Don't forget your mask
Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)
- Thread starter mainewoods
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The ones in my picture are taken from MSU's site in the white swamp oak section, but I was wondering if it was a chestnut myself. I don't get town that way often, but I'd like to more as they planted quite a few trout in there yrs ago, when I do I'll get some pictures of it. One thing I'll say is its big, and I did see some pictures showing them being pretty big, as I'm thinking about it I wonder if it was 45 meters, that would make more sense, but may be for other areas as not many trees here get that tall.
Now I have to look again lol.
Funny stuff with wood … I've noticed that the benches I made from Chestnut Oak last year were very "Golden" in color, and the ones I'm making with the same wood, milled at the same time from the same tree now seem to be a darker brown. I guess the wood is changing as is ages!
The bark on Chestnut Oak is very furled.
KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
U&A, almost any sealer is better than nothing. If nothing else, some old paint will buy you a bit of time to settle on which sealer to buy. I stumbling across a guy selling off PVA wood glue in large quantities really cheap a few years ago. I water it down a bit and it seals so well I wish I had bought more while it was so cheap. I'm out now so....the hunt continues...unless I can find more cheap bulk PVA. Anchorseal is an obnoxious cost.
KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
The bulk of our native timbers oxidise/season lighter/paler but the introduced species go darker.
KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
I'd get stickers right at the ends. But maybe your species are different. There's a superb booklet the Aussies put out years ago, about handling timber. I figure their gums demand the gold-standard in pre and post-milling handling, so if it's good enough for them, it'll be more than good enough for us here. I'll see if I can find the pdf. It's one of the best timber handling references I've got.
Found the download links for the drying info:
https://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/267816/best-practice-drying-part-1.pdfhttps://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/267817/best-practice-drying-part-2.pdf
Found the download links for the drying info:
https://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/267816/best-practice-drying-part-1.pdfhttps://www.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/267817/best-practice-drying-part-2.pdf
I envy that you have indoor space … all my boards are outside.
The Chestnut Oak is not an import, but it is obviously darker than regular White Oak.
The Chestnut Oak is not an import, but it is obviously darker than regular White Oak.
KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
The paint collection/recyling places here give their paint to community groups. I tried a while ago to get some off them but all the voices in my head didn't qualify as a community ;-)
I have painted the ends of wood that did check, and not painted the ends of wood that did not.
I don't think (paint/stain) makes much difference, I think it depends more on the cut of the wood.
Some of my Oak and Hickory checked wildly, others not at all, and it did not seem to make any difference if I did the ends or not.
The closer you get to the center of the tree, the more likely it will want to cup and check a bit, often the length of the board. I "fix" some of them!
I don't think (paint/stain) makes much difference, I think it depends more on the cut of the wood.
Some of my Oak and Hickory checked wildly, others not at all, and it did not seem to make any difference if I did the ends or not.
The closer you get to the center of the tree, the more likely it will want to cup and check a bit, often the length of the board. I "fix" some of them!
KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
Sure, the pith is generally unstable but not just the pith. Any board that can't handle the drying stresses is gonna degrade, move, crack, split, etc. Your species I guess must vary from most I encounter because sealer absolutely does make a worthwhile difference here. Unless of course I want to spend about $150k minimum on a vacuum kiln where it's best that freshly cut, unsealed wood goes in. Unless we win the lottery, I'll have to stick with the air-drying method and trying my best to slow down the moisture losses on the ends of boards to better reduce drying stresses across the whole board. Because I hate doing all the work to get them into lumber only to turn it into firewood.
What i will be using this for it is not a big deal if they crack. It will add character. I actually would like a few splits and cracks in the final product.
And i will be cutting at least 6” off each end and ripping these to the desired width.
When i need to get serious about this and make quality stuff to sell i will most definitely take more care in the stacking of the boards.
I appreciate the help sir[emoji41][emoji41][emoji41][emoji1303][emoji1303]
Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]
KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
I agree mate. Some cracks and splits, etc look great in the right application. You can keep 'em and butterfly/bowtie inlay them as a feature, fill 'em with resin, rip a microwave oven apart to use the transformer to burn your own lichtenberg fractal patterns (google thunderstuck industries as an example) along the cracks, etc.
Heck, I'm thinking of asking the local fire brigade if I can pull wrecked wood out of the next structure fire they attend. The more burnt, twisted, charred to all heck the better, for the project that's brewing in my head.
The great thing is, now you've got a mill, you can have so much fun making your own timber and project from them. Who knows, maybe if you keep us updated with your milling and project adventures, even Cowboy might even start having thoughts about ripping a few slabs out of the logs he encounters. And posts more pictures thereof.
Heck, I'm thinking of asking the local fire brigade if I can pull wrecked wood out of the next structure fire they attend. The more burnt, twisted, charred to all heck the better, for the project that's brewing in my head.
The great thing is, now you've got a mill, you can have so much fun making your own timber and project from them. Who knows, maybe if you keep us updated with your milling and project adventures, even Cowboy might even start having thoughts about ripping a few slabs out of the logs he encounters. And posts more pictures thereof.
Free paint at our local hazardous waste collection sites.
Philbert
Philbert
I fill a lot of the cracks with Loctite PL Premium. Never a perfect color match, but often better than the wood putties that are supposed to match, and a lot more durable/structural.
Even if you get it to match before the urethane is on, it won't match after!
Even if you get it to match before the urethane is on, it won't match after!
I’ve been doing some scrounging over the past few weeks. I have a contact with a local arborist and sent him a txt to tell him I’m accepting wood (been about 12 months since I’ve got any). I’m being cautious and assume I won’t get any so keep an eye out on our version of Craigs list. It’s pretty hard to score wood at this time of the year but I found this pine and surprise surprise your typical home owner can’t do anything with this……. But I can… so I’ve done a total of 3 loads so far. Ideally I would only want 2 loads per year of pine, it’s good to burn in the evening but won’t burn over night. I go through 4 trailer loads per year (approx 2 cord), half really needs to be big chunks of hardwood. I’m going to get all of it and stack it in the back yard where I can get trailer access and leave the extra I don’t want for my dad for next year and the following year.
This wood is pretty big I’m not sure I’ll be able to cut through from both sides with the 28” bar. I thought it would be fun and ‘glamourous’ cutting the big stuff but I soon realised it’s not much fun moving it!!! Took it home it large log form… couldn’t split it so noodled it in the front yard then moved it to the back yard with the car.
I’ve been telling my wife I really need a bigger saw for this and future scrounges to which she rolls her eyes ….. Just planting the seeds.
This wood is pretty big I’m not sure I’ll be able to cut through from both sides with the 28” bar. I thought it would be fun and ‘glamourous’ cutting the big stuff but I soon realised it’s not much fun moving it!!! Took it home it large log form… couldn’t split it so noodled it in the front yard then moved it to the back yard with the car.
I’ve been telling my wife I really need a bigger saw for this and future scrounges to which she rolls her eyes ….. Just planting the seeds.
KiwiBro
Mill 'em, nails be damned.
Nice and tidy too.
Could always tweak that 6400 up to 7900 (OEM) or 84c aftermarket big bore kit. Either way, it'll stand up on 36" bars in pine just fine. oiler might need a tweak too though.
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