Whatcha Sawin' ???

[Magicman]

Magicman, You are blessed everywhere you go.  

Thank You John, that comment means a lot to me.

[tessmtm]

Thanks all for the welcome!

[WDH]

Dried pawlonia lumber is light as a feather.

[terrifictimbersllc]

Each log, branch, stem has a hole down the middle.

[WV Sawmiller]

TT,

   Thanks for mentioning that. I only sawed some last year one time and was not really sure it was Paulonia. I was afraid it was Ailanthus (Stink tree). My Paulonia was very light and they did have a hole down the middle. I just got the logs - well half were firewood sized and the bark and other features sure looked like Ailanthus but no bad smell.

[Magicman]

My 230 mile away customer contacted me this evening.  I made two road trips sawing timbers for him last year and he is ready again.  Weather permitting it is set up for the 27th. 

[Kwill]

Road trip for magicman 8)

[Magicman]

Yup, a couple of pictures from the last two trips:


 
Some of the Red Oak logs.


 
Some of the timbers.


 
Some more.

Over 60 apartment units being built and all using timbers as posts, door & window headers, and exposed rear screened in porch material.  I am sawing all timbers, no side lumber.

He said that I would make at least a couple of trips this year.  8)

[WV Sawmiller]

Lynn,

   I am here to tell you I don't want the job as your off-bearer when you are sawing them timbers! My back started aching just looking at the picture. :D

    (Okay, I am sure he has a skid steer and you probably just lift the rollers and roll them to the end of the mill to be picked up so probably not such a bad job after all.)

[Magicman]

Yup, lift the toe board rollers and either the skid steer forks or a sling strap is used to remove the timbers. 


 
Either way is good. 

The heavy slabs that would not make a timber also had to be gotten off.  Here is shown sliding a slab off and onto skid steer forks.


 
Forks positioned and the excavator bucket is ready.  Easy does it.


 
Steady as she goes.


 
Now the slab can go one way and the timber gets stacked.  



 
The excavator is bringing me another Red Oak log to be bucked and sawn. 

[Crossroads]

That looks like sweet job MM, have fun and be careful 

[terrifictimbersllc]

TT,

  Thanks for mentioning that. I only sawed some last year one time and was not really sure it was Paulonia. I was afraid it was Ailanthus (Stink tree). My Paulonia was very light and they did have a hole down the middle. I just got the logs - well half were firewood sized and the bark and other features sure looked like Ailanthus but no bad smell.

I've sawn it twice, remember a pleasant spicy smell and the wood being very wet, and sawing sort of crispy like one might think of cutting up celery.  There are a number of threads here under the name including mine.  I noted in my thread about it that the first time I sawed it it did not have the holes down the middle in the main logs.  Not sure what was up with that but the second job every log large or small had a hole in the pith.  

[WLC]

Magicman, that looks like a sweet set up for you to saw at.  I know that you are only sawing what the customer wants/needs, but its a shame that all that side lumber goes to a burn pile or wherever it goes.  I just cringe thinking about it.  This coming from someone who hasn't seen an oak tree in several years though and would have a heyday having a whack of oak logs to saw.

[doc henderson]

We have Catalpa here in the mid west.  very light, splits with a maul like you are a super hero, burn easy but not much coal, smells like someone is smoking a pipe when burning in a wood stove and you are outside.  we have groves here as the government thought it would be good fast growing wood for railroad ties.  people buying land in the country bulldoze down whole groves to build.

[Magicman]

I understand WLC, but the first objective is to meet the customer's cut list.  I did about the same thing myself when sawing Red Oak for Marty's flooring.  Whatcha Sawin' ??? in Sawmills and Milling  He did not want any white sapwood so I slabbed deep so that the first board taken would be at least a 5" all heartwood board. 


 
I was left with this pile of thick slabs which I got rid of this week.


 
I bucked them to 18" and hauled them, one load at the time, on the back of the Golf Car.  Yes, there were some very nice one and two live edged 2" & 3" slabs that would have made fine benches but they will also make firewood.  Remember that I ain't in the "selling business".


 
Continuing to whittle away at the slab pile.


 
About gone.


 
The last load.


 
The slab pile produced ~half a cord of firewood that I will split when it is loaded to haul home.  Right now it is stacked under a carport and drying nicely.

All of the Red Oak slabs produced on the road trip timber sawing jobs were also bucked into firewood so nothing was wasted.

[WDH]

That will make great firewood.

[Magicman]

And this was one tired puppy when I finished    and that night I    but now I can   .

[WLC]

I understand, but makes it no easier on me :D.  At least it doesn't go to waste.  All my slabs wind up as firewood as well.

[Magicman]

Of course anything containing a combination of sap & heartwood is subject to crook so at least there is an advantage quality wise.  Now I will admit that I hated to whack those live edged thick slabs but I have six drying now and if I need more I can easily make them.

[Magicman]

Yesterday I prepped the sawmill getting her ready for my scheduled 230 mile road trip Monday.  The "up/down" cylinder on the two plane clamp had started to creep up so a "rebuild" was done.  I had ordered the rebuild kit when I first noticed a creep but not had/taken the time to install it.  Anyway with Marty's help, it's done now. 

I had planned to travel Sunday evening and be ready to saw Monday morning but a Monday AM appointment with my Cardiologist has delayed my plans for a bit.  I now plan to tow the mill, park it, see the Dr., and then complete the remaining 175 miles.  

[SawyerTed]

Hope all goes well, especially the cardiologist visit.  Those visits sometimes turn into bigger stuff.  My dad had triple bypass 10 days ago.  He's doing fine.  

[Resonator]

If they see the mill parked in front of the Dr. office, they'll think your getting a lumbar support. 

[terrifictimbersllc]

I parked my truck & mill at the Drs. office once on the way to a job.💊💉🚑

[Magicman]

This will be my first time ever to see a Cardiologist.  Had a scan done Monday which showed plaque in my Left Anterior Descending Artery.  That sounds simple when it is someone else or until you read that the LAD is called the "Widow Maker".     :P

Anyway I'll have my sawmill/clothes and am planning on sawing next week.   ;D

[terrifictimbersllc]

Wishing you the best and not much to worry about.  Knowing you you'll probably walk out of there with a nice sawing job!  8)