38 - Ring Boxes, страница 24
LUMBERYARD Logs to Lumber •Let's face it — lumber isn't cheap. In fact, you don't have to pick up very many boards at the lumberyard before getting just a twinge of "sticker shock." That explains why Ted (one of our project designers) is always on the lookout for a less expensive source of lumber. And usually, he doesn't have far to look. backyard lumber. Recently, he found a source of good quality lumber right in his own backyard. (Actually, it was a few blocks away from his backyard.) An oak tree had blown down at a nearby apartment building. So on his way to work one morning, he decided to check it out. saw logs. The tree looked like it had the potential to produce some good quality saw logs. The trunk measured about 20" in diameter at the base. And it was IThe portable band saw mill is mounted on a trailer, so it's easily pulled up next to the logs. 4 Here again, a cant hook makes quick work of rolling the log onto two hydraulic arms. straight with no major limbs for the first fifteen feet. Finally, he couldn't see any evidence of rot or insect damage. After sizing up the tree and talking to the owner of the building, Ted decided to make a deal. He'd remove the tree from the yard. And in exchange, he'd get all the lumber from the tree. tree removal. Removing the tree started out simply enough. He cut the large limbs into firewood and hauled the branches away. But after cutting the trunk into ten-foot lengths, there was 2 Using a cant hook at each end, the log is pivoted into position to load on the sawmill. 5 The arms cradle the log as they raise it off the ground and roll it onto the bed of the sawmill. one big obstacle — how to transport the heavy logs. After all, he couldn't just wrestle them into his pickup. tree service. A call to a local tree service company solved the problem. They loaded the logs onto a truck, drove the few blocks to Ted's house, and dumped them in his front yard. Okay, but wasn't that expensive? Not as much as you might expect. Altogether, it only cost $65. And that was his only expense so far. Now he just needed a way to saw the logs into lumber. Here again, this wasn't a job that Ted was set up to tackle. But fortunately, there are sawmills in almost every part of the country that wall make quick, work of sawing logs into lumber. And many of these mills are 'portable. So the mill can easily 3 After unhitching the trailer, it only takes a few minutes to level the sawmill using built-in jacks. 6 A hydraulic "claw" (right) /s^^ used to rotate the log. And a foot (left) holds it securely in place. 24 ShopNotes No. 38 |
