Tasmanian Blackwood

Ianab · March 03, 2019, 12:36:44 AM

Well today was the day we started in the pile of Blackwood logs. 8)

Loaded up last night behind the trusty Toyota

Had to drop- kids off etc, so it wasn't exactly an early start. Landowner wanted the best log sawn up first, so we got set up. Bonus points if you can spot the top of the Mountain in the distance.

Got the top skimmed off so we can see inside. Yup, it's the good stuff. ;D

Got a bit busy running the mill to take pictures, but basically we quarter sawed it into 150 x 40mm, and got mostly clear boards. Left the bottom 1/4 of the log to flip over and make a live edge slab. Log was 3.9m long.

This is the next log, which was smaller, but still produced some nice boards.

So then we loaded the bottom section of the first log upside down and recovered a few boards from the other side, leaving a ~75mm live edge slab.

Wayne (Lil's cousin) wanted a tabletop for his "Man Cave". I had done a quick measure of this plank, and told him it was worth about $700, just based on the volume, as it was there.

Some boards from the smaller logs stacked on the trailer. Some are low grade from around the pith, but there is one of the good quarter sawn sticks there. That colour is how it comes off the mill, not ever water splashed on it.

Basically this stuff is considered "Poor Mans" Koa, as it's closely related.

Land owner Harold is a nice older gentleman, and knew that the logs should make good boards. He'd had some sawn in the past and made into furniture, but couldn't find anyone to mill these ones, so he was about to let Wayne cut them up for firewood. Wayne's Dad luckily said "I know a guy with a mill that would cut that stuff on shares", and for wood this nice I sure will. Need to hook Uncle Ash up with some for his woodworking, and cut some legs for Wayne's table. then probably another couple of days sawing next weekend. We didn't do an 8 hour day, got too hot, and the mill threw an insert tooth about 3:30. I had a spare blade, but decided to bring the mill home, get the blade sorted and check an oil leak, so we a ready to hit it again next weekend.

timbatrader · March 03, 2019, 02:06:56 AM

Hi nice logs I have some of those on my place not ready for milling yet some of the neighbours have small plantations of a couple of thousand trees each I would be interested in what value per m3 you put on Tasmanian Blackwood NZ$ in green sawn form

Ianab · March 03, 2019, 02:31:56 AM

I've seen $3-4,000 a cube bandied about, but you need good stuff, and find the right market.

That bigger log (~24") was great to saw, and we got a heap of 6" quarter sawn clears from that, and that's the top $ wood. With the smaller logs, the quality is lower, but still worth sawing.

Marketing small amounts is a challenge. but with ~1,000 trees there is enough for the wholesale guys to get interested.

Ianab · March 04, 2019, 07:52:07 PM

Hauled home the first of my share of the wood.

About 400 bd/ft of "log run". Some is clear 6" quarter sawn (top $$), and of course being "log run", some is firewood. :D

The land owner is pleased with the boards I cut for him, and I'm happy with the stack I've got so far, so we are going to hit them again next weekend and see if we can get though the rest of the stack.

And yes my Wood Hauler is a Toyota Hatchback, but no I didn't lose speed on the hills ;) It's not a Corolla.