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Thread: Need help with walnut milling in MontCo PA

  1. #1
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    Need help with walnut milling in MontCo PA

    Long story short, an old black walnut was brought down on the property in upper Montgomery county in southeastern Pennsylvania. There are three logs, between 10 and 11 ft long, 3+ft diameter. I'd like to make some 8/4 stock out of it. I do not care about live edge at all or anything fancy, just want this milled to 8/4. I can move it once milled, but I cannot move the logs. Does anyone have any recommendation...? We've gotten nowhere on google, and had several flake outs or unresponsive guys on this work.
    Last edited by John K Jordan; 06-02-2019 at 11:16 AM.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by William Chain View Post
    Long story short, an old black walnut was brought down on the property in upper Montgomery county in southeastern Pennsylvania. There are three logs, between 10 and 11 ft long, 3+ft diameter. I'd like to make some 8/4 stock out of it. I do not care about live edge at all or anything fancy, just want this milled to 8/4. I can move it once milled, but I cannot move the logs. Does anyone have any recommendation...? We've gotten nowhere on google, and had several flake outs or unresponsive guys on this work.
    You might locate local sawmills with woodfinder.com or from the list on WoodMizer's web site. A "shares" deal i've used is you deliver the log and stay and help saw and we split the wood 50/50 but you'll have to work that out with the sawyer. Since you can't deliver, the percentage might be different - some people have portable mills they can bring to your site and some will haul the log, all for a price. Note that due to disease control procedures there is a strict ban on moving walnut (and some other species) from certain locations across and to other certain locations.

    If you want to solicit someone here to saw I think you are supposed to post this in the Classifieds section.

    JKJ

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by John K Jordan View Post
    You might locate local sawmills with woodfinder.com or from the list on WoodMizer's web site.
    That's where the flake-outs and never-answered-our-inquiries were found....

  4. #4
    William, the "3+' diameter" is sort of a break point for portable mills. If your logs are legitimately 36" and over, they will exceed the capacity of most band mills, and even those that might take them on will require a lot of extra handling (PITA). The point that you can't move them hints that you also don't have equipment on-site for moving them, another PITA. That doesn't mean it can't be done, but logs that size are more likely in the realm of a chainsaw mill or a swing blade mill. There are fewer sawyers out here that use those technologies. Of course, if the diameters you mentioned are an estimate, or perhaps exaggerated, an accurate measurement might bring them into the size range that the majority of bandsaw mills can handle. If they are that large, for what you want you'll be best served by the services of a swing blade sawmill. Something like a Lucas or a Peterson. Contacting those manufacturers might lead you to someone in your area with those types of mills. If you can't find someone for on-site milling, there are alternatives to moving logs. Three logs that size would probably fit on a roll-back tow truck. I have had tow trucks deliver logs to my mill, a couple of times per year.

  5. #5
    greg flegal kennett square pa

  6. #6
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    yeah anything that big is a p.i.t.a. , I have a thought though if you take a chainsaw and square it as best you can you might be able to get it dimensionally to the size of a local mill and lighten it too as for handling. Look at it real close to make sure it is worth the effort. walnut is kinda expensive to buy so ,judgment call time.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by david privett View Post
    yeah anything that big is a p.i.t.a. , I have a thought though if you take a chainsaw and square it as best you can you might be able to get it dimensionally to the size of a local mill and lighten it too as for handling. Look at it real close to make sure it is worth the effort. walnut is kinda expensive to buy so ,judgment call time.
    A wet walnut log 36" dia, 10' long weighs almost 4000 lbs according to this log weight calculator: http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/calculators/calc.pl

    My Woodmizer will supposedly handle a 28" dia log but even that's a lot of work. Almost as bad as dealing with the size is the weight, placing the log and turning (mine's a manual mill). I have a bobcat and a tractor for handling but that can get tricky. An 18-24 inch log is a lot easier to handle.

    Some people split the log down the middle first by grooving with a chainsaw then pounding in wedges, also a lot of work.

    Another time-proven method is to make plunge cuts deep into the log from one side, fill with black power, and ignite. Will split the log right down the middle.

    JKJ

  8. #8
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    What tools do you have? You didn't say if you were the one who took the tree down. A large chainsaw could be a viable option but not knowing what you have it's hard to give advise. My neighbor has a hand built bandmill that can handle larger diameters than most but only 12' foot lengths. one day he came home with a white oak that was close to 6' in diameter (way too big for even his mill). What he did was cut it into 4 quarters. He just cut to the pith down one length, rolled it 90 degrees and repeated. It would have been nice to get a few 5' wide boards out of it but it just wasn't possible. When you say property do you mean a yard, deep in the woods, something in between? If in a yard they could have nails and other unwanted items in them. That'll turn off a number of people as one nail can destroy a blade or chain. If they are in the woods and you have no easy way to get them to the road that'll be an issue as well.

  9. #9
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    Thank you, I've reached out to Mr. Flegal.

    Quote Originally Posted by Anthony Albano View Post
    greg flegal kennett square pa

  10. #10
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    I've had guys on site, say no problem, then disappear. Size isn't the problem.

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Hogard View Post
    William, the "3+' diameter" is sort of a break point for portable mills. If your logs are legitimately 36" and over, they will exceed the capacity of most band mills, and even those that might take them on will require a lot of extra handling (PITA). The point that you can't move them hints that you also don't have equipment on-site for moving them, another PITA. That doesn't mean it can't be done, but logs that size are more likely in the realm of a chainsaw mill or a swing blade mill. There are fewer sawyers out here that use those technologies. Of course, if the diameters you mentioned are an estimate, or perhaps exaggerated, an accurate measurement might bring them into the size range that the majority of bandsaw mills can handle. If they are that large, for what you want you'll be best served by the services of a swing blade sawmill. Something like a Lucas or a Peterson. Contacting those manufacturers might lead you to someone in your area with those types of mills. If you can't find someone for on-site milling, there are alternatives to moving logs. Three logs that size would probably fit on a roll-back tow truck. I have had tow trucks deliver logs to my mill, a couple of times per year.

  11. #11
    My mill will only fit around a 32" log. When I get one too big, have to take my chainsaw and cut a little off each side. Bumps on logs, and crotches have to be cut off as well. Good thing is, I can cut some off the top without cutting anything off with a chain saw. Just cut some off, and then start making boards. Then, turn the log and start on the next side. Kind of fun to cut up a really big log, after it is over, and the boards are stacked for drying.

  12. #12
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    Mar 2003
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    Call John at Bucks County Hardwoods. (215) 230-7079 I mention him because he has the equipment to be able to do larger logs and slabs. He's a supplier to Nakashima, too.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  13. #13
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    Jun 2017
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    Thank you, I will reach out to Bucks County HW. Nothing from Greg Flegal. Seriously, it’s nice walnut and we cannot get so much as calls back from people. ?????

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