Planking with mobile sawmill

[alexw]

Hello all,

I have just joined the group as I manage the woodlands on the estate where I work, as one of my many roles. One of the woods has distinct areas ranging from stands of dense ash, to mixed sweet chestnut, beech, with sycamore self seeded trees, to derelict 100 yr old coppice stools, to pure sycamore stands, all in one wood.

I intend to cut some of the chestnut coppice in the next month as soon as the felling license comes through, and have booked a sawmill in for the day to mill some chestnut stakes for our farm.

I have read little bits here and there about sycamore being good for furniture making, and wondered if there is much of a market for it? I have also got some yew and cedar small trunks which i was going to plank if there is time.

The sweet chestnut trunks range from 25cm to 75cm, which I intend to cut into 3.6m lengths and get milled into 4"x3" posts. Does anyone know quick straight trunks like this could be milled?

Thank you in advance for any guidance

Alex

[woodbodger]

Sycamore is a lovely wood to work and I used to like making furniture with it, try and scout around your local area for a furniture maker craftsman that would be interested then you can cut the timber to the size required. Sycamore gets mould stains very easily so should be stacked upright, best to cut it and deliver it to the end user and let them keep it. Yew is just fabulous for Windsor chairs but all the retired old farts in their garages turning wood for a hobby love it: go to a craft fair you will find them all there. I would be inclined not to plank the yew but cut it up into manageable lengths and then sell it in the round.

[alexw]

Thank you for your advice. I rang a local furniture maker who is interested in some yew and cedar but will get it milled and dried himself if he buys it. Most people have told me that getting sycamore to dry properly without discolouration is difficult, but I would like to give it a try.

[woodbodger]

If you really want to try with the sycamore its easy; Make a light weight cabinet for the sycamore to go into "in sticker" with 1" spaces in-between the planks every 24", put a small dehumidifier in and shut the door the wood is dry when no more water comes out of the dehumidifier.; works even better if at the other end from the dehumidifier you put a fan heater on low heat, this helps circulate the air and the higher temp helps the wood to dry out. IT WORKS>

[alexw]

Very interesting. We could maybe dehumidify a small room, and stand the boards upright. Starting felling a few sweet chestnut tommorrow, using my 5 cubic metres outside of license. nice to get started!