A bit of contract milling

[sigidi]

Been doing a bit of contract milling (since before Christmas ) and only just getting to put pics up...





So that is the log deck loaded. Normally I don't mill in such luxury; the logs brought over to the mill, set down on skids running right into the mill and being able to select each log you want for the order (hence the blue dots on the ends) This pile ended up being 2 days worth, given normal milling I'd like to get them done in 1 day, but the job was for 10x10's  which brought about its own challenges (I'll do a separate post about that soon ;) ) and led to the slow milling time, but they where happy with the result so that's what counts.



How's the view? I liked having such a nice straight, long, heavy log in the mill.
I did come to hate the Ironbark a bit as I found I had to 'score' the bark on horizontal cuts first before I could make a full cut. I'd need to run the blade down the bark watching it and slowly sliding it further across so it cut about 2" deep down the whole length of the log, then come back and do whatever cut I was setup to do. If I didn't, the bark 'fluffed' up around the blade and either made it rise in the cut or more often drop. In the end it wasn't a huge imposition but meant I couldn't "just cut it"  and get on with it - yeah I know patience Al, patience  :D ;D

So the final result from one of these logs...



A boxed heart 10x10 post, they turned out to be quite a challenge as I didn't have a heap of log volume to get them out of and the order required little to no wane, so I had to get a bit pedantic with how close was 'good enough' you can see this one had a small bit of bark just on the right side of the post, but I got away with that 8)

[laffs]

nice looking job your doing

[WDH]

Those were nice logs!  Is the wood as hard and dense as it looks?

[terrifictimbersllc]

How long are  those beams and how did you get them out of there?

[weisyboy]

looks good mate, there some nice grey ironbark logs.

the would have to weight close to 600kg wouldnt they.

[Clark]

Ironbark?  What is the scientific name on that one?

Clark

[tyb525]

One of them Aussie hardwoods...they are very hard.

Looks like it is in the Eucalyptys family, possibleEucalyptus paniculata if it is grey ironbark like weisy said, about 1120 kilograms per cubic metre ( I don't know what that is in pounds per sq. foot)

[isawlogs]

1120 kilograms per cubic metre ( I don't know what that is in pounds per sq. foot)

   Dat be " Heavy"  ;)

[DouginUtah]

Maybe something like 5.825 lbs. per board foot.  ;D

[sigidi]

Yeah Carl is right logs where ironbark, (I don't get too special on grey, red, narrow leaf, broad leaf ironbarks) but I used 1250kg per cubic metre (or 424 bft if I recall) so around 2750lb per 424bft or... 6.49 lb per bft 

WDH yeah it is as dense as she looks, that log in the 3rd picture could be anywhere from 50-75 years old  ;D but one thing I do like about cutting ironbark is the saw leaves wonderful clean neat regular cuts once you remove the bark issues and being so dense the sawmarks 'hold' so well you can look at the board and 'see' each tooth as it cut, even tell if you've got a tooth with a corner chipped off.

Terrific, the log in the 3rd pic was 7.2m long or 24 ft and in the last pic you can see it sitting on two skids of 4x3. While I mill the section of skids right next to the log are slipped to the side so the walkway is clear of any trip hazards, then once she's cut, those bits get brought back and the post is slid off the log onto the skids and then slid along the skids out under the rails and picked up with FEL to take it away.

Clark tyb525 got the scientific name right for grey ironbark, but yeah my info has it at 1250kg per cubic metre, but regardless of 100kg per cubic metre like Isawlogs said it's heavy ;D

Doug, you might be able to help, remind me how many boardfeet are in a cubic metre, I seem to recall 424 from somewhere, but not sure on that... (just did a search for myself - 423.776001 bft per cubic metre, so yeah 424 is good enough for me)

[sigidi]

So after getting through those Ironbarks, and coz the other mill wasn't running I was able to move to the second mill shed. 1 thing I like about the Lucas mills is you can chuck a model 10 on a model 8 frame and tracks and off ya go. So I just wheeled my carriage over to the second saw shed, took their model 8 off and got right back into cutting.

This was what I had for the day...



all these guys where on the small and ugly side, so only sleepers, dunnage and landscape stuff coming out of them. The longest was 3m or 10ft, but this mil is setup with skids at 2.1m and the logs roll in, and drop into a pair of notches in the skids, ends up being a bit quicker, but also limits how much 'structural' timber you can get out the log. I like being able to move my log once in the mill to exactly line up the heart with the travel of the blade, (yeah you can move the mill, but I like knowing the mill is set and she doesn't move so no variation) These logs where spotted gum or corymbia (also could still be listed as eucalyptus) maculata has a density of around 1200kg per cubic metre (or 6.23 lb per bft) cuts much easier than the ironbark, no issues with the bark playing games on your blade and a bit lighter to tail out the mill.
Was recently told on this day I matched the other mill for volume and beat them for recovery for the day and the other mill had a sawyer and tailer pushing it for the day  ;)

[weisyboy]

they are grey ironbark mate. great timber, bout one of the strongest for stress grading i think.

[DouginUtah]

Sigidi,

I converted cubic metres to cubic feet first (because I wrote a program that makes that conversion):
1 cubic meter = 35.314  cubic feet. Times that by 12 and yes we used the same 423.7.

[fishpharmer]

Great pics Sigidi.  Can machinery be used to remove the timbers from the mill?  Or is it done manually?

[weisyboy]

a set of standard 4' forks will reach to half way from outside the rail.

my bobcat will reach over the rail and grab things with the bucket.

or stuff shorter than the main rails (between end frames) can be lifted out with slings.

allan dosent like machinery near his mill he a bit precious.