Back from New-Brunswick

Remember those few logs I kept, last time we cut a few trees around my property?
Well, we just came back from an old Airforce buddy and resawn these and a few pieces of firewood with his new toys :-)

I know, sound like a crazy thing to do, 4 hours drive to go, then 4 to come back, but it's a good excuse as any to go check on an old friend. We are a small military and we tend to feel like family.
So we tend to look after each other.

The last time I had my friend Doug over, we loaded the two big logs I saved, into our truck.

Doug and I loaded the two big logs then I added a few more pieces from

 my firewood pile to play with and.. 

… to prevent the logs from moving around in the truck bed.

They have been there for over a few weeks now, but we just got an opening in our retiree`s schedule for an overnighter at his place :-)

Rudy is ready to go, he dragged my coat to the floor, sat on it 

besides my loafers and his froggie

He knows, I cant leave without him :-)

Monday Jean went with her sister to Cape Breton, Tuesday me and Rudy joined her back in Truro then next day we went to Ray in New Brunswick with the truck, left my car in Truro at her sister.

Jean's driving, have the truck in haul/tow mode,

prevents the transmission to hunt going up/down hills

Entering the pay station on Hwy 104.

Save distance on the map, but it goes thru an area subject to lots of snow or fog...

Brilliant !! Yes there are a few times were cars and trucks got stuck in the winter

Rudy snoozing in the back. He has his bed in the back 

but he prefer sleeping on my coat :-)

Crossing the isthmus of Chignecto between NS and NB.

The area separate the Bay of Fundy from the Atlantic Ocean

Well, technically, the Northumberland strait.

Quite windy area hence the wind turbines farm

Arrived at Ray's place

The mill in question.

A recent purchase, has never been used yet...

He set it up for this trip.

So we went over everything, checklist style (old Airforce guys) then started the engine

and we let it warm up for a while.

We used the tractor to move the logs. 

They may be small, but we are both old :-)

Then it was just a matter of expertly dropping it on the saw mill rail

Turned the log a few times until we found how to best slice it, while being supported 

A bunch of other new tools we did not get to used much.

It's a small log...

Kinda hard to judge were the blade is going to hit.

Yeah, look about right to me, go ahead!

Hint: There is a cut gauge (white vertical stick) and if you bring the saw to the log...

You see exactly were it is gonna cut :-)

Heh, we were both beginners, my story, sticking to it

That was the first maple log, look promising

We cut about 1 and a half to two inches thick slabs

Once we had a good flat surface, we flipped the log flat side down and proceed

After some time, we had this pile of lumber.

Both logs are Silver Maple

Now to bring it back to the truck...

I would had dropped the rear mower if I was driving, but...

...he just laugh at me :-)

Easier than towing planes inside a hangar he said :-)

Starting to re-pile my lumber

Then we resawn some of my fire wood pile survivors.

This was also the first time he used this saw since rebuilding a pile of rust 

into this beautiful Poitras bandsaw.  Its a monster!!

Some Birch, some Maple, some Poplar

Truck loaded, ready for next day

I joked that on the way back, we should be at least 5 pounds lighter, after accounting for the saw dust, the top and bottom slabs, and the small firewood pieces I thrown into his burn pile.

She claim, she did not noticed any difference on the return trip.  Go figure :-) 

Thursday morning, back into Nova Scotia

While we were resawing on the bandsaw, we quickly disappeared into a cloud of sawdust.  Yes, it is a resaw monster and it let you know it rather quickly :-)

So it would definitively need some dust collection to it.  He has a dust collector, need to come up with some sort of hook up.  I'm suggesting coming from under the table, should be enough room for it.

If anyone has suggestions, we are all ears.

From the front of the saw

From the RH side

Thanks Ray, it was fun. Stay safe buddy

Bob, who has the truck in the yard, but wont unload his lumber until tomorrow. Going for a nap!