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General Forestry => Sawmills and Milling => Topic started by: scsmith42 on February 07, 2008, 12:05:25 AM

Title: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: scsmith42 on February 07, 2008, 12:05:25 AM
except that they're from North Carolina!

A local Habitat for Humanity Resale store is expanding, and taking over the property next door.  This property had a very old house, and some rather large oak trees.  Unfortunately, some of the trees were diseased, so they needed to be removed.

No one involved wanted to see the wood wasted, and it turns out that the grading contractor responsible for the lot cleanup is good friends with a neighbor of our very own Joel Eisner.

Joel figured that the logs might be a wee bit too large for his Norwood, so he gave me a call and asked if I was interested in scoring some nice, free, LARGE oak logs.  Well, that's a total no-brainer, isn't it?!

The attached photo's show the result of the call...  The trunk section depicted in the photo with the chainsaw was the part that was 22' in the air!  It was five and a half feet across.  The base of the butt log measured six feet five inches across.

I'm planning to mill some of these next week; the boards should be coming out of the kiln in a month or so. 

Many thanks to Joel for not only brokering the deal on the logs, but also for loaning me a 36" bar for my Stihl!

Scott

Now if can just pry one of those extra Peterson carriages away from Captain and make a slabber...


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13296/Scott_and_six_foot_logv2.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13296/scott_and_six_foot_logsv2.jpg)

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13296/Scott_chainsawv2.jpg)
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: ScottAR on February 07, 2008, 12:13:21 AM
Yowza!!  Nice haul!!

Be sure to take some pics of the milling...
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: semologger on February 07, 2008, 12:15:10 AM
You cant beat that deal. Nice toothpicks for a T REX maybe.
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: beenthere on February 07, 2008, 12:30:54 AM
That log looks like fun...

Now, there must also be a good story behind the chaps.... ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: semologger on February 07, 2008, 01:37:34 AM
how did ya get em loaded? Let me guess ya rolled them on by hand. :o :o
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: New Brunswick on February 07, 2008, 04:24:41 AM
  How many cc is that chainsaw, to handle a bar that length?
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: crtreedude on February 07, 2008, 04:44:33 AM
Decent size tree - but don't they get bigger than that? Hardly seems worth cutting doncha think? (just kidding you)  :D



Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: submarinesailor on February 07, 2008, 06:00:33 AM
Scott,
How in the world did you get both of them on that trailer?  Did you get the D8 unstuck long enough to load them? :D :D :D I noticed trailer tires now have flat places on the bottoms sides!!!! 

Also, make sure you watch out for the junk in them.  That big, you never know what might be in them – look out :o :o :o there's a Dodge in there somewhere. ;D ;D ;D  You know how them Dodges like to hide from us Ford owners. ;) ;) ;)

Bruce
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: Captain on February 07, 2008, 06:40:07 AM
Could have sold that frame a few times this winter, but it's got your name on it  :)

Captain
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: Norm on February 07, 2008, 07:31:19 AM
Now those are impressive logs. Q-saw them up and you'll have no trouble getting rid of the boards. :)
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: zopi on February 07, 2008, 07:32:45 AM
WOW!...that's gonna make some pretty lumber...
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: scsmith42 on February 07, 2008, 08:36:19 AM
Quote from: beenthere on February 07, 2008, 12:30:54 AM

Now, there must also be a good story behind the chaps.... ::) ::) ::)

Nah, I think that they just pulled up when I dropped down to one knee for some of the cuts.  My wife shakes her head wondering how I survived 39 years w/o her!

Bruce/Semologger:  Fortunately the contractor clearing the lot set the logs up on my trailer with his trackhoe, so loading was the easy part!  Unloading them took everything thing that my Cat backhoe had to offer, and we had to help her out a bit too!  I concur that the metal detector is going to get a good workout on these!  If there's a Dodge hiding in there I think that I'll just take 'em to the dump! :D

And Bruce I'll have you know that the D8 hasn't been stuck in over 2 years!  I've gotten very close once or twice though, but the dozer gods (and more likely the drought gods) have been smiling on me..

NB - believe it or not it's a Stihl 044.  I was surprised at how well it handled Joel's 36" bar.  I used standard chain (rather than skip-tooth); I'm not sure that it would have pulled as well with skip tooth
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: metalspinner on February 07, 2008, 09:53:26 AM
 8) 8) 8)

Hopefully, all involved will remember you the next time as well.  I bet you were not going too quick on the way home with that load. :D
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: ErikC on February 07, 2008, 10:36:34 AM
 Those logs are peterson material for sure! hope they saw up as nice as they look.
BTW, I run a 36' bar on my 044 quite a bit. Square chisel, fullskip chain, cuts fine if I keep it sharp.


Erik
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: scsmith42 on February 07, 2008, 08:08:42 PM
Eric, thanks for the tip about the 044 and full skip chain.  Think that I'll call Bailey's tomorrow...
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: deeker on February 07, 2008, 08:38:23 PM
Texas toothpicks?  I guess, we call those sticks kindleing.  Just kidding....great pics!  I am surprised that your using a 044, have inhaled a lot of fumes from an 088 and have made it work for its diet.  I love the square skip tooth chain, makes it a lot faster.  Keep up the back breaking fume inhaleing great work!

Kevin Davis
Ruff Cutts
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: zopi on February 07, 2008, 09:27:09 PM
Quote from: submarinesailor on February 07, 2008, 06:00:33 AM
look out :o :o :o there's a Dodge in there somewhere. ;D ;D ;D  You know how them Dodges like to hide from us Ford owners. ;) ;) ;)

Bruce

yah...rust is contagious.  ;D
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: scsmith42 on February 08, 2008, 03:42:48 AM
Quote from: deeker on February 07, 2008, 08:38:23 PM
Texas toothpicks?  I guess, we call those sticks kindleing.  Just kidding....great pics!  I am surprised that your using a 044, have inhaled a lot of fumes from an 088 and have made it work for its diet.  I love the square skip tooth chain, makes it a lot faster.  Keep up the back breaking fume inhaleing great work!

Kevin Davis
Ruff Cutts

Kevin, you ask why I'm using an 044?  Three little words... IT'S PAID FOR! :D  I almost had a deal on a used 088 a while back, but it fell through. 
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: OneWithWood on February 08, 2008, 10:11:17 AM
Gee, Scott, it is too bad they dumped that big ole log on you.  Now you have to work hard, make lots of nice boards, stack 'em, dry 'em, unstack 'em.  Man, I feel sorry for you - not!  8) 8)
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: scsmith42 on February 08, 2008, 10:13:47 AM
Yeah Robert, I can feel your sympathy all the way down here!   :D   :D
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: deeker on February 08, 2008, 12:35:35 PM
Scott, I have sadly had to pay for the 088 and know what you mean.  I have a 26yr old 038 magnum and it is getting tired, at least a bit picky to start.  It owes me nothing.  Going to have to get a new stihl this spring.  Maybe a 039 or 044, the big 088 gets a bit heavy when carving on the huge logs.  And the old 920 Jred is hard to find parts for.  The big ones do a lot of work, and require a lot too.  Nice pics!


Kevin Davis
Ruff Cutts
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: johncinquo on February 08, 2008, 02:53:02 PM
Nice!  And it didnt take 6 months to get it done!  Ha ha!  That'll keep you busy for awile.
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: dail_h on February 08, 2008, 05:38:11 PM
   I dunno why Joel didn't saw'em on his Norwood,,,,, musta been too busy,yeah that's it too busy.  ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: MikeH on February 08, 2008, 08:50:08 PM
 That picture of you Scott is better than yours by the cant's. 8)
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: scsmith42 on February 08, 2008, 10:37:09 PM
Mike, thanks for the insight.  Joel Eisner told me the same thing - think that I'll need to change my avatar.

Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: MikeH on February 08, 2008, 11:02:48 PM
Now we're talking!!
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: rebocardo on February 08, 2008, 11:06:41 PM
What a great haul, beautiful wood.

It does look like the trailer tires were calling UNCLE!  :D
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: metalspinner on April 16, 2008, 10:25:08 PM
Scott,
Have you milled these up yet?
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: scsmith42 on April 17, 2008, 10:00:15 AM
Chris - nope, but I'm getting closer!

My main project right now is constructing a new building to house the post-kiln wood processing equipment.  I've got a Mattison straight line rip, and Oliver joiinter planer, and the Baker Moulder, and I am working on building a facility where I can forklift in a complete kiln load on one door, and finished product (S4S, flooring, etc) out the other. 

It interesting... the equipment doesn't require as much room as the sorting, storing, etc areas.

Once the building is finished and the equipment set up, I"ll start milling the oak.

Scott

ps - I've been working on a deal to pick up a couple of more logs similar in size to these... hopefully I'll have some new pix to post soon.

Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: TexasTimbers on April 17, 2008, 11:55:40 AM
Can't wait to see those slabs. Nice haul.

Hey Scott you look sorta like a beefy Charlton Heston in that picture. Might have to start calling you Moses.  :D

Of course you'd have to drop your Holy Motto "He who dies with the most . . . . "  ;D   
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: scsmith42 on April 28, 2008, 10:45:12 PM
Texas Toothpicks - THE SEQUAL!

Last August (8 months ago) a fellow member of a local woodworking forum that I peruse posted some info about a rather large oak tree in Monroe, NC that was damaged and had to be removed. Because of his thoughtfulness, I was able to make contact with the owner - Richard Price - and he and I have maintained a running dialog ever since. Richard is a super nice fellow, and he did not want to see the wood wasted, but rather recycled and reused.

Richard lives in the old section of downtown Monroe, and his entire neighborhood is populated with very old and very large oak trees. Unfortunately, one of his trees (a red oak) took a lightning strike last summer, and it looked like it had to come down. As you can imagine, he really regretted losing the tree, and did not want to remove it until he was sure that it would not recover.

About a month ago a tree service came in and topped the tree, and last weekend I met up with the tree service and a crane service to bring down the rest of the trunk.

The main section of the trunk is 54" in diameter, 16' long, weighs approximately 8 tons, and contains close to 2,500 board feet of lumber in it. The log is now gracing my woodlot, and I look forward to milling it into quartersawn oak soon.

Here are a couple of photos - the first of the tree right after it took the lightning strike and the second is of the log at my farm. That's Richard's wife in the first photo - she's 5'7" tall...

I really enjoy milling the large logs, and it will be fun pulling some 20" quartersawn boards out of this log.

Scott

Ps: in the background of the photo with the log is the old farmhouse that I've been remodeling this year.


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13296/Monroe_tree1_b.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/13296/Scott_monroe_log_2.jpg)
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: WDH on April 28, 2008, 11:29:06 PM
I await the lumber.. ;D.
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: Dodgy Loner on April 29, 2008, 12:01:35 AM
Can't wait to see what you pull out of that beauty. :)
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: submarinesailor on April 29, 2008, 06:00:25 AM
Scott,

Wish I had the time to come down and help you mill them.  But, I'm on my 9th straight day of 10 hour days.  Work is killing me.

Bruce
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: scsmith42 on April 29, 2008, 07:14:36 AM
Quote from: submarinesailor on April 29, 2008, 06:00:25 AM
Scott,

Wish I had the time to come down and help you mill them. 
Bruce


Bruce, that makes two of us!  Actually, I'd rather have help "offbearing" than "milling".... :D

WDH and Dodgy - me too!
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: OneWithWood on April 29, 2008, 11:23:59 AM
Scott, some pics of you quartering that beauty with your swinger would be a nice addition to the quarter sawing tutorial thread.
What will you do with the flares?
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: scsmith42 on April 29, 2008, 01:09:52 PM
Hi Robert - I'll be sure to take (and post) pix when I mill it!

Re the flares, up until now I've been discarding them.  Do you have any suggestions?

Scott

ps - I've been thinking about you this week - the Dem's are campaigning heavily in NC right now!  You're man sure is a gifted orator, and comes across as very honest and sincere - nice qualities in a leader.  I just wish that he and I were in synch re firearms and taxes...
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: ScottAR on May 01, 2008, 02:38:07 AM
Those flares would make neat mantel brackets after they were peeled.

Flip em upside down and they could "hold up" a mantel or maybe a
bar top.   

Make pretty neat table legs if they were long enough.   

Just some thoughts late at night... 
Title: Re: Some Texas toothpicks...
Post by: scsmith42 on May 01, 2008, 01:10:09 PM
Scott - those are some great ideas.  Looks like I'll need to try to mill the flares...