Can Anyone in SI New Zealand help

[TBurt]

hi

can anyone help or no anyone who could help me with a volunteer milling job I have

for the raincliff scout camp out back of pleasant point near timaru, I after seeing this idea after a trip to Canada as part of the committee going to build a giant table that will seat 40 plus kids, the plan is the top is/will to be one piece and be 10m long 1.3m wide and 6 inch thick, with one piece bench seats.
I was going to mill this myself with my own gear as I was going to upsize in the current gear I have, but due to me creating a business for myself I have no longer the money to put towards this as it has been prioritised elsewhere. I can only to a 850mm cut as of current
I will need to do a cut of at least 1.4m can anybody help us ?
and can I please ask (not to sound rude) if you do want to help do it for a very low cost or for free as this is for kids and is a club run totally on volunteer's


Thanks Tristan

 

[BobL]

something like this?

This is an 80ft log table at the Calgary kids hospital - it was made by a local milling company

Even one the size you refer to will need some serious lifting gear so its not the sort of thing a DIYer can take on very easily.

 

[TBurt]

something like this?
View attachment 407639
This is an 80ft log table at the Calgary kids hospital - it was made by a local milling company

Even one the size you refer to will need some serious lifting gear so its not the sort of thing a DIYer can take on very easily.

 

[TBurt]

yes pretty much along those lines, we will use slabs as legs

lifting is not a problem, we will use multiple tractors who local farmers whom have happily said yes help to lift and shift each slab at milling site, these are to be loaded onto a semi truck wich a local transport company has kindly donated its time and use for free. at table site another multiple tractors are to lift slabs off truck and into place.
I have thought very seriously about this and think and hope I have most things sorted

 

[TBurt]

so far this old man pine log is the only this semi suitable I have found to do the job

 

[Boon]

so far this old man pine log is the only this semi suitable I have found to do the job

Is that pinus radiata ??
Don't expect it to last long untreated it will rot pretty quick specially the outer soft wood. Painted or treated should see 5 years before it starts to decay. Problem is where end grain or splits form and water gets in. A hard wood for the effort it will require to complete your project would be better.....from experience. Pine works very well indoors.

 

[TBurt]

i would prefer macrocarpa but I cant find one suitable, legs are going to be macro regardless, but from everyone I/we have spoken to about it and all research I have done they say due to its age old man pine is going to be fit for purpose anyway due to as it gets older specially over 30 years it changes whole dynamics of tree and becomes far more dense and gummy thus more durable even the younger softwoods, yes pine is crap specially forested pine that is used in construction is terrible unless treated pretty much would be fully rotten in a couple years in this situation, hence why they don't want trees to get that old as they cant treat those timbers easily thus same as a hard wood. correct me if im wrong. table will be treated regularly with oil and will possibly be covered in near future, yes a hard wood would be best but in reality in nz sourcing it is just not practical so we have had to weigh up the pros and cons, untreated oldman pine lasts easily 25 plus years in average nz conditions if not touching the ground, so we believe with basic treatment outside like this it should last up to 20 years, but please do give your opinions. I also understand that in different country's trees of same variety due to growing conditions vary greatly in suitability.

 

[KiwiBro]

Yeap. The old pines will last plenty long enough, especially if legs are mac. Quite a bit of difference between sub-30 year old plantation radiata and older growth pines, in NZ, from a durability standpoint. Which is just as good because the thing that makes the old pines reasonably durable is the same thing that stops them taking CCA treatment ;-)

 

[Boon]

You are right up off the ground is best, under cover better but in your case probably not possible. Wonder if there is a way to seal all joints where water can seep in and not evaporate.
Base of the tree is most gummy the ones I have cut the sap leaches out of pockets in the wood. As for treating personally I wont use radiata and can not give advice.
Here it is similar to Aukland in latitude and climate. Have seen those big monster pines you get Rotorua way. Pines here are 30 plus, grow tall but the diameter is not so great like N.Z. perhaps more resin inside.
All the best with the project, pictures of the progress would be great

 

[steve easy]

Yep pics would be great. I have milled a bit of contorta, give it quarter of an hour after taking a board off and it looks like theres a heavy dew on it. Learnt to wear gloves pretty quickly.

 

[TBurt]

I will be taking heaps of photos of the project as it progresses so ill will post those up for ya's to follow, just got to mill it

 

[TBurt]

plans

 

[TBurt]

leg timber (one tree spare and if not needed milled into a few slabs as appreciation of donation)
to be milled soon

 

[KiwiBro]

This big table will move. Are you trying to eliminate that or work with and allow for it? Even the legs will move.

Are the legs in full contact with the ground/concrete or suspended slightly above and bearing on the feet bolts/brackets(if checked in a bit), or slightly curved on the bottom to form three feet with slight arches in between? No point inviting decay if don't have to. You could investigate some proprietary brackets like bowmac brackets for this or come up with home made.

Looks like a really cool project. Can't wait for all the pics and a video or three.

 

[TBurt]

I no it will move, its bit of a hard one other than bolting the crap out of it, I just want to stop it twisting if it does. it doesn't have to be perfect tho more just do the job of seating kids
im planning on holding the table in the air if possible, hence massive bolts will have to have a further 2 plus ton if loaded with kids

 

[TBurt]

slabbing out table legs

 

[Boon]

you've been busy, progress is looking good

 

[TBurt]

abit more work done this wknd, completed 2 of the 4 legs, hopefully get the other 2 next wknd and begin excavation of pad site wknd after! its amazing how much time the legs alone suck up time I think the legs alone will be about 10-12 hrs each time they are installed/finished

 

[Boon]

like the way you have setup the guide in the second picture, if it were me I would have fixed it on either end which would not have been as stable like what you have done

 

[TBurt]

yup the main reason I done it that way was I didn't have much to fix to, but this is how I usually do it but I fix to boards to each side of slab and cut just bellow it its quick to set up and doesn't move/ thus accurate, this time however I didn't have boards long and straight enough so I used my alloy milling rails, they took longer to set up