Milling my own Douglas Fir in pictures

[sawdust1]

First fell your trees. These Douglas Firs I was felling were 100 foot long.

Here a friend is hauling out the logs.

For some logs I used my own tractor.

Logs ready for milling.

Another friend in action with his woodmizer.

I moved the logs from the stack to the mill using a Kramer loader.

The result of 1 1/2 days of milling.

The cost of the mill was £350 per day +£15 for every blade change. To buy the sawn timber as ordinary softwood would be around £3500 + VAT. As the timber is free then worth doing. (Not taking into account my time I call it woodland management as I'm removing the Douglas and replanting it with hardwood)

 

[custard]

A nice variety of thicknesses you've got there, any projects in mind?

There are a fair few influential designer/makers who are starting to use absolutely clear boards of quarter sawn Douglas Fir as a seriously top end furniture timber. Since the Guild Mark rules were changed to exclude CITES timbers it seems the pendulum has swung in completely the opposite direction. Macassar Ebony is out. Douglas Fir is in.

 

[adidat]

Is that my stack on the left??

Adidat

 

[sawdust1]

Hi adidat, ha ha you spotted it, yes thats yours on the left.
Hi custard, yes lots of projects, sheds to renovate/clad, kitchen extension, timber for doors and windows,
trims for the products on my web site, and adidat needs some for an extension on his place.
Not quite the quality for Furniture making use but ok for Joinery.
Yes really nice grain and that red colour looks cool.
Unfortunately i sold my kiln last year so can't bring any down to the correct moisture content
for that purpose.

 

[adidat]

Great! Cant wait to pick up! Thanks for posting the pictures always find stuff like this great viewing!

Adidat