California Bay (Laurel)

[Dougbert]

Finally got time and dry weather to mill some of the laurel I got from a "neighbor" 12 miles away back in February. It was slightly too big for my 28" bar so I got to use my 36 for the first time.

Also got my homemade aux oiler setup and used it. Worked fine and helped keep the chain and bar a lot cooler.

 

[Dougbert]

Saw ran well. Cuts seemed faster and smoother in the middle quarter-sawn cuts than the first and last. Strange. Chain needed sharpening after 7 cuts. Looks like I muffed the setup on the 1" slab and wedged it.

 

[Moparmyway]

It was slightly too big for my 28" bar so I got to use my 36 for the first time

Also got my homemade aux oiler setup and used it. Worked fine and helped keep the chain and bar a lot cooler.

That big saw (288 ?) couldn’t oil the 36” enough ?

 

[mdavlee]

That big saw (288 ?) couldn’t oil the 36” enough ?

I would say not real good. I never liked the 181-288 for milling since they did need more oil at that bar length.

 

[Dougbert]

Last year when I first got it and milled a bunch of green madrone, it definitely was too dry. Part of that was oiler adjustment. Got it set to max and it still got very hot. Sap was baking on to the sides of the chain with fine dust embedded in it. The little extra oil definitely helps.

 

[Dougbert]

Another thing I noticed was with the 28" bar and no aux oiler I was getting a lot of chain stretch. Every few cuts I'd have to tighten it up. Well, this was a new bar and chain (same Woodland Pro ripping chain but now 36") and it stretched a good bit in the first cut, but after that it stayed where it was. Definite difference.

 

[Dougbert]

Finished up the other two logs on Sunday. Got nine more slabs. Interesting wood. The slabs I cut a week ago have already oxidized. The sapwood went from pale yellow when freshly cut to a nice chestnut brown. The heartwood stayed the same or possibly lightened up.

Slabs from last week in my messy garage.


Pics from Sunday. Perfect weather for outdoor work. Low sixties and no mosquitos yet.

 

[Dougbert]

 

[Dougbert]

Pretty grain on the quartered center slabs

 

[Wolverine]

It'd be cool so see it sanded and finished. Lookin' real nice!

 

[Dougbert]

After a few more days drying, I might sand a piece of the wane offcut and try a little tung oil or watco and see how it looks. Need to make room to stack and sticker the stuff. Planning to try ratchet straps around the ordered stacks to keep things from moving. Some of my madrone went crazy even with a couple hundred pounds of weight on top.

 

[Dougbert]

Stacked, stickered, and strapped. Learning (?) from my mistakes on the madrone which moved a lot with just weight on top of the stacks.