Going to give Chainsaw mill a try!

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  • leehljp
    Just me
    • Dec 2002
    • 8429
    • Tunica, MS
    • BT3000/3100

    Going to give Chainsaw mill a try!

    My daughter in southern Missouri has 6 Ash trees in her yard, 4 of which are either completely dead or 80% dead of foliage, thanks to the emerald ash borer. Two trees have enough foliage that warrants treating and saving, which my daughter has done (three weeks ago). I helped her (OK, I did it) cut down one tree that had a huge limb over her roof at that time. That tree never did sprout leaves this past spring and it is dry. 24" around.

    I am going back to Missouri over Labor Day weekend and cut down two more trees and trim a third one. The one tree I cut down showed no sap in it. I decided to give a chainsaw mill a try for the one cut down and for the other two that I have to cut down. All are between 18 and 24" in diameter and have boles (trunks) about 8 ft of clear trunks. I sure wish I had a mobile bandsaw mill, but I don't. I probably will cut it into 4 inch thick slabs 12 inches wide and try re-saw on my bandsaw back here. I probably will not be able to bring more than two 18" trunks at a time or one 24" in my light weight (1500lb capacity) trailer.

    I have a 24" chain saw and will probably be able to cut 18" width at the most.

    Sure could use some nice ash wood. I will report back.

    Any advice?
    Last edited by leehljp; 08-26-2022, 03:26 PM.
    Hank Lee

    Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!
  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20914
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    #2
    Do you have to treat the wood to rid it of insects that can spread to other trees? A lot of times the wood has to be treated or destroyed if the tree is killed by specific pests to keep the cycle from repeating.
    Last edited by LCHIEN; 08-26-2022, 04:19 PM.
    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

    Comment

    • leehljp
      Just me
      • Dec 2002
      • 8429
      • Tunica, MS
      • BT3000/3100

      #3
      Originally posted by LCHIEN
      Do you have to treat the wood to rid it of insects that can spread to other trees? A lot of times the wood has to be treated or destroyed if the tree is killed by specific pests to keep the cycle from repeating.
      The arborist said that the fully dead tree did not have any. They do not bore into the wood, but live underneath the bark only - and only as long as the tree is alive. They are now in 35 north eastern, eastern, midwestern and southern states and several provinces in Canada.

      I don't plan on bringing any live edges back anyway, so all lumber will be milled lumber. Nothing like we find on 2x4s in HD.

      OH, I forgot to mention that I have malathion spray and plan on covering the wood with the spray.
      Last edited by leehljp; 08-27-2022, 06:57 AM.
      Hank Lee

      Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

      Comment

      • Slik Geek
        Senior Member
        • Dec 2006
        • 669
        • Lake County, Illinois
        • Ryobi BT-3000

        #4
        I love ash trees and ash wood. We lost five trees to the borer a couple years ago.

        Comment

        • Bill in Buena Park
          Veteran Member
          • Nov 2007
          • 1865
          • Buena Park, CA
          • CM 21829

          #5
          Hank - don't forget to leave some of this for turning blanks! Sounds like there's so good bowl potential in there.
          Bill in Buena Park

          Comment

          • capncarl
            Veteran Member
            • Jan 2007
            • 3564
            • Leesburg Georgia USA
            • SawStop CTS

            #6
            My oldest has an Alaskan bandsaw mill. I don’t know the difference, and don’t know what size bar his saw has but I think it is larger than 24”.
            He has cut quite a bit of several Sweetgum trees from his yard and successfully made usable planks . If it will handle Sweetgum which is a stringy tough grain wood, ash should be a breeze. I believe he spent quite some time building different frames and guides, it wasn’t just a buy it and use it tool. He tried to get me to buy one but I didn’t want to get into another hobby and don’t want to have to find a place for more tools!

            Comment

            • leehljp
              Just me
              • Dec 2002
              • 8429
              • Tunica, MS
              • BT3000/3100

              #7
              Emerald ash borer larva cut these feeding galleries on the trunk of a dead ash tree in Michigan. corfoto via Getty ImagesThe emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is a deceptively attractive metallic-green adult beetle with a red abdomen. But few people ever actually see the insect itself – just the trail of destruction it leaves behind under the bark of ash trees. These insects, which are native to Asia and Russia, were first discovered in Michigan in 2002. Since then they have spread to 35 s
              Hank Lee

              Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

              Comment


              • atgcpaul
                atgcpaul commented
                Editing a comment
                I discovered that I have something like that going on in my backyard. My deck seems to be a magnet for carpenter bees. I also noticed these giant horseflies (yes, even bigger than horseflies) flying around. I snapped a picture of one, ran it through Google lense, and found out it's a Tiger Bee fly. The females lay their eggs in/near the carpenter bee bore hole and the larva go eat the carpenter bee larva.

                They must be in pretty good balance or there aren't enough Tiger Bee flies because the carpenter bee population around my deck doesn't seem to be dwindling.

              • capncarl
                capncarl commented
                Editing a comment
                I’m Leary of any invasive species. Their intent always seem to backfire, and they cause other problems. I’d hate to find out that these Tiger Bee Fly eventually attack our honey bees and other pollinators. The pollinators in my are just about non existent in my garden and we are seriously worried about them. All of the nearby farmers use aerial crop duster planes quite regularly, I expect that’s the problem, I’d hate to have another problem.
            • anglinastone
              Forum Newbie
              • Sep 2022
              • 7
              • United States

              #8
              yeah, a portable sawmill can be worth the investment. It can provide a source of wood for your own projects and give you a side business. For a source of lumber, as well as a profitable business, a portable sawmill can be a key piece of equipment on your farm.​

              Comment

              • LCHIEN
                Internet Fact Checker
                • Dec 2002
                • 20914
                • Katy, TX, USA.
                • BT3000 vintage 1999

                #9
                If you have carpenter bees, I have made a number of traps that work quite well.

                https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...carpenter-bees

                I have made a simpler version, just takes about a 5- or 6 inch piece of 2x4. I'll post it maybe a new thread tomorrow.

                Last edited by LCHIEN; 09-15-2022, 03:31 AM.
                Loring in Katy, TX USA
                If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                Comment

                • leehljp
                  Just me
                  • Dec 2002
                  • 8429
                  • Tunica, MS
                  • BT3000/3100

                  #10
                  Originally posted by anglinastone
                  yeah, a portable sawmill can be worth the investment. It can provide a source of wood for your own projects and give you a side business. For a source of lumber, as well as a profitable business, a portable sawmill can be a key piece of equipment on your farm.​
                  No Kidding! I can do that? Who would have thought it? And silly me was just buying it for an investment like precious metals - since I no longer live on a farm.
                  Hank Lee

                  Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

                  Comment

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