Anyone ever mill Bastonge?

[Sawyer Rob]

It's done by drilling a hole to center of log with a long boring bit and then adding the powder . a wick some dirt tamped down,then more powder with more dirt tamped ,then more dirt tamped ,then light fuse and get far away.When she blows,the log will be split.

I'm wondering, have YOU ever split one that way??? OR is it something someone told you???

Rob

 

[olyman]

I'm wondering, have YOU ever split one that way??? OR is it something someone told you???

Rob

i posted a link on another site of a old times steam show place doing it, came right apart. i also have a blackpowder wedge. i aint going to use it--cause black powder is soooo expensive----

 

[slabmaster]

i posted a link on another site of a old times steam show place doing it, came right apart. i also have a blackpowder wedge. i aint going to use it--cause black powder is soooo expensive----

You are right,it's very expensive these days.I did it with my granfather in Tenn.As a kid. I don't have trees that big here in Michigan anyway.But it will surely work on real big trunks.I still use gunpowder alot as i shoot a flintlock rifle often.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

i posted a link on another site of a old times steam show place doing it, came right apart. i also have a blackpowder wedge. i aint going to use it--cause black powder is soooo expensive----

I'm not doubting wether it works or not, i'm wondering what sawyer would pack "dirt" in the hole??? I mean would you want to saw a piece of wood with dirt blown through it???

I don't use dirt, and i've never seen dirt used....but i'm not saying someone else wouldn't..

Rob

 

[Andy Harden]

I'm not doubting wether it works or not, i'm wondering what sawyer would pack "dirt" in the hole??? I mean would you want to saw a piece of wood with dirt blown through it???

I don't use dirt, and i've never seen dirt used....but i'm not saying someone else wouldn't..

Rob

What do you use? I have a 4 foot diameter red oak I need to quarter. How much black powder can I use and still have something left to saw?

 

[woodshop]

All this talk about blowing huge logs apart with gunpowder... sounds like tons of fun to watch, a little dangerous to do, and last time I priced a small can of FFFg, very expensive. I guess if you don't have any other way of doing the job, and you don't want to slab sections off the log at angles, it's one way of getting the job done. I have seen the videos though, and I've yet to see a "clean" split where you didn't waste a good 6-8 inches or more of that log right where it busted apart. I don't know... except for the excitement, not sure it's really the way to go if you're trying to get lumber out of a huge log. That said... each to his/her own

 

[BobL]

There are videos of this somewhere, Youtube?

 

[tlbsg]

if you do get it cutting looks like you will need a longer bar

 

[slabmaster]

You could try one of these.Just do one side roll over and do the otherside and your log will be halfed.

 

[wdchuck]

Hmmm....seems like a job for Aggie.

Speaking of which, he's been away for a while now.