Thread: Firewood or Slabs?

Here's my piece of saved gidgee from my 2007 Madigan Line Trip. You've also reminded me that I have a few more pieces of gidgee stored away, that have been drying since 2007. Must dig them out soon. The only wood I've found harder than gidgee is acacia peuce - the AP trees north of Old Andado Station are not very large but are reported to be more than 700 years old - slow growth equals hard timber.

I went and had a look at a Peuce "orchard" last year , off the Old Andado track. The old Andado homestead and out buildings were all built from Peuce.

It is a fenced off reserve and protected (by someone occasionally) and heavy fines if anyone caught removing timber.

Originally Posted by Hogarthde

G’ day Roger, glad you have a mate interested in working with you, it does make it easy to discuss things and ponder , just take your time and check everything thrice, keep the chain sharp and bar clean.

The gum ( the actual reddish sticky stuff) can be a bit of a nuisance doing face cuts, try a few things on the bar if it gets sticky eg. Wd40,thin oil,kero, bearing in mind the chain oil is a non throw compound.

Personally , I like thick slabs,3” at a minimum, you can buy boards! So to get a 2” piece of furniture ,planed, dressed, sanded , all across 30”, cut with your mill 3/4” to 1”oversize.

Sydney Bluegum is a quite stable and true timber, but still must be racked and air dried properly.
Set up a dead level base off the ground, outside is ok ,and place rack sticks , every 24”along between each slab, rack sticks 1”x1” of the same timber or a non staining type,even thick wall poly pipe. Keep the rain off but allow the breeze to dry your timber.

cheerio, the good woman says it’s my bed time🧐. Dave

Thanks again Dave.

When I start running the 42" bar & chain I was considering setting up an auxiliary oiling system with a lighter, non bar oil. After reading your advice, I think tomorrow's job will be to put a gravity fed system together with a regulating valve on the outlet.

The tree had been dead for a few years before it was taken down but I guess will still need sone time air drying so thanks for the tips regarding that aspect.

Points re thickness appreciated also.

The 42" bar & ripping chains arrived this morning so off with the 24"bar & on with the 42" bar - what a monster

Anyway after some time spent adjusting everything, pre-oiling the new bar & chain and setting it up in the mill, it was time to complete that first cut.
The little Stihl 038 Magnum handled the longer bar amazingly well resulting in the first flitch coming off successfully.

I must get on with setting up that auxiliary oiling system, just need to locate the regulating valve that I know is in the garage somewhere.

👍👍👍

Sooo, all the wood gurus out there, I have this sitting on the farm drying out since 2018.

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It's yellow box, I was planning to use it for firewood

Worth slabbing?

Regards,
Tote

certainly worth opening a slab while cutting it up......

Set up the Mk 1 Auxiliary Oiler tonight and discovered the first weakness in the mill - the head of one of the 8mm bolts separated from the shank ............. lousey Chinese steel.
At least it is nothing major and they did supply a few spares, but I'll be replacing them all with some better quality ones. I wouldn't like any to give way in the middle of a cut.




I might do away with the timber block tomorrow and just use a piece of flat aluminium.