Storing and Re-sawing of trees

[Kev]

Hi all,

I have a very large pear tree in my back garden (about 40 feet high and wide) which is coming down after xmas. Always with an eye on some potentially nice wood I am planning to get the main trunks of the tree cut into suitable lengths for future use in the workshop (nothing like planning ahead!). Its hard to explain but I should get about 6 or 7 10ft logs of very straight wood out of it with diameters form about 12 -18".

Having no experience of doing this type of thing before I assume its best to get the wood sawn into planks before storing using slats as most books seem to show. Is this correct and how long are we talking about storing. Also do the ends need sealing to help prevent splitting etc.

This brings me on to an even more difficult task. I don't have the capacity to re-saw these logs. Are there companies that would provide this service (oe saw mills etc) and if so does anyone have any experience of using any they wood recommend. I am in London but accept that I amy have to travel a fair way to get this done.

Any advice on this or using Pear wood would be great. :-k

 

[wizer]

I can help, but this might https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... obile+mill

 

[Scott]

Hi all,

Also do the ends need sealing to help prevent splitting etc.

OHHHH YES!

I have some pear drying in my garage at the moment that came from the next door neighbour's garden. I sealed the cut ends with PVA when it was cut but a couple of smaller pieces I missed have split and distorted in a quite spectacular fashion.

I only have some small pieces and I've never tried to dry pear before so perhaps someone who knows what they're talking about might be along shortly.

I'd tend to think that the normal advice of sealing, stickering, one-year-drying-per-inch-thickness etc wouldn't be far wrong but be extra careful with the sealing and weight the stacks down properly to try to control distortion (or use ratchet straps maybe?). I'm getting well out of my depth now....

Good luck!

 

[Chris Knight]

Kev,

It sounds like a very nice tree, especially if there is no rot and it is straight. There are plenty of mobile sawmilling services in the UK and Googling for "Mobile sawmilling" or "Woodmizer" will bring up lots. Whether it's worth coming to you will depend on the value you place on the wood and if you can take logs in a van or a trailer to them, it will be a lot cheaper.

There are gadgets you can fit to the log or a chainsaw to enable planking with a chainsaw but these are very wasteful of wood.

Your instincts to plank and air dry with spacers are correct assuming you want the wood in planks rather than bowl blanks - pear is prized as a turning wood. Air drying is another subject well covered on the web, reckon on a year per inch of thickness and re-stacking the planks periodically.

 

[jasonB]

I use Scott Timber for my green oak they have a large statick mill and also run a portable Woodmizer that they travel all over the South East with. Main problem is gettein the wood to the mill or mill to the tree. They also have a kiln so may be able to dry the wood.

Just a couple of miles from them is Treespanner he has a hi-ab on the back of his Unimog that could pick the butts up or even pull them out with heavy horse extraction methods.

I have used the chainsaw method in the past to cut the round butts into managable semi or quater circles that can be put through a bandsaw. But you need a decent size saw & rip bleade, I have a large Husqvarna with 24" bar & had a rip blade ground for it. Don't use a rip blade for cross cutting as it tends to grab the wood.

It all really comes down to what the wood is worth / what it will cast in money & effort to convert.

A few more mobile saw mill for you
http://www.woodnet.org.uk/woodlots/adve ... essing.htm


Jason

 

[Kev]

Thanks for the advice. It certainly seems more manageable than I thought which is good news. Will contact a few people when the tree is down after xmas. I have never actually used a chainsaw so would be a bit nervous in taking that approach myself and it certainly seems to waste a lot of wood (unless you have a use for even more saw dust!) and I dont have a big enough bandsaw to do it myself.

One other thing, does it cause much harm if the logs are left a while before having them planked or is it best to get it done as soon as possible?
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[jasonB]

If you seal the ends of the butts and stack them out of direct sunlight and off the ground a couple of months at that time of year should not be too much of a problem.

Get them done as soon after xmas as possible, before the sap starts to rise, that way you will be starting with the lowest possible moisture content and the lower sugar levels in the sap will not discolour the wood.

Jason