Following on from the loss and theft of our biggest beech tree in January 2007 we decided to saw up the 12 foot beech butt using a Logosol big tree chainmill conversion kit specially purchased for the job.
The butt log was cut well away from the root plate due to concerns about how the root plate would behave once the trunk was severed plus also the Logosol chainmill rail could only handle log lengths up to 8 feet long. Once cut through the root plate and remaining piece of butt log as predicted fell back into the woodland re filling the hole created by the root plate.
The Logosol brackets were then attached to the butt log with fixing screws drilled directly into the log.
Once the brackets were in place the chainsaw rail was fixed along with a Stihl 066 chansaw fitted with a 48" ripping bar and chain.
The chainsaw was started and the first slabbing cut made.
The first slab cut produced a beautifully flat -
- and unblemished surface.
The setup was now swung into the vertical mode -
- and the chainmill set to make a full length kerf.
The brackets were then reattached lower down to enable the first 6" thick slabbing cut to be made.
Because of the weight of the slab being cut a wooden wedge was driven into the start of the cut to stop the kerf closing up as ripping proceeded.
As suspected the first and second slab cuts revealed beautifull unblemished timber of furniture grade quality.
When attempting to cut the second slab it was noticed that the chainsaw bar had started to take a nose dive into the third slab and so the saw was backed out and the slab severed from the other end which corrected the second slab but unfortunately damaged the third slab.
Once the top four slabs had been removed this revealed the heart of the tree and forensic examination.
This revealed that the tree had experienced formative saw cut pruning in the late 1880's.
The sixth slab was then cut and removed -
- and stacked in the Ifor Williams trailer along with the remaining bottom "quarter" cuts which could not be slabbed using this type of chainsaw mill attachment.
I don't think that this method of sawing results in the best possible or most efficient outcome but it did managed to deal with and break down a problem fallen log that could subsequently be man handled onto a trailer (just by two men !) and hence avoided the need to hire a crane or log forwarder / transport which would have cost many times more than the £300 spent on the Logosol big tree chainmill kit.
Regards
Ken Hume Oxfordshire Woodland Group
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Author
Logosol Big Tree chainsaw milling.
