Woodwork of sorts

[NickM]

Storm Darragh brought down a field maple (which in turn took a large bough off a cheery tree) in our garden before Christmas, so my job between Christmas and New Year was to clear it up and produce some firewood.

I did find a few nuggets like this which made me wish the tree was much bigger and that I had a mill!



This was the log pile about half way through the job.

 

[AndyT]

If I were you I'd have a go at splitting some of those down further, into thin wedges that could be planed into usable small boards to make boxes. Plus some lumps for tool handles. It would cost nothing except your time and effort and could count as a bit more exercise.

If it doesn't work, you could still burn it, but it does just look so tempting!

 

[Mike G]

......which in turn took a large bough off a cheery tree

You're lucky. None of our trees look too cheery at this time of year.

 

[duke]

Storm Darragh brought down a field maple (which in turn took a large bough off a cheery tree) in our garden before Christmas, so my job between Christmas and New Year was to clear it up and produce some firewood.

I did find a few nuggets like this which made me wish the tree was much bigger and that I had a mill!

View attachment 31183

This was the log pile about half way through the job.

View attachment 31184

I know the feeling NickM, when I bring the firewood into burn often the pieces have a lovely ripple or flame pattern and ponder it's potential.
My wish list also has a Mill on it.

 

[Cabinetman]

I too have looked at mills -videos and lusted! But ever the pragmatist I know now at my age it’s not going to happen, also there are so many other things I want to do and make.
Maybe a way around it would be to find someone with a mill who needs a hand doing it in exchange for a few planks, that way you don’t have the expense of buying it or finding somewhere to keep it.
Just thinking how heavy a sopping wet plank is!

 

[duke]

I hear you Ian, plenty of home mills around here. Always imagined myself going into our forest and bringing back a log to mill.
Can always get an Alaskan chain saw mill.

 

[NickM]

I hear you Ian, plenty of home mills around here. Always imagined myself going into our forest and bringing back a log to mill.
Can always get an Alaskan chain saw mill.

I've got an Alaskan mill. I've planked an ash tree and it was really hard work!

 

[NickM]

You're lucky. None of our trees look too cheery at this time of year.

Whoops. The cherry definitely didn't look cheery when half of it was on the ground!

 

[duke]

That's what I thought, don't think my body could handle it.

 

[duke]

Looks like a big cleanup.

 

[Mike G]

I too have looked at mills -videos and lusted! But ever the pragmatist I know now at my age it’s not going to happen, also there are so many other things I want to do and make.
Maybe a way around it would be to find someone with a mill who needs a hand doing it in exchange for a few planks, that way you don’t have the expense of buying it or finding somewhere to keep it.
Just thinking how heavy a sopping wet plank is!

The issue with mills is getting the tree to the mill. If you were to buy a mill, you'd also need a flat-bed trailer of lorry with a powerful winch, and a forklift. By the time you've bought those two things (and built a shed to store everything in), you could have bought an awful lot of timber at commercial prices.

 

[AJB Temple]

Mike is right. My brother and I looked into this years ago when we had a massive quantity of fallen trees on the farm. Common sense prevailed as converting whole trees requires a lot of gear and some experience. We got a contractor in.

 

[MattS]

What about the mobile mills based on a chainsaw? No personal experience but follow the furniture designer Sebastian Cox on Instagram who uses only British wood and often shares videos of him and his team going in and breaking down fallen trees in situ. Once broken down each board could be moved slowly but without the need for large machinery

 

[Cabinetman]

I’m sure you are correct Gentlemen and like a lot of things in woodwork the more professional kit you have the easier it gets but unless it’s used a lot it isn’t worth the investment.

 

[Pete Maddex]

You need to take up spoon carving

That wood looks ideal.

Pete

 

[thetyreman]

there are some nicely figured pieces of maple there, seems a shame to burn it.