Salvage - Australian Style

sawmillsi · July 08, 2004, 08:00:20 PM

Hi guys

Been doing some salavge work lately. Cutting and snigging some logs our of a gully (kinda steepish - about 40 degrees).

The timber is Camphor Laurel, the trees are averaging about 2' diameter and are about 40' long.

I'm using an old (1942) Canadian Ford 'Blitz' that we have converted to take a jib and a big winch.

The log I am pulling (in the picture) is 2' diameter and 36' long.

I have anchored to a 12" stump (all I could find) with a secondary anchor point about 30' away to a 2' diameter tree.

Not bad for an old girl eh!

I've already pulled up about 7000bft (volume of logs) and theres about the same to come.

I'll be slabbing most of it with our Peterson DWS (Dedicated Wide Slabber) for furniture.

I've been using a STIHL 088 magnum with a 4' bar to drop them (the trees are 1 stump to 6' up then split into 3 or 4). Having to slipt them into 3 or 4 (standing), then fell each on individually - bloody hard work!

I've got some more pics of salvage work, I'll look around for them and post them later.

Si

sawmillsi · July 08, 2004, 08:01:57 PM

I forgot to mention, in the first pic - the guy besides the log is about 6' tall.

Si

sawmillsi · July 08, 2004, 08:20:59 PM

Heres another one of the blitz - we are carrying a real big log (Australian Teak or Crows Ash).

She'll wheel stand before slowing down. In the pic you can see she's a bit light-on, this is because of uneven ground. (The chassie is real flexable, and we've rolled her before in the past because of uneven ground).

PS. Its been illegal to use a blitz in the bush (in Australia) for the past 10 years or so - lack of roll over and fall on protection.

Most of our logs are from tree loppers - this one is a mango (the kind you eat). We got it for free and total volume was 3600bft (log form).

This is our Isuzu truck (8 tonner) with a Hiab self loading crane (will pick-up 4 ton up close).

Simon

rebocardo · July 09, 2004, 05:04:33 AM

Thank you for the pictures, that mango tree looks interesting. I did not know they grew that wide.

Captain · July 10, 2004, 06:55:36 AM

Thanks for the pictures Simon, looks like you have your work cut out for you there.

We are struggling with log handling equipment here big enough to handle monsters like that. What is the biggest log you have handles with your Isuzu?

CRAIG

sawmillsi · July 10, 2004, 07:42:58 AM

Craig,

Our limitation isn't with the truck/crane, but handling at the mill end.

We have a 2.5 ton Toyota forklift and a 60's model 5 ton Towmotor forklift.

The biggest log i've put on the Isuzu with the crane was about 5 ton ( I know cause the steering on the Towmotor was real light). I had to lift on the logs one end at a time, cause i couldn't lift them more than a couple of inches in a direct lift.

Our goal is to get a Mercedes Benze, bogie drive (still a flatbed - about 20' deck), about 300hp with a slightly bigger crane (mounted at the front of the truck so we can carry skidders, blitz's etc), and down the track get a dog trailer so we can double our payload.

Simon

Sackett · July 10, 2004, 08:08:55 PM

Hey Simon,
That old blitz looks a lot like our old loggers dreams from years ago. Seems kinda a shame to cut a mango that big,I think I could sit under one,and eat'em as fast as they fall. One of my goals when I retire,learn how to eat a mango without making a mess ;D ;D ;D

sawmillsi · July 10, 2004, 08:36:54 PM

Sackett,

Most of our logs come from around houses, this mango was dying and had to come down.

I think the secret with eating mangos is not to care abut making a mess, just enjoy it and have a hose somewhere handy to clean up with. :D

Si

Steve · July 10, 2004, 10:40:44 PM

Simon

Nice Mango! I mill them here whenever I can. Here the powder post beetles get into them quick and bad, so they are a hassle to keep good care of.
When milling Mangos I can count on finding rocks grown into the the bigger crotches. I was told it was from throwing them at the fruit over the years.

Was that tree curly?

3600 bf is a big tree.....

sawmillsi · July 11, 2004, 05:03:38 PM

Steve,

Mango seems to have bright neon signs saying 'eat me!' that attracts all bugs within a few miles.

We spray the timber (asap) with perigen 500 and boron then stick it out to dry. This seems to work (as long as the timbers not in the rain).

We find steel all the time (apparently theres an old wives tale about putting steel into mango to make it fruit, as far as i'm concerned all it does is pith the sawmiller off).

Heres some steel I got from a mango log last weekend (at a feild day), buggered up a couple of chains (Peterson Dedicated slabber), but thats cool. I'll grind them good again.

Heres a slab from that log, the guys about 6'2". They were the nicest slabs we have every seen from a mango.

They made this table (or my dad and brother made this table)

Not bad eh!

Steve · July 11, 2004, 05:31:46 PM

Here's a pic of a small cabinet on wheels I made my neighbor. The wood has a lot more color than you would suspect when seeing it milled.

We use a product called Orthochlor, aproved by our Agricultural department.

Something we do here is to dead stack the treated Mango boards for a few weeks and let the sugars in the wood start to grow a little and it seems to add a bit of color to the wood.

Do you ever see what I call Chocolate heart in the wood. It is only found in the heart of a big tree. It is a dark discoloration and appears to be a precursor to heart rot. It can make for some beautiful bookmatches because of the interesting pattern it makes.

That is a real nice slab alright.
Do woodworkers use Mango much there?

sawmillsi · July 12, 2004, 03:12:36 PM

The 'Chockolate heart' is a fungal infection (as far as we can tell), most of our mango logs are already dead or dying so they normally have some kind of darker heart.

We can't leave mango for more than a couple of days before it gets insect attack.

Nice cabinet!

Its the way to go, making furniture from timber you've milled and dried. I tell people here in oz that about 80% of the work goes into milling the logs into timber but only about 10% of the overall money. Make something out of the timber and you use 10% of the work and get 80% of the money.

U should put some more pics of your work on!

Simon

Brian_Bailey · July 12, 2004, 09:18:40 PM

That Mango definitely has some very nice figure !
I sure wished it grew in my neck of the woods.

Thanks for posting photos of your work,very inspiring.

Steve · July 12, 2004, 11:46:26 PM

Here is a pic of a Ukulele made with Mango. Shows the wood in a little more detail. I didn't make this...

I sell the "sets" as they are called to make stringed instruments. In this case the top, back and sides were made from Curly Mango.

ScottAR · July 13, 2004, 12:53:02 AM

I think I speak for most when I say... WOW!

sawmillsi · July 13, 2004, 04:23:54 AM

Steve,

Could you email me some details on your kits.

Send to woodwork@mullum.com.au

Thanks

Simon

doublecut · July 13, 2004, 10:21:46 PM

hey steve do you know if they make acoustic guitars out the same wood .Let me know as i would like one if i could find one. They sure look nice
doublecut

sawmillsi · July 25, 2004, 01:24:40 AM

Hi guys,

Some more on this job (held up by rain and a small break-down).

These logs (about 9500bft) have just been pulled up out of the gully (about 120'), ready to be pulled up the next stage (about 280-300').

It was so slippery that when I tried to move the blitz, I slid accross and down the hill. Thankfully a rock stopped me.

So then I took some logs I have already snigged up to the landing to a friends home made bandsaw.

Here he is cutting

and rolling the log.

This is camphor laurel - an environmental weed and great timber.

I'll keep you updated as the work continues.

Si

jgoodhart · July 25, 2004, 06:35:32 AM

Now that's a impressive home made band saw makes mine look punie.
How big of log can it handle and what width of blade does it run? Very interesting pictures.

sawmillsi · July 25, 2004, 05:22:28 PM

It takes up to 21' long, about 7' wide and runs a 10" band.

Runs off a 4 cylinder diesel mazda (or similar) light truck engine.

It has the most consistant, most straight cut I have ever seen.

Si