Quarter sawing for low tech workshops

[Localele]

Been busy doing a bit of log scrounging after driving past these particular examples a few times and realising if I didn't salvage them they would end up going to waste.Just lucky a passer by gave me a lift with the second and third ones.No need for guessing games it is Coastal Banksia and is usually very stable and dries well once quartered.In a order to get well quartered wood you can't beat a froe and maul and sometimes a wedge and sledge. Lots of pictures will tell the rest of the story.

Coastal Banksia logs

End marked with froe prior to splitting, this sets up where the log will split(usually) Got to love a log with the heart so far off centre,just made for luthiers and wood butchers like me.

Split with wedge

Nice result so far

Trimming up with froe

Nicely quartered ready for bandsaw

Closeup of what could have been firewood if it wasn't salvaged.This is the only face that has been jointed flat the rest are as they split.

Another billet for backs and soundboards

[Kim]

Great work, thanks for posting Michael

Cheers

Kim

[ozziebluesman]

Brilliant Micheal. Just goes to prove you just need the experience to know what you are looking for. That is some beautifully figured wood.

Cheers

Alan

[John Steele]

Really nice. Good looking stuff there. I don't know anything about that type of wood, but if it keeps any of that color... WOW!
One question, do you re-saw before it seasons a bit?
J

[Localele]

Due to a lack of time at the moment it will be air drying in the woodshed for a while first. It should dry without too much checking and be easy enough to resaw later.I did put some wet boards into the kiln to check what will happen to force dried wood.A week in there should give me an idea.Sawing dry means more recovery as I can saw it closer to its finished size.

[John Maddison]

Micheal - should we all be PMing you with orders before Martin jumps in?

[Paul B]

Looks good. I've often wondered whether coastal banksia would make a good top, I suspect it might even make a great one. There was tons of it around where I grew up, but it was all closer to the colour of spruce. I like your stuff better.

It was named after Joseph Banks the botanist on Cook's HMS Endeavor. And discovered by him less than a mile from the house I grew up in, of course that was about 200 years before our house was built. It was that local connection that got me thinking about it, having seen a lot of it when I was a kid.

[Tigermyrtle]

Great work Michael, Its good to see timber salvaged instead of going to waste, and to top it off its beautiful timber.
Cheers Bob

[kiwigeo]

Youve got a bit of time......Ive forgotten what Ive ordered during my last three weeks at work. Once Ive sorted out what Ive bought and paid for it Ive got to then buy a push bike so I can get training for the public leg of the Tour Down Under and also pay for a trip to NZ to see the old man.

Micheal - should we all be PMing you with orders before Martin jumps in?