Big Leaf Maple and Arbutus

[Daninvan]

It was a busy couple of days of cutting local species. First, a maple shows up at the local log dump.

Unfortunately for me, the City crew that felled it had cut about 75% of the way through it at one point and then abandoned that cut for some reason. So the short story is I finished up their cut, then milled up the top half of the 3' long piece that resulted. If they had not done that, I probably would have got pieces more like 6' long. C'est la vie. The middle pieces were too wide for my mill which can handle 31".

I figure I took about 100bf, some was nicely spalted too, but a bit cracky. I probably could have got more, but I was saving myself for the following day.

A family friend had invited me over to their property on Thetis Island to cut up an Arbutus menziesii, known locally as arbutus, south of the line as madrone.

I set out the evening before taking a late ferry to Vancouver Island, stayed the night in Chemainus. Up early with the shiney blue van to catch the ferry from Chemainus to Thetis Island. The ferry busied up after this picture, there were 5 vehicles on board when we sailed.

There were actually three good sized downed arbutuses (arbutii?) on their property. One was hung up in another tree, another had toppled over but was so curved that the middle was probably 10' in the air still. I took the safe route and left them, and worked on the one that was already down. In fact I had taken a number of boards from this tree in 2006. I was a bit worried that being down for 4 years it would be rotten or dry and hard. It was a bit punky on one end, but I put a new Granberg chain to the task and it worked beautifully.

The bottom three feet of it was a bit punky.

But the rest of it was nice.

I milled up about 200bf of the arbutus, I could have taken another 100bf probably before a crotch would ahve come into play, but I had lost track of time and had to rush out of there to catch the ferry from Thetis back to Vancouver Island.

Then it was a leisurely drive up island to Nanaimo to catch the ferry back to mainland.

.

All in all a very satisfying 36 hours.

 

[BobL]

Looks like a fun trip Dan. Thanks for posting the pics.

Some day I'd like to see a picture of the milling beach in bright sunshine.

 

[mikeb1079]

nice post, looks like a fun weekend.

i thought i read that madrone is pretty hard, how was the cutting?

 

[DRB]

Looks like a fun trip to the Island.

I hope to get out to the coast for some milling this winter.

Thanks for posting.

 

[betterbuilt]

Nice work. beautiful slabs. Do you have any plan for it?

 

[mtngun]

Some day I'd like to see a picture of the milling beach in bright sunshine.

They do get a few days of sun in the summer.

 

[Daninvan]

True, there is the odd day of half decent weather over the summer. Unfortunately, the log dump is not open during the summer! So I am most often milling in cool cloudy and sometimes rainy weather. I'm thinking that's a whole lot better than the 110 degrees Bobl has to put up with!

Anyways, here's a couple pics to prove that the sun does sometimes shine on the log dump. If you look closely you can see shadows, clear evidence that the sun was out those days!

Arbutus is about the same Janka hardness as eastern hard maple. I have struggled with milling it in the past, but the new chain and the favourable downhill slope really made a big difference this time.

I don't have anything specific in mind for these slabs, I've had trouble getting arbutus to dry properly in the past so I cut it thick and will let it air dry for as long as it needs. I guess what I make out of it depends on what I have left after a few years of drying! Here it is getting ready to rest for a couple years, I need to get the ends painted up.

Dan

 

[BobL]

Thanks for posting the sunny pics Dan.

Is that a new mill I see there?

 

[Daninvan]

Naah, not new. I've had that one for a while but I don't often bring it out. It's a 60" bar with a mill on it. I really can't lift it / push it / manage it on my own, it's definitely a two man operation.

I used it that day because the weather was sunny. No wait, I used it that day because the elm had a crotch in it and it widened out to beyond what I could cut with my 36" bar and mill. Turned out to be AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK, even with two of us. The log's slope was not in our favour, and the elm was tough going. It was miserable, really. Good thing for that sun!

Dan

 

[BobL]

Naah, not new. I've had that one for a while but I don't often bring it out. It's a 60" bar with a mill on it. I really can't lift it / push it / manage it on my own, it's definitely a two man operation.

Something doesn't sound right with that, you are obviously fitter than I am and I can manage the BIL mill with the 60" bar by myself.

Are you using log rails?

 

[Daninvan]

Are you calling me unfit?! I think you are!

The mill is made of 1 1/4" square steel tubing with 1/8" thick walls. I find it nearly impossible to heft it onto a log while running. I will throw it on the bathroom scale tomorrow and see what it weighs in at.

Dan Dan the Unfit Man who works in a dark sunless place. (!)

 

[BobL]

Are you calling me unfit?! I think you are!

Far from it - I reckon just about everyone on this site (including most definitely yourself) is fitter than I am, and if I can heft the BIL mill with my level of fitness then others should be able to do likewise

The mill is made of 1 1/4" square steel tubing with 1/8" thick walls. I find it nearly impossible to heft it onto a log while running. I will throw it on the bathroom scale tomorrow and see what it weighs in at.

I'd be interested to know what it is.

Dan Dan the Unfit Man who works in a dark sunless place. (!)

Careful - it might stick!

 

[johncinco]

Whats the story with the "log dump" ? The municipality dump off their trees or something? Did those logs down closer to the water get dumped or float up? Are they off limits to cutting up? Looks like you could stay out there for days cutting up lumber.

 

[Daninvan]

Yes, the city drops off trees that come from boulevards, parks, etc. There are also a lot of floaters that drift up on the beach, the city has the necessary permits to salvage these. However, sawing is only permitted in a small area, the logs you see lined up on the beach in the back of the photos are for use in the summer by sunbathers and may not be chainsawed.

I weighed my 60" mill, it is 45 lbs just for the bar chain and mill. Surprisingly little actually. With the powerhead and external oiler I suppose it might be 65 lbs total?

I think the difficulty might be that the weight balance is awkward. Even though there is a lot of weight at the powerhead end, there is still enough weight distributed along the length of the mill that I have a hard time lifting the entire assembly just by the powerhead. I think the centre of gravity is too far away.

Of course, as Bobl suggests, maybe I need to hit the gym!

Dan

 

[BobL]

I weighed my 60" mill, it is 45 lbs just for the bar chain and mill. Surprisingly little actually. With the powerhead and external oiler I suppose it might be 65 lbs total?

I think the difficulty might be that the weight balance is awkward. Even though there is a lot of weight at the powerhead end, there is still enough weight distributed along the length of the mill that I have a hard time lifting the entire assembly just by the powerhead. I think the centre of gravity is too far away.

I wouldn't be able to lift mine from the powerhead alone either. I lift it with one hand on the wrap handle and one about half of the way up and across the other side of the mill where I mounted a handle to make it easier to lift/hold.

I also use my removable wheels a lot.

 

[820wards]

I wouldn't be able to lift mine from the powerhead alone either. I lift it with one hand on the wrap handle and one about half of the way up and across the other side of the mill where I mounted a handle to make it easier to lift/hold.

I also use my removable wheels a lot.

Bob,

Your going to have to start drilling holes in that aluminum frame to get it lighter if you keep putting all those brass acorn nuts on your mill.

jerry-