# How I decided to handle odd and short pieces on the mill.



## Schroedc

Getting ready to start processing all the stuff from @Don Ratcliff and I wanted a better way to hold the short and odd sized pieces on the mill so I came up with a deck to put on my mill made of old 2x6's. It gives me a surface I can screw stuff down on and I can use chunks of 2x4 or 2x6 as cleats and braces and I can even drill holes in the log itself and anchor it with screws.

Reactions: Like 4 | EyeCandy! 11 | Way Cool 9


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## Don Ratcliff

That is sexy! I did not realize how hard this was going to be to watch and know it is all gone.

Reactions: Sincere 3


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## Don Ratcliff

@ripjack13

Reactions: Like 1


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## Sprung

*Makes mental note that he would probably consider a part cash/part beautiful Hawaiian wood in trade for stabilizing chambers, no matter what my wife says about that idea...*

Reactions: Funny 4 | Sincere 1


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## Tom Smart

Oh my!


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## Schroedc

Don Ratcliff said:


> That is sexy! I did not realize how hard this was going to be to watch and know it is all gone.



Red Eucalyptus I assume? I can always mill you some sections and ship out to you if you need/want something.


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## Don Ratcliff

Schroedc said:


> Red Eucalyptus I assume? I can always mill you some sections and ship out to you if you need/want something.


It is red eucalyptus, there was a burl on the end of that but it was mostly cracked inside. I was very worried it would be the same all the way through but that is nice. We might have to chat on some of what gets cut up.


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## Don Ratcliff

@Maya Ratcliff

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Schroedc

Don Ratcliff said:


> It is red eucalyptus, there was a burl on the end of that but it was mostly cracked inside. I was very worried it would be the same all the way through but that is nice. We might have to chat on some of what gets cut up.



Yeah, the center of the log has a ton of ring shake. I'm going to get mostly turning stock and a few narrower boards.


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## Don Ratcliff

2x5x26 for a blade and 2x2.5x38 for a handle. If you can pull that out of the broken middle that would make a paddle... Wink Wink

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh

That is absolutely beautiful! Wish I could find some of that in the mountains of Virginia!


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## ripjack13

Holy bat poopies!!!

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Tony

That Red Eucalyptus is gorgeous!! Tony

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Don Ratcliff

Tony said:


> That Red Eucalyptus is gorgeous!! Tony


@Schroedc please do not let any of that wood end up in the shape of a southern state and called a cutting board...

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 8


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## ripjack13

Look at all those hairsticks!!!!

@Tclem

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Tony

Don Ratcliff said:


> @Schroedc please do not let any of that wood end up in the shape of a southern state and called a cutting board...



Jack handle!!!!

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Don Ratcliff

ripjack13 said:


> Look at all those hairsticks!!!!
> 
> @Tclem


Jack handle...

Reactions: Useful 1


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## ripjack13

RIPJACK HANDLE.....

Reactions: Funny 1 | Way Cool 1


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## ripjack13

Are you making all flat stock? Or will there be some bowl blanks too?

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Schroedc

ripjack13 said:


> Are you making all flat stock? Or will there be some bowl blanks too?



It'll depend on how the logs go. If the log will support them, I'll mill them.

Reactions: Way Cool 1


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## Lou Currier

That one board is cracked...by rule  you have to send it to me for disposal.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Schroedc

Lou Currier said:


> That one board is cracked...by rule  you have to send it to me for disposal.



There is a 149.00 packaging fee to make sure it's properly packaged for disposal. Send that to me and I'll get it on the way.

Reactions: Great Post 1 | Funny 6


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## Lou Currier

Schroedc said:


> There is a 149.00 packaging fee to make sure it's properly packaged for disposal. Send that to me and I'll get it on the way.



I don't see that in the rules . We will need @ripjack13 to make a ruling on the rules to see if there is a rule for packaging for inspection. If he finds that there is no rule then we will have to assess a $149,000 late fee.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Don Ratcliff

Its in the hawaiian translation @Lou Currier

Reactions: Like 1


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## rocky1

Don Ratcliff said:


> That is sexy! I did not realize how hard this was going to be to watch and know it is all gone.



It's not all gone, it's all in Colin's backyard!!


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## Don Ratcliff

rocky1 said:


> It's not all gone, it's all in Colin's backyard!!


Thats what i said, gone...


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## vegas urban lumber

that's the same style eucalyptus as the main type we have in landscaping here in vegas. that tree has a long willow shaped leaf, smooth bark on the upper limbs and and small grained rough bark they call "box bark" on the lower trunk. the bottom 6 to 8 ft of the trunks consistently have the beewswing mottle or block mottle pattern in the wood. the limbs often have a wavy growth to them that is visible on the outside of the log, similar to what is visible on the exterior of the log above seen before milling. but the internal pattern is most prevalent in the trunk area that grain is best viewed when quater sawn. i would caution against using water to show grain after cutting as my experience lead to several destroyed boards that were quite dry when cut. wetted to look at grain, swelled and then warped, shrank and cracked, apparently in response to my wetting. same boards where i just swept them off and put them in the rack did much better. silver dollar eucalyptus, stringy bark eucalyptus and iron bark eucalyptus very rarely have any character of this type

Reactions: EyeCandy! 9


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## Schroedc

vegas urban lumber said:


> that's the same style eucalyptus as the main type we have in landscaping here in vegas. that tree has a long willow shaped leaf, smooth bark on the upper limbs and and small grained rough bark they call "box bark" on the lower trunk. the bottom 6 to 8 ft of the trunks consistently have the beewswing mottle or block mottle pattern in the wood. the limbs often have a wavy growth to them that is visible on the outside of the log, similar to what is visible on the exterior of the log above seen before milling. but the internal pattern is most prevalent in the trunk area that grain is best viewed when quater sawn. i would caution against using water to show grain after cutting as my experience lead to several destroyed boards that were quite dry when cut. wetted to look at grain, swelled and then warped, shrank and cracked, apparently in response to my wetting. same boards where i just swept them off and put them in the rack did much better. silver dollar eucalyptus, stringy bark eucalyptus and iron bark eucalyptus very rarely have any character of this type
> 
> View attachment 132619
> 
> View attachment 132620



These logs are so hard water has to be used when cutting or you'll smoke the blade.


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## Don Ratcliff

Try some of the koa, it wont smoke the blade.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Tony

Don Ratcliff said:


> Try some of the koa, it wont smoke the blade.



Wow, you're up early for an Islander!


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## barry richardson

That's some really nice wood! Around here, eucalyptus wrecks very quickly when left in the log form for any amount of time. The wood dump I go to has massive eucalyptus logs everywhere, but it's all junk..... :(


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## Don Ratcliff

Tony said:


> Wow, you're up early for an Islander!


I have a real job, not one of those drive around after I have had my coffee in the morning kind of jobs...

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Schroedc

Don Ratcliff said:


> Try some of the koa, it wont smoke the blade.



That's next. I'm at a show the next 4 days but if the weather is nice on Monday I'll open up the first log of Koa.

Reactions: Like 2


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## ripjack13

Don Ratcliff said:


> I have a real job, not one of those drive around after I have had my coffee in the morning kind of jobs...



Depends on ones definition of "real"....

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 1


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## Schroedc

Professional Mai-Tai sampler is a real job I think......

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## vegas urban lumber

barry richardson said:


> That's some really nice wood! Around here, eucalyptus wrecks very quickly when left in the log form for any amount of time. The wood dump I go to has massive eucalyptus logs everywhere, but it's all junk..... :(


you can validate the potential for the beeswing by identifying the wavy grain pattern in the sapwood after the bark has been removed. the bark on that variety is about 1/2 inch thick and only mildly course, falls off freely after a bit of drying time. it is not really recognizable in the end grain only primarily in the quarter sawn aspect of the heart wood

Reactions: Agree 1


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## sprucegum

Schroedc said:


> Getting ready to start processing all the stuff from @Don Ratcliff and I wanted a better way to hold the short and odd sized pieces on the mill so I came up with a deck to put on my mill made of old 2x6's. It gives me a surface I can screw stuff down on and I can use chunks of 2x4 or 2x6 as cleats and braces and I can even drill holes in the log itself and anchor it with screws.
> 
> View attachment 132581 View attachment 132582 View attachment 132583 View attachment 132584 View attachment 132585


why go to all that work for such ugly wood?

Reactions: Funny 1 | +Karma 1


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## ripjack13

Whatever happened with this Colin? Is there any bowl blanks? Or maybe some blocks to make a couple mallet heads....


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## Schroedc

ripjack13 said:


> Whatever happened with this Colin? Is there any bowl blanks? Or maybe some blocks to make a couple mallet heads....



Snow finally gone, last couple commissions I had in the shop are going out in the next week or so and then I'll be able to mill. Thinking I might invest in a carbide blade for the eucalyptus as having to use water to keep from smoking the blades did cause a little checking here and there.

Reactions: Like 2


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## ripjack13

Ok, cool. I'm up for a bowl blank, and a couple mallet blanks when you do....


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## ripjack13

@Ken Martin check this out.....drool worthy stuff.


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## bamabr549

A big THANKS to you Schroedc! I had some short pieces of cherry that needed milling and wanted to build a "simple" jig but it just would click with me. That is until I read your post here yesterday. I went back to the mill as soon as I read this and cut the short pieces. Thanks again!

Reactions: Like 3 | Way Cool 3


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## Schroedc

bamabr549 said:


> A big THANKS to you Schroedc! I had some short pieces of cherry that needed milling and wanted to build a "simple" jig but it just would click with me. That is until I read your post here yesterday. I went back to the mill as soon as I read this and cut the short pieces. Thanks again!
> 
> View attachment 146602



Glad it helped!


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