Sawmill and Timber
Sawmills and Sawing => Bandsaw Mills => Topic started by: Kirk Allen on July 28, 2015, 10:46:40 PM
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Spent most of last Saturday cutting Western Red Cedar power poles. Cut over 30 of them and not a single piece of hardware!
(http://sawmillandtimberforum.com/gallery/1/2_28_07_15_10_44_51_0.jpg)
(http://sawmillandtimberforum.com/gallery/1/2_28_07_15_10_48_29_0.jpg)
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Kirk,
WRC poles cut pretty easily didn't they? I have milled them a couple of times if the creosote-soaked bottoms have been removed.
I am curious as to whether you cut through any holes lined with aluminum foil. I have found quite a few where a hole was bored and a insecticide capsule had been inserted. The foil was paper thin and sometimes there was a hole but no capsule.
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Went through 4 blades on the 30 poles, about 1500 BF of finished lumber. The knotty ones cut slower as the knots are hard as any hard wood I have ever cut. Go to fast the the blade will climb over them unless its a brand new blade.
I have cut many of poles that had the insect tube in them. Have not had any that were just holes with no insect capsule.
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I've cuts hundreds of them and yes they cut easy and make beautiful boards , We missed a nail or 2 on the outside but ran into some that were in the tree well before it was cut down. Good to hear from you again Kirk. Steve
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That is a good batch there.
Were they a bit dusty when milling?
I turned down milling up a batch of power poles last week, hardware hanging out in all directions ::)
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The power company replaced the cross arms on the high voltage lines near my home. I scampered off with them, remilled them on a band mill. Used them to set up my circular mill. I think they were dougie fir but they were the best wood I ever had on the mill no knots and real stable. They were originally 40 feet long. Frank C.
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Special grading rules in the grading book for cross arms. They are not just different sized boards.
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the production mill that i worked at made a few test runs using #1 saw logs but the percentage that would make grade was to low to justify running them. Part of the reason is the mill was tooled as a high production stud mill, which was not conducive to custom milling.
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Kirk, I can't imagine red cedar so large they can be power poles. Back here in the northeast our reds are small and scarce. My old partner made rustic cedar furnature so I cut a lot of it. Its hard to hold a 4" dia. log on a band mill lots of sacrificial boards. Glad your still milling some "talk the talk but walk optional". Frank C.
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Don't confuse eastern red cedar with western red cedar.
Western Red Cedar is what they make poles out of and the eastern is the aromatic hope chest type cedar.
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That Brazilian body wave hair weave is just what I need! Thanks qapedvix for sharing that, you definitely found the perfect target audience.
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Western Red cedar can easily be 8' on the stump and well over 200' tall