Haven't been in the Milling section in a while, been too busy to mill...

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I'm still working on my new shop. I spent last weekend on old shed electrics and installing a single to 3 phase converter box of tricks (VSD) in the new part of my so I can run my 3 phase Southbend metalwork lathe from a single phase - that's now done and it all works good.

The other thing I have been working on is some bench tops to top off a pair of cupboards I picked up from an old lab at work that was being renovated. The cupboards are made of an Aussie Eucalypt that goes by the name of Mountain Ash (but it's not really an Ash at all).

The bench tops are Western Australian Red Gum. I planted this tree 33 years ago in our pocket handkerchief back yard and 13 years ago it had to come down due to a home renovation. Anyway now part of is now in my shop as bench tops, literally 5 yards away from where it used to stand.

Although they are quite different woods the Red Gum and the Mountain Ash seem to blend together OK. I will also place another redgum slab top on top of the cupboard to the right of the sink so they will be like a matching pair.
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I've left the natural edges on and removed the bark using a wire brush on an angle grinder. The ends have been left rough sawn with the original chain saw marks on them. The many cracks are filled with epoxy, less for looks and more to prevent losing small things down the cracks. The plinth at the back covers a half bench length 1.5" wide gap resulting from the natural curve of the trunk at that point.
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This stuff is notorious for moving and checking for years after it has dried but I think 13 years under the house should cover it :msp_smile:

I started to work on getting a super smooth finish on this top but after half an hour of sanding I decided to stop as it is after all just a bench top for the shed. This top will be the place to locate a note book and writing implements as well as portable power tool battery chargers. The other bench will be my CS repair bench. Shame really but I have another dozen or so of these short slabs under my house and will just be using the worst cracked ones for the bench tops.
 
Nice bench, no doubt! Well done BobL!

Jim,

No excuse for being too busy to mill, take some time and smell the sawdust!
 
Bob -
Beautiful table, now get some dings and parts on it!
That's the way I like to work. Plant a tree, raise it for 30 years, mill it and make a table. Unfortunately I don't plan on seeing many more thru the entire cycle :) But I've got several acres up in Vermont I planted back in 1978 that are just getting ready :)

It's that first thirty years that's so time consuming!
 
Nice bench, no doubt! Well done BobL!

Jim,

No excuse for being too busy to mill, take some time and smell the sawdust!

Thought it was slowing down some, but I was wrong. Was able to cut some cants a few weeks ago, they still sit by the wood pile waiting to be cut into boards for siding on the wood shed. I am working on a new mill though here and there. This one is going to be a carriage mill using my 045 and a set of rails on a good base. I'll put up a few pics when it is a little further along. Have a few things to work out in my design.
 
Thought it was slowing down some, but I was wrong. Was able to cut some cants a few weeks ago, they still sit by the wood pile waiting to be cut into boards for siding on the wood shed.
Seems that less twisting takes place the larger the cant is. I'm kinda new to being a sawyer, but had a 6x6 cant of ponderosa pine that twisted like a ski, so I flipped it over on the other side and after some time low and behold it's flat again. I have yet to see that problem with a 12x16 cant, for instance.:msp_rolleyes:

They stack better when they are cut into cants.
 
Seems that less twisting takes place the larger the cant is. I'm kinda new to being a sawyer, but had a 6x6 cant of ponderosa pine that twisted like a ski, so I flipped it over on the other side and after some time low and behold it's flat again. I have yet to see that problem with a 12x16 cant, for instance.:msp_rolleyes:

They stack better when they are cut into cants.

I have one at 12"x12" and another at 8"x8", there are four more good sized logs from the same trees sitting out by those cants. I am saving them for the new saw mill, the carriage mill.
 
I have one at 12"x12" and another at 8"x8", there are four more good sized logs from the same trees sitting out by those cants. I am saving them for the new saw mill, the carriage mill.
Those will come in handy for 'ya! 12x12 is a nice size cant, which can go 1" slabs nicely...
 
Those will come in handy for 'ya! 12x12 is a nice size cant, which can go 1" slabs nicely...

That one is going for siding on the woodshed. I have a chicken coupe to build and a kennel for my kids :msp_wink:. That's where the rest of those spruce logs will go, I'll stretch them as far as they will go.
 
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