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Author Topic: I actually still cut wood!  (Read 11440 times)

Offline Kirk Allen

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I actually still cut wood!
« on: July 28, 2015, 10:46:40 PM »
Spent most of last Saturday cutting Western Red Cedar power poles.  Cut over 30 of them and not a single piece of hardware!  



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Offline Tom the Sawyer

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Re: I actually still cut wood!
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2015, 07:25:42 AM »
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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Offline Kirk Allen

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Re: I actually still cut wood!
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2015, 08:21:03 AM »
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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Offline mountainlake

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Re: I actually still cut wood!
« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2015, 05:13:17 PM »
 

 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

Offline backwoods sawyer

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Re: I actually still cut wood!
« Reply #4 on: July 29, 2015, 08:27:54 PM »
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 ::)

Offline bandmiller2

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Re: I actually still cut wood!
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2016, 08:30:06 PM »
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.

Offline Stevem

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Re: I actually still cut wood!
« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2016, 08:52:11 PM »
Special grading rules in the grading book for cross arms.  They are not just different sized boards.
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Offline backwoods sawyer

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Re: I actually still cut wood!
« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2016, 08:02:03 PM »
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.

Offline bandmiller2

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Re: I actually still cut wood!
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2016, 05:59:08 AM »
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.

Offline Kirk Allen

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Re: I actually still cut wood!
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2016, 08:44:23 AM »
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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Offline 4x4American

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Re: I actually still cut wood!
« Reply #10 on: January 22, 2017, 09:26:48 PM »
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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Offline Stevem

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Re: I actually still cut wood!
« Reply #11 on: January 24, 2017, 09:47:51 PM »
Western Red cedar can easily be 8' on the stump and well over 200' tall
Stevem
Because you can doesn't mean you should!