Milled a little Juniper today.

[redprospector]

My old mill has been sitting idle for a little over a year. Dusted her off today and she sprang back to life (gotta love those VW engines ).
I've given some advice on here about bandsaw mills, but I've never proved I even had one. So here are a few pic's of what we did today.
We are milling 1x4 & 1x6 Juniper to make V-tongue & groove panneling from for our "never ending remodel".

Andy

 

[woodshop]

My old mill has been sitting idle for a little over a year. Dusted her off today and she sprang back to life (gotta love those VW engines ).

VW engine, interesting... is that a home made mill? Used to rebuild them, but sold my last VW engine and tranny few years ago. Still have a few part in boxes stashed somewhere. Curious what kind of power transmission to the bandmill does it have?

 

[Sprig]

Cool rig there redprospector, nice logs too, man I do love the smell of juniper.
When our cat was still around I'd get my milling buddies to save me some of the sawdust and put a handful into an old sock and tuck it under her bed, its supposed to help drive fleas away, never really knew if it worked or not but it sure smelled better than aux-du-kitty-cat apparently good for keeping moths out of the woolens too (like cedar and a few other aromatics), but I haven't tested that.



Serge

 

[MikeInParadise]

Thanks for the mill pictures. VW engine brings back memories!

VW engine, interesting... is that a home made mill? Used to rebuild them, but sold my last VW engine and tranny few years ago. Still have a few part in boxes stashed somewhere. Curious what kind of power transmission to the bandmill does it have?

I too have a history with the old VW engines.

When I was 14 years old I wanted an old beater car to drive in the bush trails. My mom did not want to let me have one but my Dad told her, unknown to me, that he would let me buy an old car but would make sure that the engine was shot and he was sure that I would never be able to get it running so she would not have to worry. I bought a 1960 VW for $50 with sure enough a shot engine (Ran but knocking like crazy).

Within a year the engine had been split apart, crankshaft milled,couple of new rod, bearings, rings, valves done etc. I cut 14 inches out of the Body pan and narrowed parts of and I installed an Irving fiberglass body(Still have a scar on my leg from being stupid enough to have my leg under the body pan while welding it, but hey I was 14!).

Two years later when I got my drivers license and could drive it on the road I had taken out the 1300cc stock engine and replaced it with a hot-rodded 1800cc engine from a VW van.

Ah the good old days! Never under estimate your kids!

 

[redprospector]

VW engine, interesting... is that a home made mill? Used to rebuild them, but sold my last VW engine and tranny few years ago. Still have a few part in boxes stashed somewhere. Curious what kind of power transmission to the bandmill does it have?

Yeah, she's home made. I built it about 10 years ago, I didn't want to let go of the money to buy a mill that would do what I wanted so I built it. It's still not really finished, and if I were to count my time & welder at 15.00 per hour with all the materials I probably could have bought one.:bang: But since I have more time than money (or sence) I guess it's still cheap.
Power transmission is pretty simple. I had a machine shop build a plate with the same bolt pattern as the flywheel (clutch), and had them center & ballance a 1 1/2" shaft about 12" long on it, put on pully's for hyd. pump and blade drive, then a carrier berring on the end. The blade drive has an idler to engage the blade.

Andy

 

[redprospector]

Cool rig there redprospector, nice logs too, man I do love the smell of juniper.
When our cat was still around I'd get my milling buddies to save me some of the sawdust and put a handful into an old sock and tuck it under her bed, its supposed to help drive fleas away, never really knew if it worked or not but it sure smelled better than aux-du-kitty-cat apparently good for keeping moths out of the woolens too (like cedar and a few other aromatics), but I haven't tested that.



Serge

The juniper is about all we have here that's worth anything, I've been selling Pine & Fir logs for $200 a thousand (and glad to get it). Most folks just cut juniper for firewood, but milled I can get between 3 & 4 dollars a bd ft.
It doe's pretty good at keeping most insects at bay, except ant's & cock roaches, and I too love that smell.

Andy

 

[redprospector]

Here are a few more pic's.
First is The Boss helping with flitches.

Here is what we did in a couple hours, 1x4 & 1x6 and a few flitches out of small logs.

Operator's view.

Andy

 

[woodshop]

Nice job building that mill... thanks for showing us those. If I was closer I'd like to come over and take a closer look.

 

[spencerhenry]

that log on the mill sure doesnt look like the juiper we have around here. what do you have there in new mexico. around here we have rocky mountain juniper with its shaggy gray bark. there are several kinds one seed, two seed, rocky mountain, utah, and maybe a couple more. we also have eastern red cedar which has a bark more similiar to what you are cutting.

 

[woodshop]

that log on the mill sure doesnt look like the juiper we have around here. what do you have there in new mexico. around here we have rocky mountain juniper with its shaggy gray bark. there are several kinds one seed, two seed, rocky mountain, utah, and maybe a couple more. we also have eastern red cedar which has a bark more similiar to what you are cutting.

Names differ from region to region. What locals call "gum" here is called tupelo down south. One of the most confusing would be ironwood. There are dozens of species called ironwood here in the US, and worldwide many more. So it all depends where you live. Only way to really ID a tree for certain is use it's scientific name. Osage-apple, mock orange, hedge, hedge-apple, horse-apple, hedge ball, bois d'arc, bodark, bodart... they are all Maclura pomifera... what we call osage orange here in the east.

 

[Adkpk]

that log on the mill sure doesnt look like the juiper we have around here. what do you have there in new mexico. around here we have rocky mountain juniper with its shaggy gray bark. there are several kinds one seed, two seed, rocky mountain, utah, and maybe a couple more. we also have eastern red cedar which has a bark more similiar to what you are cutting.

My thoughts also. Along with, cool VW powered band mill. Can we get some feedback on the botanical name on that log. Does it smell like cedar, (which is really juniper in some cases)? Don't hesitate to post more pics.

 

[redprospector]

I have no idea what the botanical name is, around here it's just called juniper, or alligator bark juniper. It's verry aromatic, we sticker stacked about 300 bd. ft. in the house and the whole house smells like a cedar closet.
I am working on a job that has quite a bit of "juniper" on it, I'll try to get a picture of a tree. Maybe one of you can come up with the botanical name.

Andy

 

[Adkpk]

I have no idea what the botanical name is, around here it's just called juniper, or alligator bark juniper. It's verry aromatic, we sticker stacked about 300 bd. ft. in the house and the whole house smells like a cedar closet.
I am working on a job that has quite a bit of "juniper" on it, I'll try to get a picture of a tree. Maybe one of you can come up with the botanical name.

Andy

That's it. If it smells real aromatic then it's the same juniper we have here. We don't have a variety that has smooth bark like that. Try to post some pics of the v grooving and other amendments to those slabs, sounds interesting.

 

[Sprig]

I have no idea what the botanical name is, around here it's just called juniper, or alligator bark juniper. It's verry aromatic, we sticker stacked about 300 bd. ft. in the house and the whole house smells like a cedar closet.
I am working on a job that has quite a bit of "juniper" on it, I'll try to get a picture of a tree. Maybe one of you can come up with the botanical name.

Andy

Don't stack it in da house! Trust me, esp. if ya gots young'uns or other small small pets, or asthma, allergies, etc. etc., the 'aromatic' woods can be quite toxic (its why bugs won't eat yer wool in a cedar box eh). Just a word of knowledgable caution, seriously. NS.



Serge

Small edit> And fer sure be wearing a mask when cuttin', one of our nicer smelling cedars (yellow) has microscopic barbed fibers and about a year or two till cancer-type action, the cedar imbeds in your lungs, the toxins will eventually kill you, and not nicely, its the natural creosote. Just another aspect of workin' safe guys, really.

 

[redprospector]

Don't stack it in da house! Trust me, esp. if ya gots young'uns or other small small pets, or asthma, allergies, etc. etc., the 'aromatic' woods can be quite toxic (its why bugs won't eat yer wool in a cedar box eh). Just a word of knowledgable caution, seriously. NS.



Serge

Small edit> And fer sure be wearing a mask when cuttin', one of our nicer smelling cedars (yellow) has microscopic barbed fibers and about a year or two till cancer-type action, the cedar imbeds in your lungs, the toxins will eventually kill you, and not nicely, its the natural creosote. Just another aspect of workin' safe guys, really.

We are not living in the house during the remodel, it was pretty extensive. And there's nothing worse than trying to remodel a house that you are living in. I have found it best, if possible, to leave any wood you're using for flooring or panneling in the house it will be installed in for a while before installing.
As for toxisity.......well I never thought about that too much and I've been working in this juniper for years. I'm not afraid of death, but I don't want to do anything to rush it either. I will take your advice and dawn a mask while cutting. I am old enough that I have realized my mortality.

Andy

 

[redprospector]

That's it. If it smells real aromatic then it's the same juniper we have here. We don't have a variety that has smooth bark like that. Try to post some pics of the v grooving and other amendments to those slabs, sounds interesting.

I'll try to get a good pic of the bark. It's anything but smooth, it looks like the scales on an alligator's back.
Pic's won't happen tomorrow, my grandson is in the hospital and that takes priority over going to work.

Andy

 

[Sprig]

Sorry to hear about your grandson redprospector, hope it all turns out okay for everyone.

Thought I'd add this toxicity link here, yes I noticed juniper isn't on the list, but many other woods are and the article is pretty good> http://www.gvwg.ca/docs/Articles/WoodToxicity.htm
According to this set of studies juniper does not appear to be as reactive an irritant as other cedar-type species, but regardless all wood dusts should be avoided as best as possible, link here> http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache...f+woods+info+juniper&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=ca
And a bit more for the terminally curious (that'd be me at this hour), juniper study links and biology> http://juniper.oregonstate.edu/bibliography/index.php?t=li&abc=t]

Gah! time fer bed!

 

[redprospector]

Ok, I finally went back to work today and got a couple of pictures of a Juniper to see if it's similar to what you have, and if anyone can come up with the botanical name.

Andy

 

[vamtjewboy]

cedar toxicity!?

i just cut some cedar. man, i breathed it a lot..big deep breaths...ahhhh, what a wonderful smell! crap, u have me worried. is yellow cedar the only one that is really dangerous? mine had pink/red inside with yellowish sap wood. i'm going to go to the wood toxicity link and check it out..but more info would be appriciated SPRIG. i was planning on making closet shelves and walls with this cedar lumber. thanks -nick in va

 

[Adkpk]

Ok, I finally went back to work today and got a couple of pictures of a Juniper to see if it's similar to what you have, and if anyone can come up with the botanical name.

Looks like cryptomeria japonica. If the needles don't stick you when you touch it then it's usually not juniper. If its crypromeria then it's cedar. True cedar. Juniper is also cedar as a log but not as a tree. Nice looking tree why is tagged for removal?