Milling Australian Ironbark with a bandsaw mill

[@sloth_e]

I could watch this type of vid all day. If i didnt have to work 😂 Luv ya work 👍

[@jrifire]

Thanks for watching!

[@tealkerberus748]

"been having a bit of trouble with the mill lately" while loading it with ironbark... lol. Did the people who made that mill know what ironbark is? Usually when you tell non-Australians about timber that will throw sparks when you hit it with a chainsaw, they look at you like they think you're pulling their leg.

[@jrifire]

I think the problems I was having was due to sap build up mainly. I bought tungsten bands and it made good progress with blade life but the sap and stress in the logs was a big problem for me as a novice.

[@livingadamman7994]

Don't tell them about Cooktown Ironwood then, it's so dense it sinks. Much harder than anything on the east coast. I've milled a fair bit of timber, the hardest being Iron Bark, Red Gum, Red Mahogany, Tallow, Spotty and others, very hard and the stringy and iron barks too can cause a lot of abrasion and jamming of chain. Trying to not breath the dust sawing and milling is a challenge, must be avoided as has silica.

[@tealkerberus748]

@@livingadamman7994 Noted. How well does it process for furniture or flooring?

[@livingadamman7994]

@@tealkerberus748 VG but the Cooktown Ironwood is scarce and mainly in Nth Qld and NT which are out of the main timber industry areas of the eastern sea board where most mills are, so not sure how much is produced. The main commercial processed flooring in Australia is produced from Tassie to Se Qld, species like Spotted Gum, Red Gum, Blue Gum and of course the famous Iron Bark. The best of all the flooring goes straight to export it's in such high demand abroad. Furnature: it's beautiful timber but super heavy. Look up images: Red Gum furniture or Spotted Gum Furniture, especially pretty with fiddle back grain.

[@yngbbb]

Lessgo my man

[@t0masibrudoctor534]

Im interested to know what you think about working it after its been seasoned. I have an architect wanting a post and beam arrangement and im looking to mortice and tenon my upright post and house my beams in a ring beam with dovetails... I worry i wont be able to drive anything through it screw wise and would probably have to bolt everything.

[@jrifire]

Well, funnily enough I am a terrible wood worker! So I can't give any insight into the workability, but I know Ironbark goes bloody hard! The fences I did I used cup head bolts drilled right through.

[@livingadamman7994]

You find those tractor loader forks are easy to dig with don't you, especially when you cantt see their angle, as the tips are so far forward that any rotation is magnified. To avoid this try do it by feel keep the forks where you know they are up about 6" or so off the ground till you feel they hit the log then dip the forks angle slightly till you see the log roll on then you know you are about level, if need drop loader too. It's frustrating not being able to see but I found this works for me, of course still get dirt sometimes. I hate getting dirt on freshly sawn boards.

[@jrifire]

Thanks for the tips! When I posted this video I'd only had the loader for maybe 6 months - I've definitely picked up some tricks since then thankfully.

[@lovesloudcars]

Only subscribed yesterday, so definitely haven't watched all your videos yet. (Heaven help you if you try and watch all mine, it would likely take a couple days!! ). Cool stuff. You sold that mill already? I'm guessing you're cutting heavy slabs because you'll use them for firewood? Liked the view of the drive out. One favorite souvenir of Australia is a wooden spoon I carved from what I believe is gum. Is that also a species of eucalyptus? I've got 4 Nissan patrols here. Wish the vehicle options were the same everywhere.

[@jrifire]

I used all of the "roundback" slabs for firewood, and I cut the majority of slabs 50mm thick or thicker to be able to use as common fence rails or similar when I would really the slab later. Sold the mill as it was only an entry level machine and cost me alot of time with everything from simple checks through to the handling of all the wood. Great machine to start with, too hard to grow with. I'll buy a hydraulic mill down the line.

[@MOREENGINEERING]

NICE! :-)

[@jrifire]

Thanks! Going to try do more videos

[@Super--Star]

Sawdust falls it doesn’t float, that’s a blunt blade

[@jrifire]

Hey thanks it probably was. I always had the sawdust do the same thing even with new blades in the Ironbark wood.

[@H-D1]

Bloody oath, good one

[@gordonbarker5844]

Good vid, but don't be a hero, Where is your mask?

[@jrifire]

Thanks Gordon. Do you mean a dust mask?