# Some NZ milling Pics



## Ianab (Oct 31, 2006)

A few pictures of my mill and the trees I get to play with here in NZ
The wood is Monterey cypress, planted here as shelter trees on the local farms 60-80 years ago. They grow HUGE. These are just little ones, 6 - 9 Ft dbh isn't unusual.

These pics are felling one that I could tackle with the mighty ms310.


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## Ianab (Oct 31, 2006)

Some more pic of setting up the mill and cutting some boards


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## Ianab (Oct 31, 2006)

Some boards 

and the locals trying to eat my gas can...


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## Ekka (Oct 31, 2006)

Great pics, I actually prefer them embedded.

Very green over there.

What sort of mill is that? Petersen?


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## Ianab (Oct 31, 2006)

Hi Ekka

Yup, old Peterson with an 090 powerhead, and I went back and added the pic links, they are resized for the poor unfortunates on dial-up.

Ian


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## Ekka (Oct 31, 2006)

NZ invented, beautiful mill, very accurate.

Some nice timber there, what are you going to do with it all?


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## Ianab (Oct 31, 2006)

A few more pics
Friends new kitchen...






and computer corner.






New computer desk for my partners Kindergarten.






My new breakfast bar. 






And still got a shedfull left  

Ian


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 31, 2006)

Great pics Ian, thanks for posting those.


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Oct 31, 2006)

Perfect! From tree to mill to finished product. We need more of these threads. I should be able to contribute my own soon. I've got 4 different properties where I can harvest yard trees lined up. It's amazing what you can get if you just ask.


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## computeruser (Oct 31, 2006)

Great pics! Looks like some fine lumber.

I've got to get over to your country one of these days!


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## aquan8tor (Oct 31, 2006)

Did I read correctly that the trees being felled and milled were only about 80 years old, maybe younger???? WOW!!!!! Our native pines grow quickly, but nothing like that. We've got a couple white pines that are about 10-15 years old that are like 8-10", which I thought was fast growth, but that is truly ridiculous. The grain is beautiful. What sort of climate do you have there (I know NZ is a big place--lots of variety). I'd love to plant some of those here!!


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## woodshop (Oct 31, 2006)

ianab, thanks for those... interesting pics, nice sequence. I too like aggie like the tree to finished product threads. I had posted one here while ago, but going to do it again. It's pure fun. Question, how did you get the logs from that tree where it fell to the milling site where you set up the peterson over the log. Did you roll them? They look pretty heavy, huge logs. I know pine isn't as heavy as oak, even wet, but it still had to weigh at least 25-30 lbs a cubic foot. That log looked like well over 36". If you do the math, those logs had to weigh well over 1000 lbs. 

wait... you folks don't use the Kings English measuring and weighing do ya? OK, centimeters and kilograms then.


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## Ianab (Oct 31, 2006)

> Our native pines grow quickly, but nothing like that. We've got a couple white pines that are about 10-15 years old that are like 8-10",



Most of the forestry here in NZ is Radiata pine, it's native to California I think but not a commercial species there. It grows like a weed here though. A couple I've sawn were about 24" and 15 growth rings 

Climate here is pretty mild, and LOTS of rain in most places, so trees will grow fast. The common introduced ones are from your Pacific North West, radiata pine, douglas fir, lawson cypress, even a few redwoods and of course Monterey cypress as in the pictures. So I'm guessing climate wise it's pretty similar to that region. The native trees tend to be slow growing but long lived so they aren't harvested very much any more. Rimu or Kauri are maybe 400 years to mature and most of the remaining ones are protected in parks and reserves. Luckily we have a lot of National parks so the trees aren't rare or anything.



> . Question, how did you get the logs from that tree where it fell to the milling site where you set up the peterson over the log. Did you roll them?



Any way I can.
Sometimes we will just set up the mill over the log where it lays. It's 15mins to set up the mill by myself, easier than moving a big log. Other times I've timed things to coincide with a digger or bulldozer passing by and got them hauled out onto a flat place to mill them. But yes, those logs weigh a LOT no matter what measures you use. 
We have one on the ground to saw (when it stops raining) thats about 60" at the big end. That will about max out the mill but we should be able to set up around it OK.
Yes I will take some pics 

Cheers

Ian


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## bookerdog (Oct 31, 2006)

*Nice*

That is great work. Realing nice to see the finished project.


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## Adkpk (Oct 31, 2006)

Wow, nice posting, Ianab. Good show. Looks like real nice wood. Is it a hardwood? Does it have an aroma? Did your buddy scream at all when you sliced him up?


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## Ianab (Oct 31, 2006)

> Looks like real nice wood. Is it a hardwood? Does it have an aroma?



It's a softwood, a type of cypress but is fairly hard and finishes well. Smell is great too 

http://www.macdirect.co.nz/macrocarpa.asp

Ian


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## Sawyer Rob (Nov 1, 2006)

Nice picts Ianab,

Thanks for posting them!

Rob


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## North Wood (Nov 1, 2006)

great thread keep the pics comming ive never seen a mill an am very interested in how it works and looks operating :biggrinbounce2:


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## boombah (Nov 17, 2006)

*great photos ianab,*

what a great thread excellent , what did the mill cost? would like to see a shot of the 090 set up on it thanks 021 038m 046m 066m 62'lightning 070av 090av


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## Trigger-Time (Nov 17, 2006)

boombah said:


> what a great thread excellent , would like to see a shot of the 090 set up on it thanks




I AGREE!

Gary


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## Ianab (Nov 17, 2006)

A few more pictures, and hopefully an explanation of how it all works.

Standard 090 powerhead, but the sprocket has been replaced with a pulley that runs a v-belt to the saw arbour.






With the saw and blade in the vertical postion.





And then with both flipped over to make the horizontal cut. You can see the larger pulley on the saw arbour, that gears the saws 6,000 rpm down to about 1,500 or so for the circle saw.





Finally this is a closeup of the business end of the blade. It has 4 of these carbide cutters which can be sharpened on the mill, or easily replaced by the local saw doc when they wear out or eat metal.





This particular mill isn't produced any more, they have gone to bigger 4 stroke engines. More power  But the NZ built Peterson and Aussie Lucas mills are both available in the USA. I think the Lucas starts around $US 8,000 through Baileys and the Peterson is similar. You would be best to upgrade in engine and blade size though, the entry level ones only cut 6".

Cheers

Ian


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## Ianab (Nov 17, 2006)

A couple more shots of the mill in operation.

The first cut is made with the blade horizontal, pushing the mill down the log.





Then the powerhead and blade are flipped to vertical and you pull the mill back down the log. As you are now cutting with the reverse side of the blade the saw rotation is still correct and you are not 'climb' cutting. That releases the already edged board, my helper removes the board and stacks it on the trailer while I adjust the saw postion for the next board. Once a complete horizontal layer has been cut then the saw is lowered and the next layer started.





Just another shot of the mill running. The later mills have better covers that direct the wood chips out the side rather than the snowstorm effect mine sometimes produces  The 'sawdust' is usually large chips and strings though, like a well sharpened chainsaw, not the fine dust a bandsaw or chainmill produce.





Hope that helps explain how the things actually work 
The mills will cut practically anything, softwood, hardwood, even the Aussie desert species. With small logs they dont have a big advantage over a bandmill, but once you get logs up over 3 foot dia they really shine. 

Cheers

Ian


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## Trigger-Time (Nov 17, 2006)

Ianab, Thanks for the pics they make me  (no jokeing)
Yes, I would think that blade would make mulch, not chips
with only 4 teeth, what is the kerf of the blade? 

Thanks Again, Gary


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## Ianab (Nov 17, 2006)

> what is the kerf of the blade?



About 5mm, a bit under 1/4".
More than a bandmill, but less than a full size circle mill.

Ian


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## Trigger-Time (Nov 17, 2006)

This is a word that I really never use but, AWSOME

Gary


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## boombah (Nov 17, 2006)

*ianabs mill photos*

absolutely awe inspiring im impessed  will have to look further into these mills thanks heaps for the photos rip rip woodchips 021,038m,046m, 066m, 62' lightning, 070av, 090av and now a 08seq regards steve:


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## woodshop (Nov 17, 2006)

Thanks for that Ianab... that was interesting. Good explanation, I was also wondering how you went from chainsaw powerhead to "business" end of saw blade as you call it. Good clear pics.


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