Doing a slab job for a fella, in someone else's backyard. Their yard backs onto the Brisbane river. Its a bit of a way from the mouth, but still tidal and salt water there. With having mangroves right beside the mill site, I was surprised I wasn't attacked by mozzies.
When I get on site, I had heard about this log - as I do a bit of cutting for this fella and he had spoken about this 'Bluegum' for a little while, as it turns out, it was as big as he said it was :D
The butt log...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/V__973B.jpg)
Being close to 9m long it needed some trimming...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/V__52EC.jpg)
and some shifting to get it accessible and of course some discussion...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/V__9F4F.jpg)
Once the discussion and decisions where made, and the logs rolled out so we could set up over them, (essentially we cut the but log into 3 sections - 3.6m, 2.8m and 3.6m. I pushed the two 3.6m logs a little uphill and pulled the 2.7m a bit down hill) the three logs where staggered apart and I could the mill over each one in turn. We managed to get into it. Unfortunately the thin strip of real estate we had to work with, the easiest exit for the slabs once cut, meant the first two logs had to be slabbed uphill..
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/V__7D03.jpg)
A little bit more effort than usual to slab through, but they where nice solid slabs, I think there where only two from the butt log which will split while drying, due mainly to the small pipe...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/WP_001253.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/WP_001256.jpg)
As most of you know, I 've got a model 10EFI mill so the slabbing attachment is 1.5m wide, you can see in the last pic, the log only just squeezed in 8)
The home owner wanted some material for a few tables in the family, so here is the beginnings of one table - 280kg (616 lb) timber toothpick, quite a challenge to get them off the log and onto the pile by oneself.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/WP_001257.jpg)
All the slabs are headed offsite...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/WP_001263.jpg)
to be air dried for a time, then kiln dried ready to be used very soon. So flipping them over and 'remaking' the log wasn't going to be needed as each slab is going to be unloaded at the other end to sticker and stack.
As the logs where so large and Bob isn't so big, they where slabbed where they lay until the mill bottomed out...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/WP_001254.jpg)
then the remaining bottom flitch was chucked on top of the third open log and more slabs sawn from it. We managed to get the first two logs slabbed and about 1/3 of the 3rd log finished.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/WP_001255.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/WP_001258.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/WP_001259.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/WP_001260.jpg) (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/WP_001261.jpg)
I have to go back in the new year to do the remainder of the 3rd log, a 4th slab log and a handful of sawlogs.
Super nice stuff. ;D Where's the kookaburra?????? ;D ;D ;D 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
That is some slabbing. WOW!!!!
Wow. Thank you for sharing!
Wonderful slab job Sidigi! Is that "steel" strapping I see you used for holding the slabs together?
Awesome slabs Sig. How thick are those?
Not sure how it could have turned out better! really nice work, real nice, david
Gorgeous, was wondering what is a Mozzie?
Tim
Mosquito ? The national bird of a lot of moist places . I think .
I just love the way you guys work in shorts. I'm not preaching safety. But just the feel of that sawdust against my bare legs gives me the willies. ;D
Good looking work, and a lot of slabs!
Quote from: TimGA on December 14, 2013, 06:34:11 PM
Gorgeous, was wondering what is a Mozzie?
Tim
Yeah Tim, a Mozzie, is slang for Mosquito ;)
Quote from: thecfarm on December 14, 2013, 09:01:09 PM
I just love the way you guys work in shorts. I'm not preaching safety. But just the feel of that sawdust against my bare legs gives me the willies. ;D
;) just too hot in summer mate
Quote from: drobertson on December 14, 2013, 05:43:49 PM
Not sure how it could have turned out better! really nice work, real nice, david
Hmmmm, where do I start.... best part of the job was I only had 2 days, 3 days tops for the job, took 5 days to get as far as I did :( *DanG chains, I had sharpened like a schoolkid and they cut like .... because of time pressure, set of new chains pumped up the output, best part of all as it came time to load the cut slabs on his truck - bobcat overheated, turns out the fan gearbox died >:( - but some very nice slabs came out ;D
Quote from: ayerwood on December 14, 2013, 05:10:01 PM
Awesome slabs Sig. How thick are those?
This bloke has a specific use for them and they are all 40mm thick, a little over 1 1/2"
That is a big job, big trees are a lot of work . You did a good job. smiley_thumbsup
Very impressive, you did an awesome job with those slabs. That wood is beautiful!
Dave C
Lots of hard work, but that has to be a very satisfying job. Very nice. 8)
Impressive work. Those are some nice slabs.
Very nice!
Very nice! That wood is beautiful!
I'm thinkin' your shirts and pants have a nice permanent red in them now. ;D 8) 8) 8)
Why is Blue Gum red? Leaves, bark, or....?
Very nice looking specimens there!! Thanks for showing us 8)
Most eucalyptus wood has a permanent red dye in the wood. When we milled up our red gum I had to pay to get my neighbor's truck paint buffed out because of all the permanent red dots on her blue paint. Any clothes I wear when working with it get turned red, especially If they get wet or sweaty.
Great job, nice slabs. :) Fish or mud crabs for lunch?
Quote from: sigidi on December 15, 2013, 06:29:39 AM
Hmmmm, where do I start.... best part of the job was I only had 2 days, 3 days tops for the job, took 5 days to get as far as I did :( *DanG chains, I had sharpened like a schoolkid and they cut like .... because of time pressure, set of new chains pumped up the output
I'm sure glad you said that. If you said you'd cut all that in a day I was gonna bury my slabbing attachment in the back yard! :D
x 2
Quote from: nomad on December 16, 2013, 06:00:54 AM
Quote from: sigidi on December 15, 2013, 06:29:39 AM
Hmmmm, where do I start.... best part of the job was I only had 2 days, 3 days tops for the job, took 5 days to get as far as I did :( *DanG chains, I had sharpened like a schoolkid and they cut like .... because of time pressure, set of new chains pumped up the output
I'm sure glad you said that. If you said you'd cut all that in a day I was gonna bury my slabbing attachment in the back yard! :D
Quote from: Seaman on December 16, 2013, 06:06:55 AM
x 2
Haha, you lads are funny. I'd like to have said it was one day, but wouldn't want anyone havin to bury any slabbers ;)
I finally managed to get back to this job, again only had two days to give to it.
Got back onsite and cut down as far as I could until the mill bottomed out, then because the bottom flitch was so heavy, dismantled the mill so Bob could get right up to the bottom flitch. Got it set up on skids again and slabbed out what was left. Then had to break the mill down again to get the last slab log into place. I managed to get this one up on the log supports after doin a heap of tricky balancing and using the ground to my advantage with the engine downhill to get it lifted. Funny thing this was one of the branches from this big ol tree...
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/WP_001388.jpg)
You can see in the background slabs from the '3rd' log from the butt. This time wasn't without its foibles, on the first day, had an issue with my keystart deciding to give up the ghost, so instead of pulling a good productive 11 hour cutting day ( :-X don't tell anyone about the 2.5 hours of driving to and from the site) I had to stop short at 7 hours on site. The worst part was the keystart had been sneaking up on me and I had already ordered the DanG thing from Lucas, but had moved house and didn't put the new keystart with my milling stuff. So even though I had an early day, I had to go home and search through what felt like a mountain of boxes to find the new part ( I know its not milling - but I'd like to take this opportunity to express my extreme dislike of moving house!!!) but I managed to get it fitted and tested under the work lights on my ute...
This is a pic from just after I installed the lights on the ute, you can see the gate at the end of the driveway, left side of pic, it's 35m (100') from the ute
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/WP_000998%7E0.jpg)
So even though it got dark by the time I ended up finding the keystart, the worklights on the ute meant it was no problem installing it with the carriage on the back of the ute, I guess I got my 11 hour workday ;)
Anyway, next day turned out much better, mill ran well, chains cut well, bob ran well and between all 3 of us (Sparky the mill, Bob the Cat and I) we got it done and had the slabs all forked out from the back yard and loaded onto a truck, off to get kiln dried.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11340/WP_001390.jpg)
Before I left on the second day, I moved the last four saw logs into place so I can go back (after homeowner comes back from holidays) and just use the cant hook to move logs around. I put the biggest ugliest log onto the log supports ready to setup over when I get back, then I don't need to drag bob out on another 2.5 hour drive to finish off.
Nice looking job. Looks like you got some exercise too. ;D
Sig, that is awesome stuff! You said the customer had a specific use for these slabs, what would that be? (maybe I missed that... ???) Also, ET had asked, is that metal banding you're using to tie the stacks together? I definitely see a banding tool in my future. Assume plastic/poly strapping is 'better' as far as less damaging, do a lot of white pine (quite soft) around here.
Quote from: JohnM on February 12, 2014, 09:07:53 AM
Sig, that is awesome stuff! You said the customer had a specific use for these slabs, what would that be? (maybe I missed that... ???) Also, ET had asked, is that metal banding you're using to tie the stacks together? I definitely see a banding tool in my future. Assume plastic/poly strapping is 'better' as far as less damaging, do a lot of white pine (quite soft) around here.
Sorry John, the customer is using them as the walls on his bush huts. He makes transportable cabins - http://www.timbertransitions.com.au/Bush-Huts-ga2409.html (http://www.timbertransitions.com.au/Bush-Huts-ga2409.html) got himself a nice contract to supply to a resort near Longreach, turns out Longreach has some big movie getting filmed out there and the likes of Russell Crowe and some others will be laying their head down in them...
and the strapping, yup its metal banding. two reasons I used it, one to make it easier to be transported - nicer to have a bundle of slabs to tie down, rather than worry about individual ones. Two easier for me to get them out from the back yard - the track out to the back yard was about 200-300m long and I had to go in between trees, up a steep bank, navigate a little bridge over a water feature, so was nice to have all the slabs on the forks together. You can get the strap in plastic - just don't be convinced into getting the hand tighten stuff, I don't think its good enough to hold packs of timber.
The metal banding will stain the hardwoods around here. Do you have any trouble with this down under?
Those little cabins are great!
Quote from: customsawyer on February 12, 2014, 07:30:07 PM
The metal banding will stain the hardwoods around here. Do you have any trouble with this down under?
Yeah the black metal banding down here will too, I use the stuff that has zinc coating on it to stop the staining, but having said that, if left on out in the weather it too will stain after time. These where strapped to transport them, so won't be on for long.
Quote from: JohnM on February 13, 2014, 09:17:47 PM
Those little cabins are great!
He dose a really neat job with them, each one is individual, based on a simple design, but all have their own uniqueness
Wow ! That had to be fun ! That wood is beautiful !
Awesome job of slabbing and absolutely beautiful wood
Beautiful slabs! 8) 8) 8)
Thanks guys - very kind words, cheers
Great post and awesome pix! That looked like some really clear lumber too. Thanks much for taking us along with you!!!