driftwood slabs?

[jkupcha]

Hey just wondering if anybody has milled any large driftwood logs? I live near the mouth of a river right before it flows to the ocean and along the shore there are very large old logs bleached white from the sun that have been laying at the high tide mark. Wondering if anybody has ever slabbed one and whether the salt in the wood might damage a chainsaw. Thanks.

 

[BIG JAKE]

I don't think so. There was a thread posted here last year about a guy on an island where they got no timber. The guy was milling logs that drifted in I think he was up toward alaska. Anyway he had some nice benches etc he made from milling the drift logs. Also a guy on east coast posted he did same thing. Long as they're dry I suppose you'll be ok and you could clean the saw when done if you're worried. Happy milling and post lots of pics!

 

[DRB]

Beach milling like this?

Salt water does not seem to hard on the saw. Bar oil seems to keep thing from rusting to much. Although the chain & bar will get a little surface rust. Nothing that won't wear off when not milling at the beach.

Sand will be your biggest problem. It's not uncommon to sharpen after every cut down the log. Sand seems worst on the ends and outside slab cuts. Cutting the ends off clean help with sand on the ends

Be sure to post some pics

 

[aggiewoodbutchr]

Nice!!

 

[BobL]

Great looking boards there DRB. I like The idea of milling by the beach. Provided it's not too hot or windy

 

[Brmorgan]

Yep the sand is going to most likely be a bigger issue than the salt, unless maybe you're lucky and it's a really rocky beach. I guess if the log's easy access, you could take a gas-powered pressure washer and take water from the ocean to blast the log first.

I've milled some logs on the shore of a big lake near here, but never salt water. I milled a beachside Douglas Fir log on Quesnel Lake a couple years ago and built this picnic table on the mineral claim my dad has out there:

It had only been on the beach for a couple years and still had the bark, which I managed to mostly pry off, so the sand wasn't such a big issue for that one. Got my eye on a couple old Cedar logs though with some deeeeeep cracks that will likely be chock-full of sand.

 

[DRB]

Great looking boards there DRB. I like The idea of milling by the beach. Provided it's not too hot or windy

It's never to hot on the sunshine coast. Cool breeze off the water keeps it cool in the summer 25c is hot. The ocean also keeps it warmer in the winter. I think these pics were taken in December.