Yes, your own logs can be milled by one of the growing number of urban sawmillers provided:

• All logs are dirt free
• Logs are de-barked if possible
• There are no nails or other metal objects in the log

Due to the large number of variables involved in milling odd trees from suburban parks and gardens, the miller will need to give you an individual quote for each tree. These variables may include log length and width, hardness of the timber, the number of cuts required. Other problems encountered:

• Sometimes dirt can be trapped in the trunk as the tree grows, which causes rapid blunting of the saw blade
• Larger logs may require breaking down into manageable sizes. On the other hand, small logs become unmanageable after a certain point
• Nails, bolts, fencing wire, cubby house remnants and similar foreign objects pose dangers to the miller and his equipment. These can render the log un-millable
• The bark, and the dirt and rubbish within it, can cause quicker dulling of saw blades
• Some timbers can be slabbed bark to bark. Some can only be quarter sawn. The miller will advise you regarding the best approach to a particular log and timber species
• Knots, log stress, straightness or otherwise will also determine the cut-timber yield. As you would expect a knotty, kinked log will not provide the same amount or quality of milled timber as a straight clear log.

You do have the oppurtunity to fully utilise that tree which has outlived its healthy life and poses a danger to your home or family. Milled timber can provide a quality product for use in your home. Examples of uses to which such timber can be put include Furniture, Woodturning, Benchtops, and slab wall construction.

Not all trees can be converted into quality woodworking timbers, but over the past three years Bowerbird Tree Salvage has amassed a selection of over 40 species. These include Australian natives such as Silver Wattle, Mountain Ash and Blackwood as well as exotic timbers such as Chinese Tulip, Himalayan Cedar and Spanish Chestnut, all salvaged from urban parks, yards and gardens. Where a tree must be removed, or it has come down during a storm or high wind, Tim Kennedy will determine whether there is useable timber that can be salvaged, and can offer specific advice on cutting and drying if the property owners wish to retain the timber for their own use. The return from the salvage depends not only on the species and the quality and amount of useable timber in the tree, but also on factors such as site access and transport. The tree can be cut on site, or transported to Bowerbird's premises at Wesburn for cutting on a commercial Australian Ecosaw Mill. For Bowerbird no job is too small or too large. Turning potential firewood into sawn timber isn't the end of the story. Bowerbird air dries the timber and now has a wide selection of timbers available for commercial and hobby use, in boards, slabs and root balls. Tim is developing associations with other value-adding services, such as 'one-off' furniture makers and woodturners, to offer a complete service from fallen tree to finished heirloom or other end-use, and to re-kindle interest in woodworking as a viable commercial venture in the local area.

Sales by appointment only. Contact Details: Phone: Mob 0412 299 760. International: +61 412 299 760
Email: info@garnerwood.com.au Website: http://www.garnerwood.com.au