A Whack of White Pine

[Daconant]

I had the Captain over for some milling last week. With the aid of my brother in law, we milled out 2700 bf of white pine. The pine had been down for 2 years so there was some blue stain, but not nearly as bad as I had feared. In the end we got a nice pile of framing lumber, some good 4/4 planks, and 10 4x8 beams. It was a beautiful New England fall day, 60 and breezy. With the nice smell of pine resin hanging over the place it was a lot mor pleasant than our wet day of oak cutting in '05. As always, Craig was the epitome of skill and efficiency. One of the first paying jobs for his new mill. See pix below:

B.I.L about to pull of a 2x4. About 2/3 of the whack left in the background.

Craig looking for metal. No hits in the whack.

Slabbing off the side.

The Captain pushing through another log. (note the pirate castle in the background built by 10-12 year olds out of slabs from the oak milling)

Stacked, ready to dry. 2000 bf of oak, now dry, behind.

Near the site (100 yds away) on a calm autumn afternoon.

[brdmkr]

Welcome to the forum.  Looks like you guys had a great day.  Don't worry about a little blue stain.  Just tell everyone it's denim pine ;D

[Fla._Deadheader]

I'd like to get Craig down here and see how "efficient" he is with some Tamarindo and Corteza. MIGHT even let him try a Cucaracho. MAN do they stink  :D :D :D

[sprucebunny]

Welcome to the Forum, Daconant.

Looks like a fun day.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  OOps, fergot.  WELCOME Daconant.  ;D ;D

[Captain]

Thanks for the pictures, David.  Folks, they have a great place there on Long Pond in historic Plymouth, MA.  Funny, I don't remember wearing my hat backwards, too preoccupied I guess.

Yup, 2nd paying job for the new mill.  1st was in Buffalo NY with Brownie...see Peterson's site for details.  Just love the new 27hp Kohler on the Small Frame WPF.

Captain

[Furby]

You've been Furbyized! ;D

[Corley5]

Were there many worm holes in the logs ???  After two years of sitting up here they'd have lots of passages ;)  Generally not enough to hurt the lumber much but it sure adds character 8)  Welcome to the Forestry Forum

[Daconant]

The worm holes were not too bad. Only the slabs and sometimes the first board off each side had them. The blue stain was not much worse. I'll save the stained and wormy planks for an ornamental use as they have a very interesting character. Most of the rest will probably become a new shop and wood storage building. The B.I.L. wants the 4x8 beams as feature beams in a house he wants to put up in a few years.
For those who don't know the southeastern Massachusetts area, it is very wooded. The soil is so sandy that it never could support much farming beyond poor grazing. Most was left as woodland or returned to woods in the 19th century. The common forest type is pine barrens populated with fire adapted species like pitch pine (pinus rigida) and red oak. Where fires have not burned for some time, white pines fill in. In our area, the largest pines have grown to about 100' and 5' dbh. Sprinkled through the forest are kettle ponds ringed with red maple. On an autumn day you see a firey red band of maples on the pond edge against the dark green backdrop of white pines.