# Slabs, it's what I do!



## SDB777

Didn't get any during photo's, just after the clean up. Sorry, but I only had one(1) cup of coffee before getting started today......
Cut up two(2) nasty pieces of Cherry, had some okay grain in it, but wasn't really anything super special. The crotch pieces went with John, I have enough small stuff to cut into blank and whatnot to last for a good while!! Then we both eyeballed the smallest chunk of Hickory......a little effort(always good on a day off) and the chunk was on the mill. For a mostly dry piece of Hickory, I was expecting something a lot harder then what I encountered. But I won't complain, it cutt like butter!


Anyway, some highlights!
Close-up first.....eye candy!






Had to do a little trimming on the knots I had, and the ends were cracked enough that I decided to just lop them off and not even bother with them. Will make someone some good firewood....for free.

Some semi-close ups....meduim eye-candy!










And the group shot!






Special thanks to John for giving a helping hand, sure makes it easier to move them things around the yard. And I hope you find room for these new pieces in a dry place!

BTW, you can click on the photo's for larger versions(at least bigger).

Scott (had fun, little sore) B


----------



## Displaced Canadian

Great box building wood.


----------



## Jim Smith

WOW!  What beautiful wood.  Makes me want to build something special.

Jim Smith


----------



## robutacion

Some very pretty boards you have there...!

One of the disadvantages of making pen blanks out of this type of boards is that, you lose most of the beautiful effects within the wood grain and the natural wood pattern distribution, the smaller the wood the less effects will show...!

However, most people have no use for boards of such size so they endup cut up into little pieces, the most important thing and the only time (last chance) one has the opportunity to keep some sort of records of what it looked as a board, is to just do what you did, take some pics with the wood rinsed with water to clean and enhance the wood.  Is always nice to go back one day and admire the pics...!:wink:

One of the most rewarding steps of the wood processing, is to be behind/beside a ripping machine...!

Well done, thanks for showing us...!

Cheers
George


----------



## boxerman

Some very nice looking wood Scott. 3 rd picture looks like a horse head on that piece board.:biggrin:


----------



## Kalai

Very nice, I like the way they look.  There is nothing like the feeling you get from turning logs into boards.  Aloha.

Kalai


----------



## Bob Wemm

Absolutely FREAKIN AWESOME!!!!!!!
Thanks for showing.
Bob.


----------



## Haynie

Holy crap, Batman!  You just made my decision for a chair for me.  I was looking for pictures of hickory to see what kind of character it had and WOW!


----------



## BSea

How did I miss this?  John told me you cut this up, but I didn't know you posted the pics.

Everyone within comfortable driving distance really should try & stop by when you run that saw.  It's more fun than . . . . . well, maybe not that.  But it's fun!!  And when an ugly old log with mushrooms all over it gets made into a slab, it's just plain amazing.


----------



## alamocdc

That top piece would make an AWESOME bowl! Yes, I drooled a little.


----------



## NotURMailman

Gorgeous!


----------



## SDB777

The most recent cutting from the backyard sawyer! These book matched sets are Pignut Hickory that I picked up and brought home back in the fall of 2011. Just for reference, the fence these are leaning on is 45" tall and them 'holes' are 3x3inches!

How about a close-up?









Scott (haven't forgot how to run tha mill) B


----------



## Bob Wemm

Scott, that is not fair man.

Those are fabulous, especially the left side pair. TOTALLY FREAKIN AWESOME.
I wonder if they would fit in my luggage.

Thanks for causing a double DROOL!!!!!!


Bob.


----------



## David Keller

Looks like some beautiful live edge table material, or maybe you could find a luthier to make something out of those book matched beauties!


----------



## SDB777

Figured I'd just keep this topic rolling along. 

I happened to get everything done the other day and decided to get a bigger log onto the bunk of the mill. Sometimes I bite off more then I can chew!







After about three or four minutes everything is turned so that she can at least fit between the uprights. Just by keeping the braces on the left hand side and using a 60" cant hook, I can roll just about any log on the bunk I need to roll....this one still weighs around 2,900 lbs! 
Although a little trimming on the far end with the little Stihl MS250 helps.







My least favorite thing to do is to remove the bark. Never fun, and always little surprises come crawling out....mostly water bug looking things and centipedes aplenty!








Only had time to make four passes on this log before I had to clean-up and get ready for some pork chops, mashed 'taters and corn! But here's a closing shot of a grain pattern that I am lovin'!








I'll try to remember to take the camera out back to the mill more often....thanks for looking!






Scott (now to roll that piece 90* and book-match some chunks) B


----------



## asyler

nice!!


----------



## SDB777

Whew, seems like when your having a good time....you forget to pace yourself and end up doing more then you should. Needless to say, just a little sore now. But that is to be expected after moving a 'green' Wild Black Cherry(Prunus serotina) log around the end of the stack and putting it on the mill, rolling it around for about an hour(okay, maybe it was like 20minutes-but it sure felt like an hour).

First things first. Finished the Pignut Hickory(Carya glabra) log up. I had to cut a 3" slab off the opposite side and then I flipped that 90* and made a bunch of 15-1/4" wide, 1" thickness boards. The neighbor down the street is going to use a few of them to make a king size bed.....so I made sure he had enough that would 'book-match' nicely and then I made some 4x4's for the postings.





and let's flip them over!






The smaller slices are 6" wide, and will end up as pen blanks! Unless someone needs some turkey slate blanks before I get carried away!

Then it was time to do some heavy rolling! The Wild Black Cherry(Prunus serotina) was a series of endless crotches, and I wanted to slice right through the center of the crotch to get that 'flaming' effect....sometimes it's really awesome, sometimes not so much. But here is a photo of it sitting on the mill bunk(before trimming down to get the saw head to pass over).







Needless to say, I should have quite right after this one was loaded and clamped. Those 'green' fletches are heavy....really heavy! The max width the mill can handle is 20", and this one rubbed the guides on both sides at a few spots! Again, I cut them 1" thickness.








continued.....


----------



## SDB777

And the close-up of the crotch area....










While not really what I'd consider 'awesomeness'....in a way it's just....nice.

Some other photo's from today, just to keep everyone happy until the boring video can be downloaded and processed(battery needs recharging before that can happen).









More Pignut?





Thanks for looking! I'm glad the sun came out!!


Scott (who wants 'em) B


----------



## mikespenturningz

Wow that is so cool. Thanks for showing this to us Scott. That wood is just incredible. There is some great pen wood in those crotches.


----------



## BSea

WOW Scott, you should have called me.  Of course, I couldn't have come over.   SWMBO had me planting bushes . . . . . . . . . . across the street.  So in 10 years we won't be able to see our neighbor's back yard.

But those all look fantastic.


----------



## Trickrick

*Wood porn!*

That's some nice wood Scott!
I heard that a little of it got scavenged before you were done:-0


----------



## SDB777

Trickrick said:


> That's some nice wood Scott!
> I heard that a little of it got scavenged before you were done:-0


 

You heard right, and I even helped carry some of it to the front yard too!  But at least I didn't have to help take it out of his truck!!!  Stuff was heavy!!!






Scott (trying to upload to YouTube now) B


----------



## SDB777

Woodmizer LT-10 in some Wild Black Cherry - YouTube


Not a long video, but it was fun for me to do!





Scott (might do another later) B


----------



## SDB777

Here's part 2!

Woodmizer LT-10 in some Wild Black Cherry pt2 - YouTube






Scott (no YouTube link in the menu?) B


----------



## longbeard

Great video's Scott, love wacthing stuff like that.
Thank you for taking the time to show us.
Purty, purty wood


----------



## SDB777

Today was awesome, at least until it got too warm for me. Ever notice how the heat just sneaks up on ya? One minute everything is going okay, and the next you can find any more breeze and shade! 

I gave up when it got to 95*F/46% humidity....or the sissy thing(heat index) got to 104*F 
Honestly, lunch was ready, and I was really hungry...so I figured it was as good a time as any. Never been known to be the sharpest stick in the pile...and I would have just stayed outside cutting until someone found me passed out from heat exhaustion(my wife knew I was hot and made some hamburger helper-and I'm a sucker for that stuff)!


It's going to take the rest of the day to upload the video into YouTube that I shot, so you'll just have to look at a few snapshots of some Pignut Hickory. 
The thinner looking sticks will be cut down to 4x4(they are at a rough cut of 1-1/8" thickness already), and I'll probably list them here as turkey pot call blanks?






I like to stand them vertically over thebench to drain the water(I have to wash off the drip mix from the mill to keep from staining the timber). Besides, I'm cutting them down in the tomorrow morning....they won't move before then.






Just a different angle...






The backside... Dang, I got wood drying everywhere. Maybe someone should clean this up?

Had a big, thick, top-cap come off the log that was borderline for all but some bowl blanks. So I decided to get them cut down to 7x7 and varying thickness(a natural edge, without the bark). These will sit in the shed until tomorrow morning, and then get moved into the garage/shop..










And some more of the 4" wide by 1-1/8" thickness cleaned off, sitting on the mill....yup, that's a 8-3/4"sq x 8'length beam, or maybe some more bowl blanks later on? Don't know yet?? And beside that piece, there is a chunk of timber that is 2-1/2" thick. It's going to be chopped up into 2-1/2 cubes(thinking Christmas ornament blanks)?






Anyway...thanks for looking. And the answer to the unasked question.....yup I made some more pen blanks today!



Scott (wearing the floppy hat and sweating Gatorade) B


----------



## SDB777

Here is the first of the two video's I shot yesterday.  For whatever reason, I have terrible times uploading to YouTube(not sure if it's me or the interweb connection or them), took about 5.75hrs to upload and process this video yesterday.  By that time I'd had called it a day.


Woodmizer does Hickory part#1 - YouTube



I'll load the other part after I finish cutting turkey pot call blanks this afternoon!  Maybe.....





Scott (about 30mins of video) B


----------



## SDB777

Much shorter, and it only took about 1.5hrs to load and get processed into YouTube!?!? Anyone else have these problems loading stuff, or is it just me?


Anyway...

Woodmizer does Hickory part2 - YouTube




Don't forget, this is for amusement only.  Don't try this at home, I'm a trained red-neck!







Scott (you can tell redneck by the floppy hat) B


----------



## longbeard

Thanks for sharing the video's with us Scott.
Always like to see what's on the inside.


----------



## Hendu3270

Very cool Scott! Thanks for posting the vids!


----------



## mikespenturningz

There are some beautiful pens in the crotch wood...


----------



## SDB777

I'm a great lover of the crotch.....timber you pervs!!  I does matter how it's cut though, if you 'butcher' crotch chunk in the wrong direction....well, you end up with mediocre blanks.  And mediocre blanks equal mediocre pens!



I spent the early morning cutting Eastern Red Cedar logs for a customer.  Just simple plain sawn wood, but I think milling in the heat and humidity made it more difficult then it should have been?

Ended up with just under 320 boardfeet of flitches!  I know it doesn't sound like much....but remember, I run a completely manual mill set-up!





Scott (took a shower and now the dog will play with me) B


----------



## BSea

SDB777 said:


> Scott (took a shower and now the dog will play with me) B


  Wow, dogs have been known to roll around in  . . . . . . . well, you know.  

And you smelled worse than that?!?!?!?:biggrin:


----------



## SDB777

BSea said:


> SDB777 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Scott (took a shower and now the dog will play with me) B
> 
> 
> 
> Wow, dogs have been known to roll around in . . . . . . . well, you know.
> 
> And you smelled worse than that?!?!?!?:biggrin:
Click to expand...

 

Yup, and it was Cedar too!  But mostly sweat....you know old folks always smell a little 'funny'.....




Scott (I get Little Ceasers tonite) B


----------



## SDB777

Decided to get right to it, so I only took 15 photo's! They all can be seen in my flickr account(SDB777), so feel free to go look, because I am not going to put them all here(although there are some nice photo's of some really nice timber)!

This is the resulting pile of a 131Bft(Doyle scaled) of White Oak{_Quercus alba_}. The fella wanted to be able to make some tables(book matched), so he requested some 8/4 along with the standard 4/4 that I generally cut for him.



(The dark spots are the result of a green-ish White Oak log sitting on my steel bunk, it turns it black in a split second. And yes, it'll sand out....it's not very deep.)

Got the next log rolled up and ready to go! The yield is supposed to be about 105Bft(Doyle scaled) from this one, but there was a lot of rot around the outside....not thinking it came to the great stack it should have.







The bookmatched piece from the above log.




The next log was a simple Eastern Red Cedar{_Juniperus virginiana_}, and the Doyle scale said it was only going to come to about 14Bft(Doyle scaled-think the scale lied).....but a pretty 14 it made!




Finally a 'group shot' of all the mess and the smoking burn barrel!




Too much excitement for me for one day. Time to get the grille going and put those ribeye's I've had marinading all morning in my stomach!



Scott (still, just a hobby) B


----------



## BSea

That's some pretty wood.  That cedar looks fantastic.


----------



## Hendu3270

This so cool Scott. Wish I had the resources to do something like this.


----------



## SDB777

Hendu3270 said:


> This so cool Scott. Wish I had the resources to do something like this.


 

I started with nothing more then a chainsaw, and an idea. Upgraded the chainsaw stable a few times, bought a chainsaw mill and ripping chains....then made some deals happen. And BINGO! I could afford to purchase the mill with no 'out of pocket' monies involved.

The logs are pretty much all around you, C-List is a good place to start. You can search local places by using the words logs, trees, or firewood....in the section labeled 'FREE'. A lot of people don't want to pay to have trees removed, so you'll have to be picky about what you cut(and how close you are to their stuff), remember you probably won't be insured(meaning, if you break stuff you might have to pay for it). If you can find storm damaged stuff, everyone wants that cleaned up! Be ever mindful for things like powerlines, cable, and telephone stuff...try not to drive over waterlines or septic line either(yuck).
Just be up front with them, 'clean up' to you probably means something completely different to them. I tell them I will do such-n-such, and they will need to pile the limbs for burning or removal by whomever. If the 'talk' isn't going well, be prepared to walk away.....or start talking money for services.


There is another way.....you can always come up for a 'visit' and we can go make sawdust out back. I usually have something to cut up?!?!?! That is pretty much standard for anyone that would like to come 'play' with the sawmill...you are even encouraged to bring your own log(s)-but they need to be 'clean'(no metal in them, bands aren't that cheap).....







Scott (my sawmill was my 4-wheeler) B


----------



## longbeard

Great looking lumber Scott.
Cedar is awesome!!


----------



## johncrane

i can see why you're all getting excited :music::tongue:


----------



## SDB777

This past Tuesday, I happened to be washing up at the kitchen sink and looked out the window. Something just didn't seem the same.....called the wife over and asked her if someone had called her to drop off logs in the backyard. That's right, while I was at the 'real job', and someone came by and dropped off three(3) very large chunks of White Oak{Quercus alba}!!(Guestimator figured up 4,275-ish pounds)

I called the only fella that I could think of the next day and asked if he had done it. Of course....he just forgot to call with the 'cut list'. I figured up the board footage using the Doyle scale and got to cutting 4/4 flatsawn flitches for him.
I always ask, and this time was no different..."Is there any metal that I need to know about in these logs? If there is, you will be responsible for the extra $15 charge per band." Needless to say, he said, "Nothing in 'em!".... We'll get that that in a moment further down the post here.

Enough of the 'lead up', what y'all came to look at....milling and wood porn photos!!!

Here's some figure shots!













The stack is starting!





Is it gonna fit?









Yup, and here are some of those, "Nothing in 'em!" bullets, don't worry...I found the nail used to hold the target up too(think it got pushed into the log with a close range 'birdshot blast'). BTW, I only had maybe 20Bft on this new blade, and I continued using the same band in the log(wasn't going to 'kill another' in it!





The stack continues to grow!





Wow! Almost done.







Anyway, figured I just add to the topic some, going to take it easy today. Heading out shortly to go cut down some Eastern Red Cedar trees in Beebe! I'll just cut and roll the logs and stack some limbs and such for later burning. Maybe I'll get to have some fun with chainsaw after all this weekend(they miss me).



Thanks for looking, and any comments are always welcomed!!





Scott (ain't oo old) B


----------



## Russknan

So, I guess someone could make "bullet pens" out of some of this lumber? (Couldn't help myself.) Russ


----------



## Hendu3270

Cool surprise seeing money to slice up lol. Assuming you have a lift of sorts to get the logs on the mill? Persoanlly I really dig seeing these pics each time. Keep em coming!


----------



## SDB777

Hendu3270 said:


> Cool surprise seeing money to slice up lol. Assuming you have a lift of sorts to get the logs on the mill? Persoanlly I really dig seeing these pics each time. Keep em coming!


 

I don't have anything other then 'muscle power' to move these logs.  some days I dream, but I like the working part as much as anything.  Besides, I don't have enough room to turn around in the yard with machinery....


Guess I need to make a video of 'The Struggle'(loading the mill) one time, just so folks can see the efficiency of some as simple as a cant hook and some timber braces......





Scott (got think about showing off the muscles) B


----------



## Hendu3270

SDB777 said:


> Hendu3270 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Cool surprise seeing money to slice up lol. Assuming you have a lift of sorts to get the logs on the mill? Persoanlly I really dig seeing these pics each time. Keep em coming!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I don't have anything other then 'muscle power' to move these logs. some days I dream, but I like the working part as much as anything. Besides, I don't have enough room to turn around in the yard with machinery....
> 
> 
> Guess I need to make a video of 'The Struggle'(loading the mill) one time, just so folks can see the efficiency of some as simple as a cant hook and some timber braces......
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Scott (got think about showing off the muscles) B
Click to expand...

 
Man, that's crazy! Figured there's no way unless you had a lift. I guess when we put our minds to it, we can get things done.


----------



## TDE

Scott, You were right about that hickory I picked up. I should have picked up several. That is some really nice hickory. Thanks again, Ted


----------



## fitzman163

Beautiful wood! Tried to view your site no luck maybe a bad link please let me know.


----------



## penmaker1967

scott is your site down i was going to see what u had in pen blanks but can not get into the website.


----------



## Haynie

Hey scott,
Are your boards for pick up only, or do you ship?


----------



## BSea

penmaker1967 said:


> scott is your site down i was going to see what u had in pen blanks but can not get into the website.


The site is back up.  It must have been a glitch somewhere.


----------



## SDB777

BSea said:


> penmaker1967 said:
> 
> 
> 
> scott is your site down i was going to see what u had in pen blanks but can not get into the website.
> 
> 
> 
> The site is back up. It must have been a glitch somewhere.
Click to expand...

 

Thanks Bob, sometimes the new job gets in the way....especially when I'm snoring in the easy chair after a hot day outside doing nothing....er, working!




Scott (I have been called crazy a few times) B


----------



## SDB777

Haven't added anything in here for awhile, but that doesn't mean I haven't been playing, umm working on the bandsaw mill!

Some of the most recent cuttings.....

Crosscut Southern Red Oak, I'm trying an experiment with this one.  I am wanting to make a RingMaster turning using endgrain, and since this timber is sooooo purty....




And just some 'regular' cuts....






Made some more Pignut Hickory bookmatched pieces...




And a Chunk for John to make peppermills with...





This is the whole log that the first photo's were taken of...it weighs roughly 11,750lbs(small chunk weighs in at 6,550lbs), so I am going to have plenty after it's cut up!




Speaking of cut up, thought I'd make a bowl blank for a friend!







Thanks for looking, I will try to make a better effort to share....



Scott (Cave Ale is fun) B


----------



## SDB777

Y'all have been good...here's some stuff from the wood pile today!



Bowl blanks for my stash(maybe I'll offer them up on the website, but I wouldn't hold your breathe)....and yes, the spalting lines go all the way through these big chunks, gonna make some awesome end-grain bowl!  The chunk's are 9-7/8"sq x 5-1/2" thickness, and enough water in them to require two hands to move them!












Some knife blocks/scales in the future....












I know a lot of folks don't really like the open pores in the 'Quercus falcata', but the time and very little effort to make these chunks of wood look awesome isn't that hard.  I'll be making a lot more of these pieces and storing them up for later....some will get stabilized, some won't.
Don't worry, after I took these photo's, I cut the blanks square and made the lengths more uniform, very little bark remaining(but the stabilized pieces will look awesome with the thick red bark on them)...
Everything is 'stickered' and drying in the cool shed(best time to dry oak).





Thanks for looking at my obsession!





Scott (making sawdust and pulling it out of the belly button) B


----------



## southernclay

First time seeing this. Awesome! That pignut hickory is beautiful. Don't see any of the blanks on your site from that, still drying? Cool stuff thanks for sharing


----------



## SDB777

southernclay said:


> First time seeing this. Awesome! That pignut hickory is beautiful. Don't see any of the blanks on your site from that, still drying? Cool stuff thanks for sharing



Actually, some is still drying beside the garage, it'll be cut sometime this winter..it metered 12% the last time I checked it(about three weeks ago).  Not the best time of year for air drying anything in this part of the country.

And yes, Pignut Hickory is pretty nice!  I have another tree that I'm waiting on...a really good storm should bring it down.  It's too close to some power lines for me to take safely, but if a storm happens:wink:




Scott (too much fun for a old guy today) B


----------



## StephenM

You seriously need to let me know if you're ever coming towards St. Louis.  I'd LOVE to buy some of those slabs.


----------



## Dai Sensei




----------



## SDB777

StephenM said:


> You seriously need to let me know if you're ever coming towards St. Louis. I'd LOVE to buy some of those slabs.


 



Your more then welcome to come down and get some of them.....not really into the whole delivery thing.....I drove over-the-road long haul for so long, I think a trip is going to work in Little Rock(32miles).





Scott (use to get .42/mile driving...hmm) B


----------



## SDB777

Pssst...







Just checking, to see if you're looking?!?!?

This chunk cam off one of the first pieces I slid onto the mill.  It started out as a 7x7x11 piece...  I hollowed it with a drill bit, rough turned it a little large, put a nice thick coat of BLO on it, then wrapped it in some saw chips and brown bag for drying.....really slow drying.





Scott (keep your eye on the timber) B


----------



## OZturner

Wow Scott, you are making a lot of woodies envious.
By the way on the last photo on one of your postings, was the woman cut in two on the left, anyone you knew?, or just someone hanging around?
Thanks for all the Pic's. Are you going to post the video? if so please let us know. Would love to see the saw dust fly, and mix with your perspiration from moving those logs around.
Regards,
Brian.


----------



## SDB777

OZturner said:


> Wow Scott, you are making a lot of woodies envious.
> *By the way on the last photo on one of your postings, was the woman cut in two on the left, anyone you knew?,* or just someone hanging around?
> Thanks for all the Pic's. Are you going to post the video? if so please let us know. Would love to see the saw dust fly, and mix with your perspiration from moving those logs around.
> Regards,
> Brian.



For the life of me, I can't find the photo you are referring too...drop a bread crumb for me, because now I'm to curious to sleep!



Scott (wood envy is cool) B


----------



## SDB777

Finally!!!!

Feels like I've been cleaning and cleaning and cleaning...you get the idea.

Friend at work needs to make a dog house, so I decided to be the 'nice guy' and supply some timber.  Tossed the remaining chunk of Pignut Hickory back on the sawmill and made some passes at a 1/2" thick setting.  Came up with 12pcs for him....not to worry, the timber was pretty 'boring' towards the inside.  But the outside edges were still showing something that might find away to the website after some drying time.

Didn't realize the temperature was supposed to be dropping today?  It was 53*F when I started and 41*F when I was told to clean up for dinner...

After the PH, I decided to do another chunk of Southern Red Oak crotch with some gnarly, nasty, figuring!  Passes and passes and passes just seemed to reveal 'stuff' that was better then anything I've cut to date!  This stuff will probably be hidden away for my personal use....okay, I might share?
I figure about 150 pen blanks and 50-65 bottle stopper blanks were cut today from this chunk....amazing stuff.  Where are the photo's you ask?  Ah, I was cold and wet, and really didn't want too....so y'all will just have to wait to see what I make available later!



Scott (it's all about the waiting....hehehe) B


----------



## Bob Wemm

That's my man Scott,  Keep us in Suspenders.

Merry Christmas.
Bob.


----------



## SDB777

Bob Wemm said:


> That's my man Scott,  Keep us in Suspenders.
> 
> Merry Christmas.
> Bob.


 


Okay, you been spying via Google Earth or something?  How did you know I'm in need of a set of suspenders?(I guess I'll need to wear longer shirts when I bend over)


I'll be putting some of the pieces on next weekend.  Seems there is a holiday coming up real soon, and folks expect me to be places....




Merry Christmas to you too!!!!



Scott (wish shipping to you was easier on the wallet) B


----------



## longbeard

Keep the picks and vids coming Scott, we are wood junkies and you are our fix:biggrin:


----------



## SDB777

longbeard said:


> Keep the picks and vids coming Scott, we are wood junkies and you are our fix:biggrin:


 
Okay....I'll give y'all a teaser photo!







Scott (I'm a 'dealer' on the street corner pedaling wood) B


----------



## D.Oliver

SDB777 said:


> Scott (I'm a 'dealer' on the street corner pedaling wood) B


 
With a tagline like that people are going to think your hawking black market viagra!


----------



## longbeard

SDB777 said:


> longbeard said:
> 
> 
> 
> Keep the picks and vids coming Scott, we are wood junkies and you are our fix:biggrin:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Okay....I'll give y'all a teaser photo!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Scott (I'm a 'dealer' on the street corner pedaling wood) B
Click to expand...

 

You are a tease



Harry(i gotta go for a drive)M


----------



## SDB777

First pull, the WoodMizer was running, gonna brag a little...it was 28*F during that first pull!
Didn't do too much, just three big chunks and one smaller one.  Not many photo's to share either, like I said it was cold outside and I don't like to bring a 'nice' camera out there.  Lense fogging, freezing of 'stuff' just doesn't excite me.

But the iPhone has an 'okay' photo capablity...



Just a photo showing a 2x4 jig to hold the smaller chunks in the bunk area to use the mill to do it's job.  After all, it is a lot easier for a 10Hp motor to cut Oak then the upright bandsaw.  This will end up being a 'prize', or whatever during the Birthday Bash that is coming up.




Here is a early in the day shot, showing just a few things I sliced off.  For reference, the bar on the chainsaw is 20"!  Thise smaller chunks towards the middle of the photo with the brown and tan streaks....Persian Silk Tree!  Really a much over looked material.




This one will end up on my RingMaster!  Can't make them all available to y'all, I got to have some fun too!


Scott (wicked fun times) B


----------



## longbeard

Good looking stuff Scott, thanks for the photos.



Harry( have a cup of hot chocolate ) M:biggrin:


----------



## SDB777

longbeard said:


> Good looking stuff Scott, thanks for the photos.
> 
> 
> 
> Harry( have a cup of hot chocolate ) M:biggrin:


 
Not much for chocolate drinks....but a candy bar, I'm all over that!  You are definitely addicted to this topic?!?!?!  That is priceless, come on down for vacation.....



Had a few ask about drying Oak....so here goes.

GOOD LUCK.....that's all I got.
Seriously, Oak is difficult to dry without checks and cracks. I have noticed keeping it out of the direct sun is a big bonus, as well as not letting it get too warm(hot)...unless you have a kiln.  I actually like air drying inside during the cooler times of the year(just happened to score this timber while it is cool...big bonus!).
I have an experiment going on in the garage right now...thinking concrete will 'wick' the moisture out of the endgrain?  It's a work in progress......



Scott (I likes me some Oak) B


----------



## longbeard

Will this do Scott?





Harry ( Got Milk? ) M


----------



## randyrls

Wish I lived closer,  I think from the bullet slab experience that a metal detector wand might be in order.


----------



## SDB777

randyrls said:


> Wish I lived closer,  I think from the bullet slab experience that a metal detector wand might be in order.


 

I wish a lot of y'all lived closer...I sure could use some strong backs after about the fourth or fifth hour of moving chunks and logs around!  I pay in freebies!!!

Bullets aren't the enemy, unless it's some of those cheap steel core things...nails, railroad spikes, chains from chainsaws, and other things are what destroy bands.  I still haven't found me a good detector, just too many things going on.


Scott (seems like something gets in the way) B


----------



## longbeard

Here's the 1320lb red oak burl that a forrester brought to me about 6 months ago. It has some great figure to it on the outside. try to get it cut up this summer. 








Harry (i love wood) M


----------



## SDB777

longbeard said:


> Here's the 1320lb red oak burl that a forrester brought to me about 6 months ago. It has some great figure to it on the outside. try to get it cut up this summer.
> 
> 
> View attachment 106531
> 
> View attachment 106532
> 
> 
> 
> Harry (i love wood) M


 

What kind of dimensions are we looking at here?  I was trying think of what I'd do as far as slicing into it...

If it is as big as I am thinking...I'd have to slice it in half with my big chainsaw.  If it is solid all the way through, I would probably get some nice 3 to 4inch thick slabs on each half(table tops).  Then move it to the sawmill and start with some thick center cuts, and finish with something in the 1-1/2" thickness and smaller to maximize the grain structure on the outside of it for smaller things like pens.


Seriously, you should just load that thing up and drop it in my yard...I promise to take good care of it:biggrin:



Scott (oak is fun) B


----------



## SDB777

Was thinking about making some of these:





Of course, I'd 'nicks' those silly casters on the blocks, and probably use something a little better for the legs.


I would probably need to make something to use my router to 'flatten' the surface.  But I am curious to what kind of 'budget' finish I could use for outdoor use?  Opinions??

Any guesses on the type of timber?(I know, but I like to have fun too) 



Scott (this was at the Fryeburg Fair) B


----------



## glen r

Scott, that some beautiful looking wood and I'm another one of those guys who wishes that I didn't live so far away but that's life.


----------



## SDB777

Had a fella show up just before dark with a trailer load of Shortleaf Pine{Pinus echinata}....not really looking forward to this stuff on the mill.  But it'll make me some change.

Glad I just bought that bottle of PinSol!!!  Going to need it.

Fella wants boards for his barn walls....as wide as possible and 3/4" thickness.  The first load has 8 logs of varying dimensions, and he said he had 20 or so more on his front lawn.
Hope his barn isn't too big....not going to get a huge yield from these!



Scott (I get to play in the pitch tomorrow) B


----------



## longbeard

SDB777 said:


> longbeard said:
> 
> 
> 
> Here's the 1320lb red oak burl that a forrester brought to me about 6 months ago. It has some great figure to it on the outside. try to get it cut up this summer.
> 
> 
> View attachment 106531
> 
> View attachment 106532
> 
> 
> 
> Harry (i love wood) M
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> What kind of dimensions are we looking at here? I was trying think of what I'd do as far as slicing into it...
> 
> If it is as big as I am thinking...I'd have to slice it in half with my big chainsaw. If it is solid all the way through, I would probably get some nice 3 to 4inch thick slabs on each half(table tops). Then move it to the sawmill and start with some thick center cuts, and finish with something in the 1-1/2" thickness and smaller to maximize the grain structure on the outside of it for smaller things like pens.
> 
> 
> Seriously, you should just load that thing up and drop it in my yard...I promise to take good care of it:biggrin:
> 
> 
> 
> Scott (oak is fun) B
Click to expand...

 

It's a little over 4' across at the widest point. The pic does not show them, but it has great eyes also. Later this spring or so is when i plan on chopping into it. The middle part was the main tree part, it is 24'' on the one end and 20'' on the other. i have anchor seal on it now and covered up. The forrester told me it was about 8' to 10' up off the ground when they cut it. I would like to get a couple slabs off it for some type of stand/table.

Harry (gonna need a BIG chainsaw) M


----------



## longbeard

Scott, when you say "slice it in half", do you mean slice it from top to botom in half or as it sits in the pic, from side to side?

Harry


----------



## SDB777

longbeard said:


> Scott, when you say "slice it in half", do you mean slice it from top to botom in half or as it sits in the pic, from side to side?
> 
> Harry


 

Down through the pith(preferably getting rid of it at the same time:wink...no sense in making 'cookies' out of it!


Scott (I got a big saw) B


----------



## longbeard

SDB777 said:


> longbeard said:
> 
> 
> 
> Scott, when you say "slice it in half", do you mean slice it from top to botom in half or as it sits in the pic, from side to side?
> 
> Harry
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Down through the pith(preferably getting rid of it at the same time:wink...no sense in making 'cookies' out of it!
> 
> 
> Scott (I got a big saw) B
Click to expand...

 

I'll send you my address

Harry (bring your big saw) M


----------



## SDB777

Yup....feeling old would be an understatement for today!
Sort of glad my next cutting job fell through(tree was really small anyway, not really worth the trouble of cutting it). The tree was supposed to be 12+" in diameter, it might have been 3"(hate when people do that!!!!) Slept until 6:00am(that's a pretty big thing for me...normally up at 3:30am everyday)! Coffee was really good with Aleve too.....


Had a few issues that I am not sure how to 'fix', or even if there is a fix for it? Seems milling with chainsaws in a still wind day with high humidity doesn't allow enough cooling for the saw. And before anyone asks, the saws were cleaned and drawing air in through the cover and blowing out the other side, and the saws were also allowed to idle for a period of time to further cool.
But......big BUT.


After the saw idled for awhile, I popped a fuel cap off to re-fill....had a 'fountain' of gas-mix blow out through the hole! Never seen fuel 'boil'(think a pot of boiling water)?!?!?!? Even the 30W bar oil I was using was bubbling somewhat.
The odd thing....the outer 'body' of the saw was just warm to the touch. Not burning hot. This was with both my saws, the Stihl 064 and the Jonesred 2094 Turbo.


The logs were shorter then expected.(7ft instead of 9ft)
The diameter was smaller then I was told.(20-23in instead of 30+in)
The tree was definitely very dead, not 'green'.(dead for two years, very hard and dry)


Was a nice place to do some timber milling.....lakefront property, no mud, and interesting people(seems once folks find out chainsaw milling is happening, crowds form).








Here are the logs:















One of my 'rigs'(Stihl064):











A five inch thick slab I lifted onto another log, using gravity to mill is awesome:











Close-up of the grain(wedge is 2-1/2 inches wide-for ratio):









The rest of the logs will be loaded onto a trailer and brought to my bandsaw mill for further 'milling' once it dries a little more. The cuts will be a LOT better, and the quality will probably be a bit more pleasing.




Scott (felt weird being the 'show') B


----------



## harveysoriginals

Any of those would make a great bar top!!!!!!!!
Beautiful wood!!!!!!!


----------



## designer

I just found this thread and was as absolutely amazed as I was the first time I "saw" this done on a black walnut tree that was around 100 years old.  I was in my mid 20's and helping the guy wore me down and all I did was minor compared to what he was doing.

You sure make this look easy.  My hat is off to you and the work you do.  I just hope the bald spot does not blind you in the process.

Nice work and now time for me to eat and take a nap after watching YOU work.


----------



## SDB777

When it turns into 'work', I'll probably not do it as much....after all, 'work' is a four letter word!


Scott (it's not that hard) B


----------



## SDB777

I think I'll go find something to slice up today?  Haven't done anything but work and cut grass for awhile....I know, sounds like a silly thing to do!

Thinking today I'll make some passes with the LT10 on a chunk of compression/burl-ish piece of Southern Red Oak{Quercus falcata} with some mineral staining!  I'll be keeping those mini-slabs, drying them out, and using them on the RingMaster for some 'different' bowls.

Of course, I might happen to take a photo or seven at some point......





Scott (fun milling in the humidity) B


----------



## Hendu3270

Sounds interesting Scott. Look forward to seeing that oak. Wish you lived in this area, as I'd like to see this stuff in action.


----------



## SDB777

Everything set-up and ready.  Have to hold these smaller chunks in an improvised 'jig'....probably not the safest method of clamping the pieces down, but I take it slow and let the blade do all the work.







Here is one of the 'chunks' I got out of this mornings FUN!  It is approximately 2"T x 10"L x 11"W, just too much happening in this one to give it a 'name tag'...it pretty much has everything in it!







Here is another 'pair' of 3/4"T chunks, I'm guessing the curlie-Q stuff going on in these pieces are going to make something interesting for someone....or maybe I'll just cut these into pen blanks later?  I dunno yet!







And the last piece of 'eye-candy'....for this update! This one is 1-1/2"T x 10"L x 11-1/4"W.....was thinking bottle stopper blanks soon......maybe?








Hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoy making them!



Scott (eye-candy is fun too) B


----------



## SDB777

BTW, the very top piece that came off the above 'chunk'?  Ah, I turned it!













I will be finishing it with OB Shine Juice....




Scott (from chunk to bowl in less then 4hours) B


----------



## Bob Wemm

Hi Scott,
Listen here MATE, that stuff is just not FAIR.
That is a magic piece of wood, in fact the whole lot is absolutely beautiful.
Thanks for showing.

Bob (DROOLING).


----------



## Hendu3270

Man! Impressive figure in those pieces. Thanks for showing.


----------



## SDB777

I have two trailer loads of logs coming in tomorrow, I'll do my best with the Weekend Special stuff....I hope?  But two trailers worth of logs on a manual mill....jeez!

First trailer is supposed to be some ERC logs that will be looking like 2x4's and 1xwhatevers, at whatever length they show up as.
Second trailer is supposed to be Ash, not sure what I'm cutting that up to be yet.

Guess I'll find that out tomorrow...and then Sunday I have to go inspect 40 American Sweetgum and a field full of ERC, cut down keep the ERC and a few of the bigger A.Sweetgum crotches and compression stuff.  Sounds like a really 'full weekend'!  And I already mowed two lawns and did some fun stuff!!!




Scott (yes, I'll photo some stuff) B


----------



## Hendu3270

SDB777 said:


> Scott (yes, I'll photo some stuff) B


 
Ha ha, was about to say that!


----------



## SDB777

Hendu3270 said:


> SDB777 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Scott (yes, I'll photo some stuff) B
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ha ha, was about to say that!
Click to expand...

 
Say no more....






While waiting, I decided to mill a few 'chunks' of Southern Red Oak that were 'laying around'.  Milled these two pieces into 3/4", 1", 1-1/2", and 2"...sort of 'something-for-everyone' from pen blanks to game call sized stuff.  And they are saaawwwweeeeeeetttttt!!!

Candy?????  for the eyes!!!!











Scott (super millin' tomorrow) B


----------



## SDB777

After going to the south side of Cabot, and looking over some timber.  Figured it was time to make some sawdust....yup, everything was right where I left it.







The half Green Ash log was not on the bunk of the mill, so I guessed that was as good of a place to start as any!  Think it would have been easier 'lifting' the whole log, half logs don't roll well......and the Green Ash timber is really hard!







Love this sawmill!  Those chunks sitting on the 4x6 bunk material??  Yup, 2-1/2" thick Green Ash slabs, the 'stickers' and some 1x5 lumber!  Fun stuff, by the way....Green Ash is really hard!!!







Another view of the 'junk'!!!







Happy Father's Day milling!!!!  Whew, I'm whooped for this weekend....





Scott (enjoy the photo's too) B


----------



## Bob Wemm

Freakin Awesome Scott.

Bob.  (Still drooling)


----------



## Hendu3270

Some more beautiful wood Scott. I'm like a little, "wide-eyed" kid looking at the each picture you post man. Always impressed with what you and that machine do.


----------



## SDB777

As promised, I went to cut some timber this morning.  It was a nice morning, little on the humid side but 'do-able'....
Cut about 25 trees(mostly American Sweetgum for the buttlogs), including a few White Sassfrass trees and some Black Cherry trees.  Didn't really want the Black Cherry, but after a bit of weed clearing, I scored this!  Burl, I took a quick 'peek' with the chainsaw, but I am thinking the whole piece is going to have some nice 'stuff' going on inside.  Also, grabbed a big crotch piece from the stump of one of the Black Cherry trees.















Got home and put all the saws away, and rolled another piece of Green Ash onto the bunk....yup, I think it'll fit?  It did....it was all cut into either 1" thickness or 2-1/4" thick slabs.







My view from the 'working end' of the sawmill....







Time to clean up, heard some thunder in the distance(sounded like a good excuse).







I'll start tomorrow morning on the Eastern Red Cedar dimensional lumber milling, not looking forward to sucking ERC dust in the heat, but it will get done.  The Green Ash will get picked up in the morning....until next time.

By the way, if y'all are getting bored with seeing this stuff, let me know and I'll post less of it..... 




Scott (it's fun millin' like a villian) B


----------



## Hendu3270

Outstanding! But 35% humidity is not considered humidity Scott...:biggrin:


----------



## SDB777

Hendu3270 said:


> Outstanding! But 35% humidity is not considered humidity Scott...:biggrin:


 

I wish...this morning it was thick enough to cut with a knife.  Just before I started cutting, I looked at WunderGround App thing, it was showing 77%.  I'm sure as the temperature went up and the air was able to hold more moisture the humidity lowered....a LOT!  But then it was just hot....




Scott (I was making humidity too....sweat) B


----------



## Hendu3270

SDB777 said:


> Hendu3270 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Outstanding! But 35% humidity is not considered humidity Scott...:biggrin:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I wish...this morning it was thick enough to cut with a knife.  Just before I started cutting, I looked at WunderGround App thing, it was showing 77%.  I'm sure as the temperature went up and the air was able to hold more moisture the humidity lowered....a LOT!  But then it was just hot....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Scott (I was making humidity too....sweat) B
Click to expand...

 

Ahh, just bustin' your chops.


----------



## duncsuss

Scott, is that some kind of ivy growing up the side of the cherry trunk?

I haven't lived in America long enough to recognize the difference between what my wife calls "poison ivy" and the stuff that's benign ... hope that what I see there is not the type they make into a Batman villainess


----------



## SDB777

duncsuss said:


> Scott, is that some kind of ivy growing up the side of the cherry trunk?
> 
> I haven't lived in America long enough to recognize the difference between what my wife calls "poison ivy" and the stuff that's benign ... hope that what I see there is not the type they make into a Batman villainess


 

It isn't making me itch...so I geussing I'm good?  Not sure what kind it is though....don't remember seeing 'the-leaves-of-three-leave-them-be' vine....




Scott (rhyme I remember) B


----------



## SDB777

Getting tired of seeing this yet?

Didn't fire the mill up until 8am, was already up to 78*F, and it was only going to get warmer.  Put a small log(the're all small) on the bunk and figured 'what the hey'....clicky!





By the time it got to 91*F, I had had about enough for the day.  According to my math, okay I have an APP for the phone that spits out Doyle Scale for me....I had put 221bft through the uprights.  I know it doesn't sound like much, but this is making dimensional lumber on a manual mill.....it's a pretty decent amount on timber(especially since it's all small timber).





Not quite done on this customers' load yet, but I guess I'd rather do quality over speedy crap work.  And the sweat was pouring out of me today!!!



By the way, I still have plenty more to mill!  And this photo(below), doesn't include the stuff that followed me home the other day!  And the Ash...it was picked up this morning by a very happy fella!!











Silly photo warning....








Thanks for looking, wish I had time to finish....


Scott (dog watched me for awhile) B


----------



## Haynie

Drag it all over here.  We are at 8% humidity and 94.  I have a shop big enough to handle it, a swamp cooler, and an empty studio apartment you can use.  Just don't say anything about the slabs that seem to just disappear.:biggrin:


----------



## SDB777

Haynie said:


> Drag it all over here.  We are at 8% humidity and 94.  I have a shop big enough to handle it, a swamp cooler, and an empty studio apartment you can use.  Just don't say anything about the slabs that seem to just disappear.:biggrin:


 


I can hear timber cracking at that kind of humidity levels!!
By the way, I can cut it faster then you can use it.....  Even if a few pieces a day go 'missing'!




Scott (think my wife just said "NO!") B


----------



## SDB777

This is it!






At 331 board feet, I'm finished...the one's still remaining on the trailer are 'bad' in one way or the other, and just not worthy of the band.



Even took a moment to make a few bowl blanks!










Too bad these are already spoken for!!




Scott (it's time to relax, and then go to work tomorrow) B


----------



## SDB777

By the way, I sliced this one up yesterday.
A little disappointed by the 'eyes', not really a pile of them in any of the pieces?  Not sure why, but it'll end up making a BUNCH of pen blanks!  I was thinking about whole slabs from this 33"L x 17"D chunk, but.....nah.


Anyway, this thread is boring without a photo!





Humidity kicked my butt after mowing the grass yesterday....think I'll take Lyn fly-fishing tomorrow?  I'm sure she'll put up a big fight about having to go fishing(okay sarcasm isn't working here at all...).



Scott (I get a day off) B


----------



## Hendu3270

SDB777 said:


> Getting tired of seeing this yet?


 
Bring 'em on!!

Man that cedar looks amazing. Bet it smelled nice while milling that.


----------



## SDB777

Hendu3270 said:


> SDB777 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Getting tired of seeing this yet?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Bring 'em on!!
> 
> Man that cedar looks amazing. Bet it smelled nice while milling that.
Click to expand...

 


Eastern Red Cedar dust isn't a very healthy thing.....it's classified as a 'irritant' on the wood toxicity chart.   >>>>> The Chart <<<<< 
Please, if you haven't seen this link to the chart....you should go there and save the link to your favorite link list(I have no affiliation with the linked website-just want to share information).


I have noticed the biggest 'downside' to having a wood fence, is the lack of airflow while milling.  And more so now that I have the umbrella mounted on the mill!  I need more water on the timber while milling in hopes of reducing the amount of 'floating dust'(from all types of timbers).  Guess you can call me 'overly cautious'...part of getting older!





On a side note!  Had a visitor today, one of the IAP Arkansas Chapter members came by and scored some huge bowl blanks, and some Black Cherry burl slabs!  Didn't do any milling today...just some trimming and AnchorSealing.

Did I mention?  I really like visitors!!!






Scott (his trunk wasn't empty when he left) B


----------



## Hendu3270

didn't know it was an irritant. Thanks. I've turned a couple of small items but with the DC on. I can imagine it could be really problematic for you and the mill.


----------



## SDB777

Hendu3270 said:


> didn't know it was an irritant. Thanks. I've turned a couple of small items but with the DC on. I can imagine it could be really problematic for you and the mill.


 

Water, water, and a bunch of water.  Found this to be the best way, after all....I'm using water on the band already for cooling and keeping the kerf clean.


But that is a mighty fine idea.....I'll ask the wife if I can enclose the entire backyard, and put a DC system in....and maybe A/C too:wink:
It's not gonna happen.....but I can dream for just a moment.





Scott (ERC is purty though) B


----------



## SDB777

Scored some more burls this week at work!  One White Oak burl that is actually solid for a change(normally the ants find them before I get to grab them)...it measures about 28" across and is about 10-14" tall.  Think I'll just slice it into .6" thick piece and clamp them down to dry for RingMaster bowls....

Also scored a Black Cherry burl, although not as big...it sure looks gnarly!  But then again, the last one 'looked' pretty saweet, but was criticized by a 'group'......{they have been weighed and found wanting}.  Hate to say it, but I probably won't do any pen blanks with it.....

I'll get some photo's of these before, during and after milling them and let y'all see some roadside 'trimming'!  I hope I can get through the list of things to do and get to these tomorrow?!?!?!



Scott (promise photo's though) B


----------



## SDB777

As promised, I snapped off a photo of each chunk sitting in the garage next to my lathe(should have opened the door to get some natural light in, but nah....


The first one is the Cherry burl.




Next is a 'stack-of-burl', the Cherry on the top and the Oak on the bottom.




And the last piece is the other half of the Oak burl, although the more I look at it, the harder it is to call it a burl...even though it is shaped on the outside as a burl-it's more of a bulge?  No 'eyes' are currently visible....but I am seeing some really interesting grain structure that should make for a bunch of awesome RingMaster bowls!!!





As y'all can see, the Cherry is gnarly!  Not sure I even want to cut it until I have 'studied' it a bit more....or maybe I'll get rid of it whole?
I'll try to remember to carry the camera to the mill....stay tuned!



Scott (gnarly equals saweet) B


----------



## southernclay

That cherry is pretty wide, most of them around here seem to be elongated. Sweet pick up.....love this thread


----------



## SDB777

Thanks Warren!

BTW, here is a piece of sweetness from the mill today!





This is a bowl blank I made from the Oak burl(technically, it was a Southern Red Oak)!  Guess sooner or later I'll get it put on the website.....maybe, maybe not?  I'm thinking this would make a really nice bowl for my craft table.........





Scott (and I mowed the lawn too) B


----------



## SDB777

And I thought I would toss this photo into the mix too......


For the RingMaster to eat!







That's right these were actually what I was after while cutting this burl up.  RingMaster bowl blanks for me and the wife to make later.  These are only about 5/8" thick...which after planed will make for some wide mouthed bowls.






Scott (gonna be sweet bowls) B


----------



## Bob Wemm

Ya got it all wrong Scott,
That blank just will not be suitable for your craft table..
It has Australia written all over it.

Man, I love this thread also.

Cheers,
Bob.:wink::wink::wink:



SDB777 said:


> Thanks Warren!
> 
> BTW, here is a piece of sweetness from the mill today!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is a bowl blank I made from the Oak burl(technically, it was a Southern Red Oak)!  Guess sooner or later I'll get it put on the website.....maybe, maybe not?  I'm thinking this would make a really nice bowl for my craft table.........
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Scott (and I mowed the lawn too) B


----------



## SDB777

If postage was just a bit more reasonable, I imagine y'all down-under would like more USA timber.  Not sure if it would come in under the 20lb weight limitation for flat rate shipping?


Glad ya have fun looking at this stuff though!




Scott (Oak is awesome) B




Bob Wemm said:


> Ya got it all wrong Scott,
> That blank just will not be suitable for your craft table..
> It has Australia written all over it.
> 
> Man, I love this thread also.
> 
> Cheers,
> Bob.:wink::wink::wink:
> 
> 
> 
> SDB777 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks Warren!
> 
> BTW, here is a piece of sweetness from the mill today!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is a bowl blank I made from the Oak burl(technically, it was a Southern Red Oak)!  Guess sooner or later I'll get it put on the website.....maybe, maybe not?  I'm thinking this would make a really nice bowl for my craft table.........
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Scott (and I mowed the lawn too) B
Click to expand...


----------



## SDB777

Yup, I was at it again!


Some more of this exotic Arkansas timber!  Eastern Red Cedar{Juniperus virginiana}!!!

This stuff has been waiting for something to be done with it for awhile, and I had some fellas wanting some 'thinner' pieces for scroll sawing....did not take long to move these pieces!  Five flat rate boxes with 1/2" - 5/8" thickness....believe it, or not, takes a lot of cutting.









Close-up to get some drooling.....






And nope, I didn't make everything that thin!  I am out of crosscut blanks, so I made a few passes for the thicker pieces, stickered them on the trailer, and will process those down this next weekend.  Wasn't paying attention and the bunk clamp came loose on the far end of the mills bunk...resulting in the 'funny piece' on the top of this stack(the band 'pulled' the timber up during the cut and I ended up with a wedge - could have been a really bad thing though...I got lucky).

BTW, there is one piece in this stack with some thin black line spalting in the sapwood(that doesn't happen too often with ERC)!!!!  Those pieces will be hiding in 'my stash'....





Guess it will give an excuse to make a few(40-50) turkey pot call blanks!



Scott (always millin'....or mowin') B


----------



## longbeard

Awesome stuff



Harry ( i need a paper towel for the drool ) M


----------



## Bob Wemm

Just shouldn't be allowed.
It's not fair.   LOL

Bob


----------



## BSea

Well, I'm glad you waited till it warmed up a little.:biggrin:  

Pretty slabs.

With the summer we've had, this weekend was one of the few that really felt like summer.  Wonder what our winter will be like?


----------



## SDB777

Bob....
The Farmer's Almanac is predicting 165% of the normal snow fall for this area....guess that means about 8-11 inches of total snow fall? And it is supposed to be the same temps.(crossing my fingers)



It's hard to work outside and _not_ sweat....it has to be warm!  And this ERC was outstanding.  It's difficult to actually allow it to leave(think 'my precious'....)






Scott (took 17mins to sell those pieces) B


----------



## BSea

SDB777 said:


> Bob....
> The Farmer's Almanac is predicting 165% of the normal snow fall for this area....guess that means about 8-11 inches of total snow fall? And it is supposed to be the same temps.(crossing my fingers)
> 
> 
> 
> It's hard to work outside and _not_ sweat....it has to be warm!  And this ERC was outstanding.  It's difficult to actually allow it to leave(think 'my precious'....)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Scott (took 17mins to sell those pieces) B


Yeah, I saw that in the almanac too.  Hopefully the temps won't drop like they did this summer. Otherwise that 165% could be double that.  I'm just glad we don't live in Fayetteville.

Lyn told me you made her haul all that lumber to work so she could mail it.


----------



## mikespenturningz

Another set of beautiful wood..


----------



## scjohnson243

Man, that wood is beautiful... I know cedar is an irritant, but I think its one of the best looking!

I really need to pick a day and head over and visit Cabot.. I still need to visit BSea too, but hes busy watching his Hawgs get run over.    

(They looked great in the first half!)

Steven.


----------



## BSea

scjohnson243 said:


> Man, that wood is beautiful... I know cedar is an irritant, but I think its one of the best looking!
> 
> I really need to pick a day and head over and visit Cabot.. I still need to visit BSea too, but hes busy watching his Hawgs get run over.
> 
> (They looked great in the first half!)
> 
> Steven.


Ok, we know we are a little below where we need to be.  But at least our coach doesn't graze on the football field.:biggrin:  

Which is good since we have artificial grass.


----------



## scjohnson243

BSea said:


> scjohnson243 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Man, that wood is beautiful... I know cedar is an irritant, but I think its one of the best looking!
> 
> I really need to pick a day and head over and visit Cabot.. I still need to visit BSea too, but hes busy watching his Hawgs get run over.
> 
> (They looked great in the first half!)
> 
> Steven.
> 
> 
> 
> Ok, we know we are a little below where we need to be.  But at least our coach doesn't graze on the football field.:biggrin:
> 
> Which is good since we have artificial grass.
Click to expand...


Artificial grass will not stop Miles, he can just chew it longer....


----------



## DLGunn

Is that _*aromatic*_ cedar? Or just regular cedar?


----------



## Bob Wemm

DLGunn said:


> Is that _*aromatic*_ cedar? Or just regular cedar?


 
It's very pretty Cedar, and I believe it's aromatic.:wink:

Bob.:biggrin:


----------



## SDB777

DLGunn said:


> Is that _*aromatic*_ cedar? Or just regular cedar?


 

This may help you @DLGunn .....  Juniperus virginiana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eastern Red Cedar has many names.....if you can, try to use the 'Latin name', while harder to use, it will reduce confusion.



I keep having to bite my tongue when folks say they turned a piece of Mimosa.  In the US, they are probably referring to the 'Persian Silk Tree', but what if the timber didn't come from the US?  Ahhhhh, then we have a problem as there are 450+ species of timber that fall under 'mimosa'.





Scott (cypress is closer to cedar then ERC is) B


----------



## Bob Wemm

SDB777 said:


> DLGunn said:
> 
> 
> 
> Is that _*aromatic*_ cedar? Or just regular cedar?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This may help you @DLGunn .....  Juniperus virginiana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> Eastern Red Cedar has many names.....if you can, try to use the 'Latin name', while harder to use, it will reduce confusion.
> 
> 
> 
> I keep having to bite my tongue when folks say they turned a piece of Mimosa.  In the US, they are probably referring to the 'Persian Silk Tree', but what if the timber didn't come from the US?  Ahhhhh, then we have a problem as there are 450+ species of timber that fall under 'mimosa'.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Scott (cypress is closer to cedar then ERC is) B
Click to expand...

 
Glad to know that this "Common Name" problem exists in your part of the world too.
We have many hundreds of Eucalyptus tree species, so Eucalyptus can mean anything.
Another favourite is the "Silky Oak", which in fact is a Grevillea, but there are dozens of different trees that share this common name, and none of them are oaks.
All to make things confusing.

Bob  (when is a tree not a tree??)  Scott, sorry, the devil made me do it.


----------



## SDB777

Bob, you are spot on!
Common names are most confusing, but learning the couple 100,000 or so latin names for trees would be a task I would not wish on anyone....talk about using up 90% of useable brain matter!

Your question....I'll go with, when it's a herb.




Scott (devil needs a pitchfork in the eye  ) B


----------



## Bob Wemm

Spot on Mate, and first go.
Well done.

Bob.


----------



## SDB777

Errrrr!!!!

Guess I should apologize first....I took the camera, but it never made it out of the truck.  Sorry.


Friday morning I took a moment to help a fella drop a tree he didn't feel comfortable with.  I had looked at it the week before and determined that it had probably died from the 'borer'....maybe?  The tree was either a 'green'{Fraxinus pennsylvanica} or a 'white'{Fraxinus Americana} Ash(no leaves and the bark on the big'uns are soooo close to being the same, I wasn't going to commit on it's exact species).  Although the property had a lot of 'green' on it.....

It sure made a 'thud' when it hit the ground!!!  Hard to beat a Jonsered 2094 Turbo w/32" of full chisel!!!!  She never even made a putter while chewing that dead, super hard timber(I know it was really hard cause the fella's little Echo with new chain had a hard time with the sapwood under the bark!)
{Okay, it was apples to oranges trying to compare my hand sharpened 3/8 chisel to his store bought, and sharpened .325} 


The tree was a true 36"DBH, and at the 11' high mark probably closer to 49"!  A triple crotch that would have made the most beautiful table tops ever.  If I could have only found this tree before those dang bugs(and there were plenty of bugs under the bark).  With the bugs, and the threat of spreading them....I informed the owner that he would be best served to start burning this great firewood.



BTW, this crud inside me just keeps hanging on.....high fever, aches, equal yuck already!  But the tree felled in the direction I needed and I was done in maybe an hour(whittled the stuff I thought could hurt the fella when he started to buck some firewood).  Just too bad the 'borer' has made it to Arkansas...that's a lot of great timber that will end up being burned.







Scott (yes, I'm still cutting timber) B


----------



## Bob Wemm

Geez, that's a bummer that you are not feeling well, I hope that sorts itself out soon.
Can't have my favourite tree "Show-off" being under the whatever it is.  LOL.

Bob.


----------



## SDB777

Okay, the spirit of sharing has once again jumped into me!

Eastern Red Cedar stumpage...made a 'waste fence' with some 2x4's(finally, a use for a 2by).







Made a few passes, these will find their way into some pen blanks probably...nothing else much good for them.







Was just after this chunk anyway, bowl blank!







Loading some video into the computer for editting, not sure if I want it in the 'net yet....we'll see?


Scott (ERC Rules, the rest drools) B


----------



## SDB777

No sense in just milling a chunk of Eastern Red Cedar for a single bowl blank!  Heckfire NO!!!


Here is a couple of chunks of American Sweetgum, as you can see, this stuff is boring...after all, it has a few colorations, some spalting, and weird things going on inside.  So BORING!  Just some FYI, the fella that sharpened these bands won't be doing anymore...the 'set' sucks(as can be seen from the _lines_ that run across the pieces).

The peices standing up on the left side are only 1/2in thickness, I'll be putting those on the RingMaster bowl lathe.  The rest are going to be made into pen blanks, they'll need a few months in the shed to dry the rest of the way.







Few close-up teasers!











BTW, an unphoto group of bowl blanks made their way into the shed too.


Scott (smells something special) B


----------



## longbeard

Sweet looking stuff Scott 



Harry ( i lov wood porn ) M


----------



## SDB777

longbeard said:


> Sweet looking stuff Scott
> 
> 
> 
> Harry ( i lov wood porn ) M


 



Just wish I could get the video to upload to YouTube, but I thinks they are having 'issues'....


Scott (the porn-of-wood maker) B


----------



## SDB777

Finally....Youtube has decided to 'self-fix' itself and allow the upload.


This is the first time I've tried to handhold a GoPro Hero 3+ camera...let me tell ya, it isn't easy....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNhtF55Nb1Y&feature=youtu.be



Scott (thanks for watching) B


----------



## Bob Wemm

Hi Scott,
I noticed the "UNPHOTO BOWL BLANKS" that went into your shed as well. I would be interested when they become available in due course.
Such CRAPPY wood. I just don't know why you bother with it. LOL
Man, I love this thread.

Bob. (O41blank) W.


----------



## SDB777

Was running the sawmill again today.  Needed to get some 'cubes' out, and I figured it would be a great time to try out a 'harness' for the GoPro....



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWuTw49fXd8&list=UUKiWtJ1zVEF1JXdGyQ76fPw



This was some Southern Red Oak that is spalted and mineral stained....I figure I only have about 1,000lbs of this stuff left.  Going to have to start thinking about hoarding this stuff soon 


Scott (enjoy the video) B


----------



## BSea

Does Lyn know you opened you Christmas present?

Oh, ands nice fence!  :good:


----------



## SDB777

I bought it....really.  It was either that or the head harness, and I didn't think I'd like to deal with that?  It's weird enough to have a camera strapped to your chest.

Yeah the anti-crackhead fence.....I'll have to open the gate for the next meeting so we can get a truck or your SUV back there to get it loaded down with some timber!  Or if you'd like...you can use the trailer to get your share of the milling?




Scott (free blanks and slabs...that's right) B


----------



## SDB777

It's officially cold....couldn't get the bandsaw mill fired up this morning(bummer).  Because I scored some nice, fun timber yesterday while cleaning the 'right-of-way' in North Little Rock!  A fairly large piece of Persian Silk Tree{_Albizia julibrissin_}, unfortunately, training people not to call this stuff Mimosa kills me!(there are 450 different Mimosa plants on the planet....errrrr I digress!)

Was going to cut some 1+ inch thick 'flitches' and start the drying process on this stuff for some really sweet turkey pot calls.  But unless I want to turn the bandsaw wheels by hand.....

I'll drag the upright bandsaw out and cut something else.  Pen blanks, maybe a few bottle stopper sized chunks, or whatever strikes my fancy......at least until my fingers freeze.





Scott (maybe the camera won't freeze?) B


----------



## SDB777

Beautiful Central Arkansas day here!  And I didn't let it go to waste!


The timber was starting to pile up some out by the mill, so no sense in letting the January thaw get past me without reducing the stack.  There was three species that needed to be slabbed up.  And I was able to get them all done.  Plus, the 'looks' I've been getting every time I carry something out back after work...well, let's just say....she's happier since I had some time to cut some stuff:smile-big:

The first was a small, stubby little log that goes by the name "Persain Silk Tree{Albizia julibrissin}...which is often mis-named by locals as 'mimosa'(one of those things that'll drive a fella nutz!!), then there was the remaining chunk of American Sweetgum{Liquidambar styraciflua}, and finally one of the four big Persimmon{Diospyros virginiana} logs I just went to get yesterday.


I'll be making mostly 2"sq x ?? out of the Persimmon, as I hear it is an excellent timber for call makers, but don't worry....I'll also be making some 4"sq x 1-1/8"T turkey call blanks, as well as some pen blank sized pieces. This timber had a LOT going on inside of it!!!!  I know, this is "worthless without photo's"!!



-Laying out, sun-bathing, or waiting in line....doesn't matter, they'll be on there soon!  As you can see from the end-grain cut...there is something 'special inside'!




-Made a few passes and then swept the dust off for a photo.  Yes, those are 1-1/4"and 2" thicknesses....  The timber was not wet from being washed off, this is it's color!  It will fade some while sitting in the shed for awhile(but it 'pops' right back out for you to see when turned)!




-The first pass yielded some of the best coloring I've seen in a piece of American Persimmon...almost 'ebonized', and if I hadn't known where it had come from...I'd almost think this stuff was from Texas!  Beautiful stuff!


The Persian Silk Tree? Not as many 2"sq x ?? will be available, as the piece just wasn't as big as the other things I cut today. But there will also be some 4"sq x 1-1/8"T sizes and some pen blanks....




-Not as awesome after you've seen the stuff above, but it has a bunch going on in it!  The tones are rich and will not fade as it dries(I've got some stashed away-I look at it from time-to-time).


The American Sweetgum will be mostly pens and pot call sized blanks.



-Spalted, differing color tones, and worm trails....where does a fella get started ?  


Thanks for looking as always!  Hope you enjoy these few photo's out of the 50-ish I took today!  If y'all are getting 'tired of seeing this stuff' let me know and I'll let this topic slide down the list and get archived(or whatever happens to old topics).
I'll be slicing some stuff on the miter saw tomorrow(honey-do's permitting), and getting the stacks ready for the website.  Mostly be call blanks this time, pen blanks will need a bit longer to dry.





Scott (no breeze = a lot of sneeze) B


----------



## asyler

wow, great color,, drives a wood-a-holic nuts!!!


----------



## SDB777

American Persimmon....it has a value!  Especially when it comes from my mill....that's right, the post just a few up with the dark log?  This is it!










This one is still drying, but a few more coats of Tung Oil, and 'poof'-she'll be ready for a new home!


Scott (I turn stuff too) B


----------



## wyone

WOW.. those are awesome!  I love the colors and figure.  I have never turned Persimmon..  but looks like it would be fun to


----------



## Bob Wemm

HOLY SH*** Scott, that Persimmon is beautiful stuff.
Great job.

Bob.


----------



## SDB777

Went to see James yesterday evening-ish to get some sanding supplies, and woohoo!  He has a sharpening system to drool about!  Answered a lot of my questions(I can be walked through things alot easier then reading them), and by the time he was finished re-shaping the steel I had pretty much ruined...I am truly convinced on what I need to get to keep them this way!!!!


Well, if a fella has sharp tools....he's going to use them!  
Had this old piece(Lollobby Pine) that has been drying beside the stack of newspaper that I keep in the garage(figured it was a good piece to ruin if I had to re-learn my tools).....was roughed out 6monthes ago, and I had no issues getting it to 3/16" thickness.  I tossed on a single coat of Tung Oil until I can get back to it for the 'tenon removal'.  Yes, those are cracks radiating from the pith-ish area, but, I was only trying to see what difference sharp tooling made.  Not to worry, sharp is fun, and the piece didn't come apart!






Then I figured, let's have some fun!  Grabbed a piece of American Persimmon(one of these went to James for the sharpening tutorial), and just figured, let's make some ribbons!  Ended up doing a bark-on turning(one of the first I've actually been able to keep the bark on), and also applied a single coat of Tung Oil until this one too can loose a tenon.  Photo here is showing some sanding, and the thinCA I used to secure the bark while sanding...those 'streaks' came off and I can't see them under the oil....






After putting the coat of oil on both of these, I think I've been biten by the bowl-bug?  The American Persimmon is going to be amazing....so I don't think too much of my log(s) are ever going to make it to the website.  And I'm going to have to find me some more of the Lollobby Pine with blue stain to play with also!

Scott (not too many blanks cut this weekend....weather-go figure) B


----------



## SDB777

Nothing like kickin' back and taking it easy.....todays task was simple.  Go to the compost place and dump a 'pile-o-scraps' and then run over and grab a small chunk of White Walnut{_Juglans cinerea_}, some folks also call it Butternut and then toss on a small piece of Scyamore(this was the easy part, as I could actually lift it into the trailer...it is only 7'4" long x 8-11" diameter.

Yup, easy!  Forgot the size of this piece....  Thought I was going to be able to put it on the sawmill, on 'demo day'(March 14th 2015, IAP Chapter meeting day).  Didn't realize this things was that large?  Measured it after I returned home, and it was just under 5'6" long x 32-48" wide(depending on exactly where the tape measure was being stretched across it!

So this may include a demo on 'Chainsaw milling"!?!



Anyway, no one comes here to read my rambling, you want photo's!














Scott (easy day....right) B


----------



## triw51

Wow the large piece (looks like a cedar stump) would make a beautiful bowl a little big for my lathe but it would be pretty.


----------



## SDB777

triw51 said:


> Wow the large piece (looks like a cedar stump) would make a beautiful bowl a little big for my lathe but it would be pretty.


 

There is a ERC log or 7 in one of those frames, and a few...maybe 24pcs of SRO in there too!  Big bowls are fun, just wish I had one of those coring systems....  Makes a fella sad to see a foot on curlies on the floor to make huge bowls.



Scott (come on by, grab one) B


----------



## SDB777

Photo's in the 'morrow....something followed me home from work.

This one won't end up on a website, on my lathe, or anything 'fun like that'.  I was in a rush a few years back, and made a porch in front of my shed out of some 'extra material' I had laying around.  It's going to be time to fix that now!


Dimensions?  Ah, 38" diameter on the butt-end, tapering to 37" at 11'4" down the length.....I'll let the chainsaw mill do most of the 'grunt work', but the bandsaw mill will be used to clean everything up.  As stated, photo's in the 'morrow






Scott (it's a secret 'til 'morrow) B


----------



## SDB777

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqw_dA5OTos&list=UUKiWtJ1zVEF1JXdGyQ76fPw



Yup, a short video...you can go 1080 if you want, but there isn't much detail to be seen from that far away(my bad, I'll be sure to get closer than the 12feet I was at-GoPro sure goes wide).



Here's a shot of the 'beast' sitting on the trailer, and she will get cut from that spot too.  At 3975lbs, and way too wide to fit on the bandsaw mill.  I'm not going to fight it off just to cut it somewhere else!









Ran the chainsaw mill(jonsered 2094 w/32" bar and alaskan mill down the lenght and peeled the piece off for the above video(no waste).  Took a couple of photo's...just because photo's are fun!

















This stuff will end up as my new decking for the shed.  Seems four years of walking on the old stuff(thinner material) has taken it's toll.  This chunk of White Oak will be used as 2x2's and 2x6's(real ones, not that crap from HouseDump or Lowers).  I'll let it sit for about 2monthes and then seal it will 'something'!




Scott (enjoy the video) B


----------



## SDB777

More video's?


Wish I could get them to embed here....seems it isn't possible any longer?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbckY0uEuOY&index=2&list=UUKiWtJ1zVEF1JXdGyQ76fPw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yJiDCYqAp4&list=UUKiWtJ1zVEF1JXdGyQ76fPw



Scott (be more fun to have embedded) B


----------



## SDB777

With all the rain, I'm sort of excited to say I get to cut stuff today!  My mill hasn't been started since March...bet it starts on the third pull(yes, it has a starter cord)?


On the 'schedule' today?
Flame Boxelder!  Blonde Walnut(butternut to some)!  American Persimmon(mineral stained)! Scyamore(just cutting in half for bowl blanks)!  Eastern Red Cedar!


Photo's?  Of course....  Video?  Probably not....





Scott (stay tuned) B


----------



## SDB777

As promised....photo's!




Took longer then expected to get everything sorted after such a long time away.  Fun part was finding everything I needed to use!  Lawn was as dry as I could hope for, so I ran the electrical and fired up the upright bandsaw.  Started with Eastern Red Cedar, as I haven't had any in stock for quite sometime....even made some blanks out of ERC for duck calls(my stash).







Since I was so excited, I just jumped right into some Southern Red Oak, even did some burl pieces!  Little hard to see in the photo, but those premuim burls are awesome...with the limited number of them, those might have to be hidden away too.  On the plus side, you've probably heard about the mythical 'Tiger Oak'(basically a 15* to the grain cut) that sell for outrageous prices?  I cut these in the same manner.




Mill time!!! WOOHOO!!!
After going full on combat with the red wasps that took up homage under the tarp(yes, I fight dirty....and I won).  I got the piece of Flame Boxelder set in place and ready.  I was wrong earlier, the mill fired up on the first pull of the cord....




Sure made for some nice flitches!  Not much 'flame', but generally finding any flame at all here in central Arkansa is like finding a unicorn.  I cut a few, nine flitches, and left the  remaining 'chunk' as a big piece for cutting bowl blanks out of when I get ready for them.









I'll get started earlier tomorrow, and cut some more!  Thanks for taking time to see my enjoyment....

Scott (it was freakin' HOT) B


----------



## mark james

Sorry it was so hot!  But the Cedar looks beautiful!  Nice Haul. :tongue:


----------



## triw51

Wow great video and beautiful wood.  That cedar has fantastic color would make some great band saw boxes.  When you cut lumber with your chain saw do you use a special chain?  Thanks


----------



## SDB777

triw51 said:


> Wow great video and beautiful wood.  That cedar has fantastic color would make some great band saw boxes.  When you cut lumber with your chain saw do you use a special chain?  Thanks


 

About the only time I'm using chainsaw(s) is during the harvesting, or on really big logs that will not fit on my bandsaw mill.  When I do have to get the chainsaw mill running it is using just regular chain...well, it was 'regular' when I started using it.  As I have to sharpen, I do so at a different angle.....typical chain is 25-35*, I re-sharpen at 10*
It doesn't cut as fast, but it'll leave a cleaner cut.




Scott (hate sharpening) B


----------



## SDB777

Cut a few more today....

American Persimmon, it has a wonderful mineral staining inside.  Everything was trimmed to a 'tad' over 3/4in thickness.  Two pieces were cut for my RingMaster bowl lathe...those were sliced at a 'tad' under 5/8in thickness.

Eastern Red Cedar, a bit more sapwood then I'm use to seeing.  But it has some great feathered yellows next to those purple/red-ish heartwood.  Had to re-stock the 3/4in thickness 'pile' for future pen blanks(cut everything I had in stock the other day).  I also made a big thick slab that I'll process down into game call sized blanks!


It was warmer today with a LOT of humidity....but the 'cool' weather couldn't last forever!  It is the south.  And it stopped raining, finally.  I cleaned up everything early as I have to go to 'the real job' tomorrow.  When I finished up, I checked the weather app on the phone, it was 93*F with a heat index of 104*F





Scott (still had fun today) B


----------



## SDB777

Those slabs....whew, I wish I could have made more!

But I'm cleaning around the mill.  It needs to find a new home so I can order a BIGGER one.  And I have a bunch of 'scrap' on the trailer....now.  It'll be getting hauled off to the deer woods(we cut the top slabs into useable firewood), and I will just happen to find a bunch of timber to bring home


That American Persimmon is drying well, considering it's been in the higher end of the 90*F range.  At least the humidity was 'decent' during the clean up today, I might have actually sweat off the big meal I had the other day?!?!  Anyway, talk about hard!  This stuff lives up to it's name....it use to be used as golf club heads on drivers.


Maybe next week....just maybe I can turn some of it, maybe?(that's a lot of maybes)


Cut a bunch of BIG bowl blanks, some Scyamore and Boxelder(minor flaming).  Now if someone could just turn down the heat.....or remind me to plug in the roll around AC unit in the garage!



PS: I'm going to start cutting into that big piece of Butternut to get me some big bowl blanks!!!



Scott (I need to cut more) B


----------



## Bob Wemm

Wish I was there.

Bob.


----------



## SDB777

Bob Wemm said:


> Wish I was there.
> 
> Bob.


 

Me too!  Sure could use a hand when it gets hot/humid....
And I could be training a person that could use this bandsaw mill(wink, wink).  The LT-28 is in the near future....

Bigger mill means bigger slabs and flitches.  I'll be able to step up from 19.5" widths to 28".  Might not sound like a LOT, but it is huge in the world of 'portable milling'!



Scott (more is always more :biggrin: ) B


----------



## SDB777

Was getting 'things together' this morning before the humidity and heat came calling....found a 'chunk' in my pile.  Decided to give it a spin after loading the trailer....


It is a piece of White Sassafras{Sassafras albidum}, to defective to make it to the website....






Little did I know, the piece had been spalting some.  Cracks have been filled with thinCA and I'll let it sit for awhile until I decide for sure that the 'vase' shape with be 'OK'....
It was nice to sweat a little today.....tomorrow cutting Longleaf Pine will be a little different though.





Scott (building a porch at deer camp) B


----------



## Dai Sensei

Looking good so far



SDB777 said:


> ..It is a piece of White Sassafras{Sassafras albidum}, to defective to make it to the website....



You do realise this is a pen forum, no such thing as too defective :biggrin:


----------



## SDB777

Dai Sensei said:


> Looking good so far
> 
> 
> 
> SDB777 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ..It is a piece of White Sassafras{Sassafras albidum}, to defective to make it to the website....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You do realise this is a pen forum, no such thing as too defective :biggrin:
Click to expand...

 

I couldn't see selling of a chunk of wood that I was sort of apprehensive on flipping the power switch "ON"
I originally just had it tightened in between a live and dead center....made a tenon and turned it around and just went with it.  Used a hand chisel to remove the bark, and then a D-Way 3/8" bowl gouge for the rest.





Scott (I'll finish it this weekend) B


----------



## SDB777

A lot of fun things are happening at the bandsaw mill!  And one sad thing.....

Bad news first:
The bandsaw mill has to find a new home.  I've had fun running it, and it has made some of the best looking domestic wood(at the prices offered) that I've seen in the United States.  It's been put up for sale all over the internet, and it's just a matter of time before someone grabs it!



The good news:
As soon as the WoodMizer LT10.....I'm ordering a WoodMizer LT28!
I'll be portable, that's right....more milling, just offsite.  A number of things have made it possible for me to even think about this...and the biggest is the loss of income.  It's hard going to a pile of logs, quoting a price, and then hearing they can not transport the logs.  You give the person a name and phone number, only to hear back from them a few days later with "They won't return my calls."(I mean really, whom would turn down $3,000 to $4,000 for some milling??)



So....there it is.  There will be a bit of time between the old mill leaving and the new mill being picked up.....did I mention 32" diameter and 21 foot log!!!!



Scott (stay tuned) B


----------



## southernclay

The new mill name sounds 2.8 times better so sweet!


----------



## SDB777

Just because there is no bandsaw mill sitting out back, it doesn't mean I am not milling logs!  That's right....I had this chunk of Butternut that was supposed to have been milled during a IAP Arkansas Chapter meeting, but...  I milled it.


Known as the 'blonde walnut', it does share some of the Black Walnut traits.  I was turning purple/brown from the sawdust!  And my lathe tools(yes I turned some too) turned black(cleaned up fine with some WD40 and a rag).

Made a fine bowl.....and I'll have a pile of duck call blanks once it dries(unless someone on the Blank Exchange FB page grabs it while it is 'green').






Scott (can't keep me from milling) B


----------



## Bob Wemm

Scott, that is too much mate, ya gotta stop puttin all this super candy on here. It's not fair man.
That is absolutely stunning.
I love it.

Bob,    (boo Hoo)


----------



## SDB777

Finish is still drying.  Couldn't help it...had to let this one out.






Another side....






Hollowed with a D-Way hollowing tool.  Walls are 1/8th inch thick, and all but the last 7/8th inch in the bottom has been hollowed.  This Cherry piece was a 'injury' on a branch(it was rubbing against an oak branch).  I have been looking at it on the floor for months....now it's had it's third coat of lacquer.  The weird black lines in the piece make it look like it has cracked, but it hasn't.....


If I could only figure out what to price it at??


Scott (super shined) B


----------



## liljohn1368

Awe man. That is beautiful....


----------



## BSea

Now that is just plain  . . . . . . AWESOME!!!


----------



## edman2

Looks like a door prize at the next Arkansas chapter meeting to me!


----------



## SDB777

Errrr........

I'm having sawmill withdrawals!
Guess I've still got another four weeks remaining?!?!?  Can only make so many pens, bowls and ducks.





Scott (got the shakes) B


----------



## SDB777

Lyn scrolled me a new sign!  And I like it!!!






The countdown clock for the new sawmill has entered the 'less-then-one-week' timeframe!  In fact, next Friday morning I'll get my butt out of bed and drive 4hrs 25mins to the dealer!  Get to know the mill and give the fella a pile-o-cash....  Then drive back home!

And I have piles of logs laying all over that need me to release them from the dullness that they are now, into something purty!!!




Scott (I need to get rid of some calls) B


----------



## SDB777

Woohoo!
It's finally home.  Left this morning at 4am and just got home a short time ago.  All day and then some, but tomorrow will be the fun day!  Dropping a 39" Pine to make some board-n-batten siding as well as some porch supports, and the porch itself on a hunting cabin.  Better then the tree just going to waste....













Of course I shot video for the 'training', but it'll be awhile before I get that all editted, it's really long too....so I'm not sure it'll get put on Youtube?




Scott (I'm pooped) B


----------



## stonepecker

Just for giggles.......can I ask what that set you back?
For me it is a dream, but a fellow has to do some once-in-a-while.

Sweet looking machine.


----------



## mark james

...  Too Clean...


----------



## BSea

mark james said:


> ...  Too Clean...


If I know Scott, it won't be clean long.

That is a really cool setup.  I wonder if the Rangers will say anything if you bring that to Maumelle Park for a meeting someday?


----------



## SDB777

mark james said:


> ...  Too Clean...


 
That'll be taken care of today:wink:





As soon as the sun comes up, this one is hitting the ground for milling!




BSea said:


> mark james said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...  Too Clean...
> 
> 
> 
> If I know Scott, it won't be clean long.
> 
> That is a really cool setup.  I wonder if the Rangers will say anything if you bring that to Maumelle Park for a meeting someday?
Click to expand...

 

If I could only get in there for a few of those American Chestnut trees they planted.....



Scott (scratchin' the paint today) B


----------



## stonepecker

Wish I had just some of the branches off that beauty.

Have a great day Scott.


----------



## SDB777

stonepecker said:


> Wish I had just some of the branches off that beauty.
> 
> Have a great day Scott.


 

Those branches were worth firewood, brittle and dead pine....


Scott (made a thud though) B


----------



## SDB777

Yes, the tree came down.  But not without a fight.  First tree in maybe ten years that needed wedges, four to be exact....but it ended where I wanted.

And it made a mess.







Grabbed the smallest chainsaw I have and limbed the main trunk and upper two trunks that come off of it.  The impact with the ground caused a LOT of damage to the upper trunks, and I think I'll only be ably to get a piece that is 10ft off one side and 14ft off the other.  But free is free!




To be continued.....

Scott (grab the IcyHot) B


----------



## SDB777

Set the mill up.  This is going to have a learning curve....it took about twice the lot of time that it should have.  But I'll gain mind-memory to get the process down on these practice trees before going to job sites.

The unit was ordered with the trailer package, and part of that is the ability to parabuckle logs onto the mill without having to use external items.  Works like a charm!


The process below:














Lets make some lumber(after all, it is a Pine tree....)!








More to come......

Scott (IcyHot is bogus....where's the whiskey) B


----------



## SDB777

Where was I?  Ahhh, the fun stuff.

Still milling....





The total yield from this one piece was 635 boardfeet of lumber!  The weight was 3785lbs....I'm going to try to stay under that weight from now.  Took 4 hours to mill and put the stuff on the trailer.  Brought the mill home, grabbed the trailer and the wife, loaded the lumber and then stopped for a quick bite at CoCo's resturant.  I'll probably take the three 5" x 7" x 8' beams off the trailer in the morning and start making a timber frame archway for my fence in the backyard tomorrow morning.  Chisels and hammering next to the crackheads house equals FUN!
Then the rest of the material I cut was from a 'cut sheet' for the deer cabin....a porch and board-n-batten siding.  Might not be enough b-n-b, but the porch will be topnotch!

The trailer....







Still some more to clean-up....





There is always next weekend!

Scott (today was a fun day) B


----------



## SDB777

Milling called for an abundance of rain!  The rain gauge says we had plenty, and I'm not a mud-miller.

Tomorrow is another day, and the ground will much more solid.  And I can get the mill in-n-out without making ruts in this fellas yard.  Still have a couple few oaks to slab at 6/4 thickness and I believe there was still three pine logs to make 2bys out of(I might be wrong on that count though).
Spoke to the customer this morning, and he is very pleased with the milling so far!  Really like it when that happens....

When I was out there, I snapped a few photo's earlier in the day, but got a little caught up in the process and forgot to do the during photo stuff(sorry).  The mill still has some growing pains, just things I'm not use to doing....but I am catching on quickly.  And the timber is coming off quicker.


Some more getting ready to be rolled onto the mill.






These 2x4's are the real thing....not 1.5x3.5 Home Depot stuff!






The two oak logs I cut into 6/4 thickness slabs were awesome!  I think I photo'd them just before I left(my mind is getting old...I forget).  I'll go check the camera to see...and post them if I got them!

Scott (old and sore, that's how I roll) B


----------



## SDB777

Found it!





Customer said he's going to dry them for a few years and make book cases out of them.  I wish thinking natural edge tables or even floating shelves....but?



And another oddity I captured.





I know....wierd seems to follow me.  It looked to be a 'pet', as wild pigs generally have longer snouts(yes, even domestic pig will have a longer snout when released into the wild due to the amount of rooting for food they do).




Scott (too pooped to pooh) B


----------



## Skie_M

That's a gorgeous bookmatched set of oak crotchwood ...

It'll make a great bookshelf!


----------



## SDB777

Skie_M said:


> That's a gorgeous bookmatched set of oak crotchwood ...
> 
> It'll make a great bookshelf!


 


Should have flipped those pieces over to photo, as the other side showed the quartersawn flecks much better....but I was pretty tired of lifting 125lb slabs for that day.

I'd really wanted to remove the live edge from the 'flatter' side and give him a natural edge 'front' for the shelf, but I think he has too many ideas already.




Going back out for more today, it stopped raining..... :biggrin::biggrin:



Scott (no more piggy's though) B


----------



## Skie_M

SDB777 said:


> Skie_M said:
> 
> 
> 
> That's a gorgeous bookmatched set of oak crotchwood ...
> 
> It'll make a great bookshelf!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Should have flipped those pieces over to photo, as the other side showed the quartersawn flecks much better....but I was pretty tired of lifting 125lb slabs for that day.
> 
> I'd really wanted to remove the live edge from the 'flatter' side and give him a natural edge 'front' for the shelf, but I think he has too many ideas already.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Going back out for more today, it stopped raining..... :biggrin::biggrin:
> 
> 
> 
> Scott (no more piggy's though) B
Click to expand...


Nope!

The crotchwood as you've shown it is the "money" side right there.


----------



## SDB777

Finished up a few jobs today.  Although, I don't think I like to use the term 'job'....I'm having a blast, loosing some belly, and generally just feeling great!  This mill should have been here a long time ago.

Only thing left to mill was a big chunk Southern Red Oak{Quercus falcata} and two pieces of crotch White Oak{Quercus alba}.  Slabs of 5/4 thickness, natural edge....sort of boring, well unless ya know how to cut the timber to get the 'purty out'!  Tiger Oak.....pfft.



Photo's?  There was a few....

This one is to show the mill is getting dirty.  But it cleans off easy at 50+mph on the way home.






Here are a few close up's of the eye-candy!










Scott (just wicked....) B


----------



## Bob Wemm

That's awesome Scott, but like I said previously, this stuff shouldn't be allowed.

Love it.

Bob.


----------



## TDE

Scott, you're having too much fun with that new mill. Will we get to play with it one day? I'm planning on making it down there one of these days. Ted


----------



## Skie_M

They're starting to get a little rough in the cut ....

You'll want to bring a small broom and brush off that railing that the power head rides on, the sawdust is making your rig bounce around a bit and that makes the cut ragged ... the other issue is a dull blade.  Sharpen it before each job, perhaps?  Also, don't forget to keep a spare or two in the truck!


----------



## SDB777

Skie_M said:


> They're starting to get a little rough in the cut ....
> 
> You'll want to bring a small broom and brush off that railing that the power head rides on, the sawdust is making your rig bounce around a bit and that makes the cut ragged ... the other issue is a dull blade.  Sharpen it before each job, perhaps?  Also, don't forget to keep a spare or two in the truck!


 

Well, I hate to differ....but since I know what is happening.  You're wrong on all counts, respectfully.

You do not wipe off the rail with a broom....ever.  WoodMizer has developed a system that does it without the use of abrasive brushes.

The 'rig', better known as the millhead, does not bounce around.

The band is sharp.  Sharpening a band isn't like sharpening a chainsaw...  I won't go into the full extent of it, but it requires a complex piece of equipment that sharpens and sets the bands.  BTW, I carry 30 bands....



Scott (I'll give classes to anyone willing to come) B


----------



## Skie_M

Hey, I'll come for lessons! lol

I just don't have the money...



I'm still in the process of building a chainsaw based small mill.  I'll only be able to handle 6-inch logs with my little 10 inch chainsaw, I think, but keeping the rail clean and clear is essential for straight cuts, for me.  Keeping the blade sharp will also be essential, for a cleaner cut.


----------



## SDB777

Been there and done that chainsaw milling stuff.....it'll make you old in a hurry.  Emerson and I cut a bunch of spalted pecan logs with a chainsaw mill over a period of a few weekends.  We didn't know anything but the basics back then....and learned that making a big pile of sawdust wasn't what we really needed to be doing with the quality of the logs we had.

I still offer chainsaw milling on my website, but people do not want to pay the cost.  And the cost is more then justified by the extreme wear on the equipment, the effort involved, and time it takes.  I have a well worn Stihl 064AV that needs to be re-built now from serving as a primary powerhead....so $400 more in cha-ching will equal another two years for it(not sure the return on that one is going to worth it).


My hats off to ya for wanting to mill with a chainsaw!


Here's my last CSM item American Sweetgum...





Now that is a nasty kerf  But it's what can be typically expected using a chainsaw.





Scott (eye-candy though) B


----------



## Skie_M

Yup ... I'll be expecting fairly rough cuts ...

I do have a decent plan though, for much MUCH cleaner cuts down the line ...

See, the chainsaw mill will be for basic slab work and quartering to get the logs down to a manageable size for my table saw.  Once it's small enough for me to work on the table saw, I'll attach the slabs and quarters to a sled and run them through the table saw blade to get nice finish cuts all round.

From there it's simple trim work with either the table saw with a sled or my miter saw to make my blanks.

There's plenty of maple, pecan, oak, and mesquite around here for me to mess with. 


My current main issue is just the run time with this chainsaw .... Black and Decker 20VMAX Lithium 10" Chain Saw ....  I get about an hour with a full charge.  I do have a spare battery, but it's a 2AH rather than the 4AH that came with my chainsaw ... the 2AH came with my weed eater.  

Plus I'm gonna want at least a spare chain as well as a dedicated ripping chain with a spare for that too.  I won't be doing the full size mill work, just going after free stuff that's laying around. 

But first .. I need a place to work.  My table saw is still in it's original box, because I have no room for it in my living room (where my lathe and other tools are).


----------



## Smitty37

Skie_M said:


> Yup ... I'll be expecting fairly rough cuts ...
> 
> I do have a decent plan though, for much MUCH cleaner cuts down the line ...
> 
> See, the chainsaw mill will be for basic slab work and quartering to get the logs down to a manageable size for my table saw.  Once it's small enough for me to work on the table saw, I'll attach the slabs and quarters to a sled and run them through the table saw blade to get nice finish cuts all round.
> 
> From there it's simple trim work with either the table saw with a sled or my miter saw to make my blanks.
> 
> There's plenty of maple, pecan, oak, and mesquite around here for me to mess with.
> 
> 
> My current main issue is just the run time with this chainsaw .... Black and Decker 20VMAX Lithium 10" Chain Saw ....  I get about an hour with a full charge.  I do have a spare battery, but it's a 2AH rather than the 4AH that came with my chainsaw ... the 2AH came with my weed eater.
> 
> Plus I'm gonna want at least a spare chain as well as a dedicated ripping chain with a spare for that too.  I won't be doing the full size mill work, just going after free stuff that's laying around.
> 
> But first .. I need a place to work.  My table saw is still in it's original box, because I have no room for it in my living room (where my lathe and other tools are).


My advice would be to invest in a good thickness planer....


----------



## Skie_M

I haven't got nearly the cash on hand to do that.   I can't even afford the cheap one from Harbor Freight, lol...

I'm sure that the table saw will give me a good enough finished piece to not have to worry about splinters.  My main goal is to obtain pen blanks and bowl or spindle blanks from locally available wood.  It doesn't need to have a real finished surface to it ... I'm gonna turn it or sell it to other wood turners here.


----------



## SDB777

Electric = lots of heat during extended periods of cutting.  Most of the heat generated during 'gas' milling is transferred into the oil reservoir and air flow being pulled through the saw.

I would recommend large fans blowing directly on the unit you have!



I use an upright bandsaw to reduce flitches/slabs into pen and bottle stopper/game call blank sizes.  The bandsaw mill makes a finished side that is more then acceptable for consumers(that, and I don't charge folks an arm-n-leg for blanks)....planer would be 'nice' for pen blanks, but absolutely unnecessary.  You could just as easily use a #5 or larger hand plane and those can be found at yard sales for less then you think.

Skie_M, feel free to PM me.....we can take some time to go over some of the things I learned along the way(maybe save you a few bucks in the long run)




Scott (hate wasting fundage) B


----------



## SDB777

Psst.....more eye candy!







Scott (pignuts aren't just in hickory) B


----------



## Smitty37

SDB777 said:


> Electric = lots of heat during extended periods of cutting.  Most of the heat generated during 'gas' milling is transferred into the oil reservoir and air flow being pulled through the saw.
> 
> I would recommend large fans blowing directly on the unit you have!
> 
> 
> 
> I use an upright bandsaw to reduce flitches/slabs into pen and bottle stopper/game call blank sizes.  The bandsaw mill makes a finished side that is more then acceptable for consumers(that, and I don't charge folks an arm-n-leg for blanks)....planer would be 'nice' for pen blanks, but absolutely unnecessary.  *You could just as easily use a #5 or larger hand plane and those can be found at yard sales for less then you think.
> *
> Skie_M, feel free to PM me.....we can take some time to go over some of the things I learned along the way(maybe save you a few bucks in the long run)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Scott (hate wasting fundage) B


There are a few tools that I have never been able to master....hand plane is one of them, also spoke shave the other thing that has always given me fits is sharpening blades on a wet stone.  Oddly enough my dad could handle all of those things really well, but I could just never catch on.


----------



## SDB777

Smitty37 said:


> SDB777 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Electric = lots of heat during extended periods of cutting.  Most of the heat generated during 'gas' milling is transferred into the oil reservoir and air flow being pulled through the saw.
> 
> I would recommend large fans blowing directly on the unit you have!
> 
> 
> 
> I use an upright bandsaw to reduce flitches/slabs into pen and bottle stopper/game call blank sizes.  The bandsaw mill makes a finished side that is more then acceptable for consumers(that, and I don't charge folks an arm-n-leg for blanks)....planer would be 'nice' for pen blanks, but absolutely unnecessary.  *You could just as easily use a #5 or larger hand plane and those can be found at yard sales for less then you think.*
> 
> Skie_M, feel free to PM me.....we can take some time to go over some of the things I learned along the way(maybe save you a few bucks in the long run)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Scott (hate wasting fundage) B
> 
> 
> 
> There are a few tools that I have never been able to master....hand plane is one of them, also spoke shave the other thing that has always given me fits is sharpening blades on a wet stone.  Oddly enough my dad could handle all of those things really well, but I could just never catch on.
Click to expand...

 


I'm guessing it would be more of a 'sharpening thing'....super scary sharp tools are easier to 'master'.  I've never really 'mastered any tool', we just have an understanding to get along.




Scott (Imma turn a bowl tomorrow) B


----------



## Skie_M

Smitty37 said:


> There are a few tools that I have never been able to master....hand plane is one of them, also spoke shave the other thing that has always given me fits is sharpening blades on a wet stone.  Oddly enough my dad could handle all of those things really well, but I could just never catch on.



This link might give you a lot of nice hints concerning card scrapers ... and sharpening with wetstones by hand.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz6EpQu2HRo

Planers and spokeshaves are different.


A planer is like a chisel held in a handle at a certain angle ...  I like to hold them at a slight angle to the work and run them straight down the grain.  They make very nice fine curls of wood.  These are more often used in fine woodworking and cabinetry.

A spokeshave does virtually the same exact thing as a planer, but rather than pushing it away from you, you use the handles to pull it towards yourself.  These are used to whittle down planks and boards into rounded objects, like bows and wheel spokes for wagons.  They are also commonly still used in green woodworking.  These are most often used in bowyering and green woodworking ... rough rustic furniture crafting.  

In some cases, you may find a planer that has a CURVED blade on it.  This is for green woodworking, to leave a "hand carved" appearance on the surface of the work...  You might find them in a furniture maker's toolbox if they like to do some rustic furnishings that appear at home beside some green woodworked chairs and tables.


----------



## Smitty37

Skie_M said:


> Smitty37 said:
> 
> 
> 
> There are a few tools that I have never been able to master....hand plane is one of them, also spoke shave the other thing that has always given me fits is sharpening blades on a wet stone.  Oddly enough my dad could handle all of those things really well, but I could just never catch on.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This link might give you a lot of nice hints concerning card scrapers ... and sharpening with wetstones by hand.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz6EpQu2HRo
> 
> *Planers and spokeshaves are different.
> *
> 
> A planer is like a chisel held in a handle at a certain angle ...  I like to hold them at a slight angle to the work and run them straight down the grain.  They make very nice fine curls of wood.  These are more often used in fine woodworking and cabinetry.
> 
> A spokeshave does virtually the same exact thing as a planer, but rather than pushing it away from you, you use the handles to pull it towards yourself.  These are used to whittle down planks and boards into rounded objects, like bows and wheel spokes for wagons.  They are also commonly still used in green woodworking.  These are most often used in bowyering and green woodworking ... rough rustic furniture crafting.
> 
> In some cases, you may find a planer that has a CURVED blade on it.  This is for green woodworking, to leave a "hand carved" appearance on the surface of the work...  You might find them in a furniture maker's toolbox if they like to do some rustic furnishings that appear at home beside some green woodworked chairs and tables.
Click to expand...

Why on earth would you think I didn't know that?  I said I have never been able to master them not that I didn't know what they are or how to use them....I have a house full of rustic furniture, much of which I made myself (using a plane as little as possible and a spoke shave not at all).


----------



## Skie_M

Oh, I didn't mean it that way ... I meant that they're different from card scrapers.... it was also meant more for those that have no idea what any of them are, as well.


----------



## SDB777

Took some time this morning, but I tossed 1970-ish images at the processor and came up with this.....



http://youtu.be/hP12UYJDMW0?list=PLyBZC1dHY9QhBfFZOetj9hc3aNSoBqxYK 


Scott (kinda cold out in the shop) B


----------



## SDB777

Recovered a few moments from the other day and had some spare time editing this afternoon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BhH5Mva2M4


It's not as fast passed as the time lapse, but there is some 'grain' in there somewhere.




Scott (Veterans Day thanks to all) B


----------



## Skie_M

Looks like tons of fun!


----------



## SDB777

Skie_M said:


> Looks like tons of fun!


 

Tons.....and that's not just a cool pun.  Typically each log weighs roughly 1200+ lbs, most of the bigger ones will go 3000lbs.  By using the equipment I have in a 'smart way', things can be accomplished.


My next 'outing' will be doing quartersawn on 30" Southern Red Oak.  Three logs, at roughly 1521boardfeet.  While this doesn't sound all that impressive, quartersawn timber takes a lot of rolling logs back-n-forth to get them cut.  So just these three logs will take the better part of two whole days to cut correctly, getting the best-of-the-best out of them.
I will most likely set the GoPro up at 5sec increments and do an all day time lapse....maybe?




Scott (someday I'll get to my log stash) B


----------



## Skie_M

Oi .... quartersawn is some beautiful and highly desirable stuff, but you're right... it takes a LOT of work to do it!

Do you already  have a "cut chart" to follow for your quartersawing?


----------



## SDB777

Skie_M said:


> Oi .... quartersawn is some beautiful and highly desirable stuff, but you're right... it takes a LOT of work to do it!
> 
> Do you already  have a "cut chart" to follow for your quartersawing?


 

I'll have to strip the paint the fella put on the end-grain(to keep the logs from checking while he was waiting for my mill to be built), and every log is different....so I'll mostly have to adjust on the fly to get the premium stuff out.



Scott (sawyers do it on the fly) B


----------



## Skie_M

True .... no two trees are alike, so there's always small adjustments on the fly. 


I watched a video somewhere on youtube where someone had drawn a reference for how he wanted to line up his cuts with his mill to get quartersawn wood.

It basically started off with him cutting the log pretty much right down the middle and taking some slabs out of the center right away, and then splitting the 2 crescent sections into quarters and taking boards out of the middle of those sections before he started doing a lot of flipping ...  I can't find the link at the moment.

I downloaded the video, but I renamed it because it was some random letter jumble, lol ...


----------



## SDB777

Didn't do a time lapse, or any 'cool' stuff....just milled 2675boardfeet of Southern Red Oak - quartersawn, so it took all day....

This morning, after the rain, I took the mill to 'work'{yes, it was my day off} and milled my stash.  Wind and cold might may been a factor...it guaranteed that every bit of sawdust coming out of the 'exhaust' ended up in my face!  


I've been collecting random logs for the last few weeks...

Eastern Red Bud, Persian SilkTree, Eastern Red Cedar, White Oak{inclusion}, Black Cherry....it was a bit to do.  Made about 255 boardfeet of 'stuff' for future pen blanks, as well as a lot of scrollsaw blanks{2/4 thickness to be planed down} for the 'boss', and I made some bonus 8/4 thickness stock for duck calls{next years stock}!

















The Persian Silktree had a small crotch in it....close-up.






The day was fun!




Scott (sawdust in my nose) B


----------



## Bob Wemm

Shouldn't be allowed Scott.

Bloody beautiful.

Bob


----------



## Skie_M

Stop by Harbor Freight (or elsewhere) and grab you some of their dust masks, if nothing else ...


----------



## D.Oliver

You know every time you post these pictures of awesome slabs of wood, I think to myself "Man, I hate that guy!":biggrin:


----------



## stonepecker

D.Oliver said:


> You know every time you post these pictures of awesome slabs of wood, I think to myself "Man, I hate that guy!":biggrin:


 

Derek.......step away from the mirror.    :biggrin:
The wood is beautiful and you are very lucky to be having the choice of the best.  I believe we all envy you to some degree.  Have fun and keep posting pictures


----------



## SDB777

D.Oliver said:


> You know every time you post these pictures of awesome slabs of wood, I think to myself "Man, I hate that guy!":biggrin:


 

You should stop by....seriously.  This stuff is everywhere here.....  Sometimes I actually 'hate myself' for bringing _more_ home.  For instance, there is piece on the trailer that would make a beautiful natural-edged 'floating shelf'.  BUT, I'll go out back and fire up some piece of equipment...and slice it into small pieces in order to sell it.  Why?  Shipping costs.


So I actually like this type of reply.....it makes me understand a little better about the things I must do.



Scott (someone wants a big chunk) B


----------



## SDB777

Whew.....love working up a sweat!  It may have been cool as far as temperature, but the hot timber I was seeing was worth it.
I hated having to slice up those wide flitches of Black Cherry 8/4thickness.  I could have seen that piece hanging in a room, covered with family heirlooms....but instead, it'll become game call blanks.  That's fine too....but wide timber is hard to find.




A close-up of some Black Cherry





This stuff here is fun too, it's Persian Silktree....commonly mis-identified as a 'Mimosa tree' by just about everyone.  Not sure why that happens, but it does....Mimosa is a sub-species.



A close-up of a piece of Persian Silktree crotch




Here's a very common timber, White Oak....but this is from the 'inclusion' on the tree.  The bark basically gets forced into the grain and makes some really unusual features.










The stack has made the move to the concrete slab, and is stickered for a 'while'....air drying isn't really fast in Arkansas during the winter, but it'll happen.  After a while, I'll go back to the stack and process the pieces into blanks.
Thanks for following along on the topic.....  If you have any questions, feel free to ask.  


Scott (seems big timber is heavy) B


----------



## Skie_M

Lots of wind here the last week or so ...


Whilst driving around town, I've seen some really lovely logs from trees that didn't make it...  Some of it is very old growth and was dead standing wood.  Mostly Maples and Elms, a few other species ... Pecan and Oak are common here too.


Wish I even had a way to pick the wood up, but these things weigh more than my lil car... 

Plus I don't have anything that could even remotely begin to process this wood, lol.  I'll ask if I can use my little chainsaw to cut some pieces off and see if I can make them into blanks.  Some of it also looks to be nicely spalted.


You're definitely right, though ... big timber is quite heavy!


----------



## SDB777

Woohoo!!!!

No milling this weekend.....wait, what did he just say?



That's right, I'll have some time to reduce the size of some slabs into pen, bottle stopper, and game call sized blanks...................finally!  Can't stand the personal stash being completely out of Eastern Red Cedar, I mean really....what's up with that?  I'll also start getting some other species cut down too!

Then I will go into the shop(fancy name for my garage), and turn something!


I'll get some nice 'eye-candy' photo's to share too.






Scott (ain't all about sweating here) B


----------



## SDB777

Was in the shed, looking around for something.....go figure, couldn't find what I was looking for.  And by the time I got the door shut again, I forgot what it was I was after......


Came upon this one




Seems it's dry!  Boxelder 'bump'(not burl and not a knot-but almost a little of both).  It has a crack towards the bottom, but it doesn't get into the figured part.  Maybe I'll wiggle it out and give it away at the next penturners meeting?
Be a pretty nice bowl blank, or 50 bottle stopper blanks, or 300 pen blanks!


Throwback Saturday?  If I could only remember what I was looking for.....





Scott (I'm missing the milling) B


----------



## DLGunn

That would make a great table top.


----------



## SDB777

Has anyone ever had Craigslist repost on them without your knowledge?

I ask because since Thursday last I've received no less then 12 emails requesting milling or tree removal!  So, I did what any person that is all gimped up would do...I went and quoted all the milling jobs, and looked at all the tree removals!  Two days worth of quoting milling....total amount waiting for me to get better?  Ah, just under $5,750 worth of logs-to-lumber!  The tree removals, were less, but I'll be scoring some awesome sized River Birch, a few Pine trees(friend wants to build a 20x20 shop in Lonoke-this should be enough logs to finish it from floor-to-roof), and maybe 10 other great species of timber.  The trees that I wasn't looking for, well I drop-n-limb them for $35-$50 each depending on size.....owner gets to stack and burn at their convenience.


I've gone back in a put a hold on the Craigslist stuff....

My therapy is gonna start in two weeks!  I can't wait to loose some of this weight I seemed to have found.......




Scott (making micarta blanks sucks) B


----------



## SDB777

The operation was a success!

I have another appointment on the 13th, and then I'll get to hear about all that fabulous time I'll be spending at therapy!  My sawmill misses me....I walked out there the other day just to touch it(that only sounds weird when I read it now)....



Scott (milling to start soon-ish) B


----------



## KenV

SDB777 said:


> The operation was a success!
> 
> I have another appointment on the 13th, and then I'll get to hear about all that fabulous time I'll be spending at therapy!  My sawmill misses me....I walked out there the other day just to touch it(that only sounds weird when I read it now)....
> 
> 
> 
> Scott (milling to start soon-ish) B




Been there with the physical terrorists.  Grit your teeth and do what they tell you.  Your long term success is in my thoughts and prayers.


----------



## Jim15

Glad the operation was successful.


----------



## BSea

SDB777 said:


> The operation was a success!
> 
> I have another appointment on the 13th, and then I'll get to hear about all that fabulous time I'll be spending at therapy!  My sawmill misses me....I walked out there the other day just to touch it(*that only sounds weird when I read it now*)....
> 
> 
> 
> Scott (milling to start soon-ish) B


It will sound weirder once your off pain meds.:biggrin:


----------



## mark james

It's great to be hopeful that the light at the end of the tunnel is a bit brighter.


----------



## Edgar

Great to hear that the surgery went well & that you'll be able to get back to milling. 
Good luck with the PT - keep us posted on your progress.


----------



## SDB777

Well......no therapy.  At least for another whole month!  Doctor looked at me like I was crazy, because I actually want to do 'something'....

Told me, I need more healing prior to therapy....next date with the doctor is May the 11th. CRUD.  Then therapy....maybe.


I'm upping my walking game.  Was only doing three 'laps' on the street...gonna make it 5-7 from now on. Was thinking about going to the 'community center' and riding a stationary bike(I'm really wanting to drop about 15more pounds)... oh yeah, my round trip is only .4mile. 

So milling is still on hold...tree dropping is still on hold, but I may call a buddy that helps me with off-bearing on the mill to see if he wants to pick up some extra cash.  I can always slide those logs I'll score to the side of the place and mill them after they spalt!

My Warn 3,500lb 12v winch will be here today......mod time on the mill!




Scott (the continuing saga....) B


----------



## stonepecker

_SCOTT!!!!_
_Listen to the doctor.......That is what you pay him for.  Feeling better?  GOOD.  Want to heal correctly?  DO WHAT HE TELLS YOU !!!!!!_
__ 
_We understand how you feel.  But Scott....this is going to take time to heal._
_Do Not do something stupid and make things worse.  LISTEN to the DOCTOR and do what he tells you._
__ 
_Scott, You are old enough to understand and do what the doctor says._
_We are pulling ofr you but you need time to heal.  Take the time to get well._


----------



## SDB777

While this probably won't interest too many, some may find it actually useful?  If you've ever thought about adding a 12v 3,500lb winch to the WoodWizer LT-28, in place of the hand crank 3,500lb winch....read on.
Guess I should tell folks, the only reason I'm doing this.  I've just had my second back surgery in 6 years....and I am reducing the amount of effort required by 'me' in order to keep doing what I like doing!  Even going as far to have a reduced rate for customer off-bearing on the mill so I don't have to do much of anything-other then walk back and forth with the mill head(and if I wanted, I could fix that at some point too).


We all know what a hand crank for the WM LT-28 looks like, okay, maybe some don't.....here it is.  Unbolted and laying on a brace near the first unmoveable bunk plate.



Not much to look at, but for a healthy fella, this hand crank will load an extremely heavy log.  I've personally brought a 32"diameter x 16'long piece(just for giggles, that's WoodWeb calc'd at 5,237lbs) of just dropped Southern Red Oak up the ramps using just this and some much hated bending and cranking in low range.
And this is a photo of where it comes from.



And another shot, showing the placement of what I call the "don't bend plate"(orange piece just in front of the black bracket).  This 'plate' keeps the assembly from bending towards the mill main beam support....




The Warn Terra 3,500lb winch arrived!  A little bigger then I had envisioned in my minds-eye while clicking on 'add to cart'....but it'll work.  Just not in the horizonal I had hoped for due to the planetary gears(bottom of the photo).  They would have had to hang to far under the support and thereby interferring with the main beam and mill carriage...  So I'll have to mount it just as it is in the photo on the bracket I am making for the mill.




WoodMizer has a 'no weld' warranty.  That pretty much means as soon as I touch the mill in anyway with a welding rod....poof, no more warranty.  So to get around that small issue(because my mill is still really new), I am using a 6x6 piece of 5/16ths inch angle to bolt on and then bolt the winch to that.  Here's an early mock-up of the angle....




Now the Warn Terra 3500lb is actually sold as an 'ATV/UTV' winch...at least that is the crowd they are after.  I can't image needing 3500lbs of winch to get an ATV un-stuck!  But I guess if you are that stuck and a couple of snatch blocks on a 2000lb don't get it out....well, I guess it's stuck until the ground dries enough to get a trachoe in after it?  The winch it's self is just part of the package...there is a ton of wiring for this thing.  It comes with the ability to set-up as a handle bar thumb switch, a wired hand-control, and the solenoid has it's own big pile of necessary wiring.  Since I'm not using the 'thumb mount', it can stay in the package....  So what to do with a bunch of wiring?  Last thing you really want around a sawmill is a trip hazard(there's already enough).  So I spent $7.53 and got this!




Grabbed a 1/4" thick piece of Eastern Red Cedar(it can be pretty), and mounted everything I was going to need on the board, made a little room under it to hide some wiring.....and BINGO!  Got me a self-contained control box.




Got one more mock-up before I drill the last set of holes, and then I'll take all the stuff off the 6x6 angle, soak the angle in some vinegar(to scrape off the mill scale), then shot it with a few cans of black matte rattle can.  Wait for that to dry and then mount everything up for good.  I am using all grade #5 bolts and nuts, not too sure what WM uses for the bracket mount, but it looked sort of zinc covered(cheap)...  Why not #8?  Figured I'd rather they stretch some before they snap under strain(and maybe I'd see it before it happened......I'll be watching close on those first bunch of mid-sized logs....really close).

Until next time!  After the rain...I'll have it on the mill and hopefully working?!?!?
Since it is raining for the next two days, I figured a few more coats of rattlecan can not hurt the steel angle.  The mill scale pretty much came off with a rag after a 20hour soak in white vinegar....cleaned up real nice and pretty if I don't say.  I then knocked any 'edges' off that would rip out clothing and such(human tissue) with a flappy thing of 80grit on the 4inch angle grinder too!


Just have to wait out the rain.....




Scott (got some time on my hands) B


----------



## SDB777

White vinegar did the trick!  Twenty-four hour soak, and the mill scale almost fell off(mill scale is the super hard outside 'crust' from the fresh steel hitting the air 'fresh-from-the-machining').  If I were to have to grind/sand this stuff off, I'd still be working it over.  But instead I was able to just use a rag and a wire brush in a few stubborn spots.  Wiped it down with some acetone and let it dry....  Since it only rained for a week, I decided to put plenty of 'rattlecan' on it.  Ended up shooting five coats on.




Mounted the plate back on the original bracket location with five new grade #5 bolts, and all the extra 'candy' to keep them tight!




The hard part was wiggling everything around to get the bolts to go in from every direction at the same time.  I would recommend that if you attempt this, find a few extra hand to get in the way.  I ended using blue painters tape to hold bolt/washer combo's in one hole while I worked on another.  The most difficult one was the one I figured would be the easiest, and vice-a-viser on the one I thought would be the hardest.  While I tried my hardest to keep most of the bolts-n-nuts using the same size socket/wrench, it wasn't to be....the winch has meteric threads(10mm to be exact).




So.....everything bolted down tight, and then re-check everything again.  I wound the winch cable back through.  Let me pause here, I stated I was going to use the original cable and spool it onto the winch.  I did not end up doing that....I spooled the winch line all the way out, and determined it to be too big of a pain in the backside to do that.  I ended up taking the pulley under the mill, by the log roller out and replacing the old line with the new.  Of course, WoodMizer uses a 'clamped fitting' to hold the hook on....so I used my bigger Warn hook.  
Everything is run through the mill the way it's supposed to be!  Got the 'control box' out and wired everything-it's all color coded, so I only had to double check three times to be sure things were where they needed to be.  Hooked up the 845CCA Deep Cycle, and then plugged in the actual hand controller.  It would have been nice to have an extra three feet on wire on the handle control(to use when it's time to place the log roller in the travel location).  Other then that 3' there is still plenty of wire to more then adequately see everything that is happening while using the winch.  Here is one-way I might end up using this set-up....toss everything on the ground!





Thanks for reading this 'tutorial' I guess, on putting a winch on an LT-28 WoodMizer.  I hope someone, someday can do this too!  Just need someone with a log approximately 30" diameter and 16 foot long, to volunteer to have it sliced up.....


Oh!  Total cost: $475.45(including everything)


Scott (saved $1,024.55_BINGO!) B


----------



## D.Oliver

Nice work Scott.  Work smarter not harder, right?  I guessing your doctor probably still doesn't want you lifting anything as heavy as that winch though, huh?


----------



## SDB777

D.Oliver said:


> Nice work Scott.  Work smarter not harder, right?  I guessing your doctor probably still doesn't want you lifting anything as heavy as that winch though, huh?


 

He'd probably be more worried about the battery....

The winch actually isn't 'heavy', and I was smart enough to put it on a bottle jack while I was trying to get the thing bolted up.  At least that made sense to me, so I could manipulate the thing while still having both hands free.

My buddy Alan carried the battery for me....luckily, he is working 2nd shift so he could help in the morning.  Was going to go over to his place and mill some logs he's had sitting around, but 'things' happen....maybe next weekend.



Scott (walkin' gets old) B


----------



## SDB777

All caught up as far as sawmilling jobs!
Even had time to get a trailer load of Black Birch crotches for some bowl blanks(about 3,000lbs worth)....wish these green bowls didn't end up 'moving' so much.  Almost looks like a football shaped bowl!  Guess I'll just rough turn a bunch and bag them up for later finishing....ugh.  Plus side....mother-in-law loves the mulch these rough turnings make for her flower beds!

It has been unbearably hot and humid here lately.  Heat indexes in the 104-122 degrees F just about everyday for the last three weeks.  I've had a few more opportunities to get some more sawmilling, but I am going to put them on hold for a bit....at least until it's just 85-95 degrees F outside!


Back is doing great!  Well, as great as can be.  Still can't feel 60% of anything in the right backside, but doctor said I may never get the feeling back.  So, with a finite number of years remaining, I'm not going to fret about it....I'm going to "do" until I can't "do" anymore.




I'll be making a decision about continuing the pen blank part of the website soon.....







Scott (it's been coming for awhile) B


----------



## SDB777

Black Birch, aka....River Birch, is pretty sweet stuff.  Even the end grain cuts pretty darn nice....well, if the scary sharp D-way tooling is used.


Turned this one this morning, and it's soaking up a nice dose of BLO.  I'll probably finish it with lacquer.....or maybe a few more coats of BLO and then some wax? 
Please excuse the mess on the bench, I haven't put my 'shopping' away lately.








Straight down...




Scott (and I have a trailer full) B


----------



## eharri446

Looking to sell some? If so send me a PM with prices. Thanks.


----------



## SDB777

eharri446 said:


> Looking to sell some? If so send me a PM with prices. Thanks.


 

Most are way too big to even think about mailing(postage would be ridiculous at best)...got plenty for the folks in central Arkansas though.  Starting to see spalting in these chunks too 

Scott (sorry) B


----------



## eharri446

Scott, maybe I will have to drive out and see my brother in Oklahoma City. I have to go straight down I40 so it would be easy to get to Cabot. Since, if I am not mistaken it is not to far from Conway.

My dad was born and raised in Beebe.


----------

