After having to cut down some mature trees I felt it slightly mad to just turn them into firewood and wanted a better legacy for them. I set about trying to find a way to utilise these wonderful trees that were acorns during the 1500’s, being around duing the great fire of london, our civil war, right past the battle of waterloo both world war and so many more positive events. Anyway enough or my romanticised ramblings.
My research resulted in three options : –
1) The need to transport the trees to a timber yard. The cost for this was very high and due to their position getting them on a lorry which would be a struggle.
2) Mobile timber saw – this is people coming with a bandsaw on a trailer and sawing the tree. However if there is any risk that the tree has grown near fencing and taking in barbed wire which unfortunately was the case they do not want to touch them because it damages the blade.
This left one final option –
3) A chainsaw mill. This is using a powerful chainsaw with a long bar and chain teeth set at a specail angle to cut through the wood in the direction of the grain. Because I needed an excuse to upgrade my chainsaw and it could be used multiple times in the future this was the bes option. They enable you to cut at any thickness.
I have cut planks from 3cm to 12cm. A 12cm slice of tree is close to impossible to move without equipment but using a large circular saw it was cut into beams which could be managed with a couple of fairly strong people.
So what can you do with this wood? After seasoning properly (reducing the water content from 30% down to circa 10%) you can make tables, chairs shutters, shelves you name it, the only restriction is your imagination. Yesterday I made and installed a wonderful feature oak windowsill in a home in Stratford upon Avon
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