoods (excluding beach and sycamore) and would like to sell them rather than getting wet logging them please let me know.

Hi dave, it wasn't behind the marina by any chance was it? i was working on a property there today giving my old boss a hand out with my lads and i heard a saw getting some stick today!!!! I would certainly like to call in on yourself also if it is not too inconvenient. I have just looked on your website, do you still have the forcat? i may have a job for you, a friend of mine mentioned someone up greenodd, arrad foot way had one but i could not find out who it was. can you please PM me your number and i will give you a call regarding the extraction job and to have a look at the mill. Regards, john

Hi Howard, I would be very intrested in seeing one in auction. I live in kirksanton nr Millom but we are actually working VERY near you at the moment, We are renovating yew tree house (right next to WRS yew tree barn) if possible i would love to come and see one in auction. Regards, John

a very valid point as i found out today on my 136, break band snapped!!! I do seem to have a habit of whenever i finish a cut clicking the break on, even if it is just for 30 seconds whilst i look where i am going to make my next cut, probably does not do my saw much good. I do take on board what you are saying about adopting the correct posture and i would like to think i am very aware of risks when using the saw and do what i can to minimize them, but i would defiantly prefer to use a saw with a break for added piece of mind.

I should have said, i am not buying a new saw for these jobs, it will be second hand, and i am also not up for getting one so old it is without a chain break as if it is there to be used i will use it for every job it can be used on and not keen on using a big saw like that without a break for anything other than milling.

true, if i was going to go for a 90ish cc i am leaning towards something like a 064, old ish, but i think i can still get all parts, apparently best power to weight ratio for a big saw, though that does not bother me too much, and if i end up getting one it WILL get used. does anyone know if is there anything i should look out for on the 064?

Coletti: i would love one, but i am thinking of a second hand saw and they dont come up very often, only seen 2 on ebay since jan, and 1 of the 90cc ones, cant remember the model, it was still in it's box and it went for £400, prob should have had it, if the power and reliability is there i'm not bothered out the colour.

Hi Rob, I have seen your website and i am going to place a order for a few bars and some chains very soon. The main reason for my post is to try and work out what size saw i should buy, i would rather buy a smaller saw (72cc ish) as a 90cc saw would not get the use it should if owed by me and would almost be a 'waste' of a really good saw, but if it is the only option it is what i will have to get. Another option which is a question directly for you, if i am only putting 4 square sides on 18" butts and small with a chainsaw mill then re-sawing on my pto saw, could i get a smaller mill from your good self that would run ok on a 72cc saw? Regards, John

Hi, although I have not made many posts on arbtalk I have been a member for a year or so. This is my first post from scratch and there is a lot of info to give so you can hopefully give me some advice so please bear with me. I am very interested in fire wooding and am looking to get into milling in a small way, mainly native hardwoods in small ish quantities as a sideline to my construction business to use for restoration works we complete on old properties / barn conversion. (This is the main of my work.) I have about 7 tonne of oak butts (between 2’ and 3’6” please see below pic of the smallest on the trailer) and the odd ash, yew, sweet chestnut, cherry and splatted beach butt. I am going to take all of this lot to a local guy who is very close to me who has an old LT25 and I can labour on him removing planks and stacking etc. I have recently made a bit of a purchase to make lighter work of the smaller diameter firewood we get (please see below.) I have about 5 trees to off root that are about 40 – 50” diameter that are for milling so I am going to get a bigger saw. The problem is what size saw to get. Because I have close, cost effective access to a mill any big timber will get sawn up on the mizer. I would like the option of cutting any smaller butts up to an absolute maximum of 18” diameter myselt with a chainsaw mill, I would almost certainly cut any timber I do myself into 10X10” sections and re-saw it into planks on the woodworker. I was given an Alaskan type mill (not sure of the make, it is orange and has roller on the top that run along the top) that has a 36” bar on and I do not think it can be used with one much smaller due to the way to holds the bar. At present my biggest saw is a 455 rancher which I know is far too small for the mill, but I have to admit I really like the saw apart from the oiling problems I have encountered. My questions are as follows: 1. is would something like a husky 372 or a MS440 be power full enough to do what I want on the mill running a 36” bar but strictly not using all of the cut available on the mill? 2. If yes to the above can I get a 36” bar to fit wither of the 2 saws above or am I going to have to go for a bigger saw? 3. Does it sound feasible / sensible to do the proposed and square up smaller butts with a chainsaw mill and re-saw on the PTO saw. 4. Any advice on how best to mill hardwoods (especially oak) with 3 and 5 star shakes is would be very much appreciated as my man mainly uses the mizer for re-sawing softwoods. Many thanks for anyone who takes the time to read all of the above and give any advice. John

Not really a arb-tractor and digger but they do the trick when i need them to turn from construction to timber gathering. Hoping to get a fixed log-grab very soon for the kubota.

hi, could you please pm me the link too, if the sale has not been, Thanks, John

Hi Pete, i will look for the TRADA guide as i will find it very useful. Thanks for sharing the information, i have not come accorss the problem regarding the slope of the grain before and would be intrested if there is any 'bedtime reading' on it so i can avoid that pitfall. Hope all got sorted with the truss in the end. regards, John

was that truss designed up by a engineer? i would like to point out i am not one, but i work with one on a regular basis, i would not have used a raied tie beam truss on a pitch as shallow. In my opinion, and my opinion only i would have thought the truss has failed as the principle rafters are on a very flat pitch and where the tie beam as been cut in it weakens the timber. as there is no triangulation compression as the angle is so flat, that would be my assessment of it from my knowledge, but it is no way fact.

yeh its odd that, does anyone know the reason for this? i asked for good oak but not HT graded (i think thatswhat they call it) so i dont get any paperwork with it, but it should be pretty good and only get charged green oak cost. i had a structural engineer work out sections for truesses, purlings and ridges. only so i know that if we made it to a calculated spec it will not have any problems in the future.

its green oak, thats why we put some oak pegs through, think they were about 25mm diamiter, just in case it dires back, didnt want the possibility of the tie beam shrinking back quicker than the principle rafters and potentially 'dropping out' we also put some adhesive in the half lap which will never be seen as well if i am being honist dry graded would have been too expensive, as there was not building regs we did not need to use graded timber, but the guys i get the beams off are pretty good, i asked for not big shakes, knots or flaws that may affect the strucutre of the truss. thanks, john

course it is, soz, spelling never has or will be my stong point. thanks for the comments

to be fair, we nearly did bash on and cut it right through, after a bit of head scratching came up with the same conclusion as youself woodoworks and half lapped it

I buy bio diesel off a guy near me which is WVO with fat stripped out, iv ran my 55 plate nav D40 on it no problem 50/50 during winter and 75/25 in summer, also a 53 reg transit no problem, BUT i had a 54 plase iveco van and a 03plateiveco pickup and i had nothing but problems with them, to be fair, i had ignition problems with them before running them on bio. not sure if it was the bio or they have massive fuling problems (i wish i had google 'iveco daily starting problem' before i bought them) in short as mentioned in winter when temperatures are coolermixmore diesel with it or it will solidify in lines, i also filter again before putting in vans and i add a chemical which basically increases the octane rating of the bio.

ok, "you are mistaken", the dovetails are not cutright through the main beam, both dovetails at each end of the tiebeam and the crossing of the principle rafters at the top are all half lapped and pegged through to hold them together. specifically for the reason you mentioned.