Loooonnnnngg boards!

[SwampDonkey]

That/those boards is/are awesome.  It would be interesting trying to store those boards from the perspective of a guy with a 30" long barn. 

[ErikC]

  If a log this long was cut on a Peterson there would be no log turning needed. Also no need to worry about taper, it would be impossible not to have a lot, but centering the log vertically with different height bunks would allow for accurate cutting and good yield. There would be boards from 10' on up. There would be a small percentage that were full length, but a lot would still be way long.
 
  As usual material handling would be the biggest chore of the job.
 
  I would try not to box the heart on something this long, but twist may be a problem either way in a tree length timber? Seems a timber of some size would be longer lasting in application, and more visible. Ridgebeams, sill plates, etc as mentioned sound good. That would be some barn-raising!!

[theorm]

Saw something a while back about cutting the world's longest 2X4. I think it was 104 feet. It was a promo done by Bailey's to show their Lucas line of mills. When the brain fog clears, I'll let you know where I saw it.

Theo
 

[Radar67]

It was a 114 foot 2x4 cut by Logosol, with the M7, in Madison, MS. There was a press release on the Moultrie site a few years ago. The article referenced the location as Madison, WI.

[LOGDOG]

Actually there is a new record holder. His name is Anders Nykvist from Onsala in Sweden. His new record is 127.6 feet. Check out the article in this pdf. (page 15):  http://www.logosol.se/media/_pdf/US/freshcut_usa_071101.pdf

LOGDOG

[scsmith42]

LJ - you bring up some good points.  I'd like to add to your ideas:

You all sound like a bunch of kids (great!) Who, us??!! but I have a few questions:

First, what would the taper be like for that long a tree and how would you take that into account?

RE: taking taper into account - if our goal is to produce a record, then a 2 x 4 would probably be the main end product, with some other boards/beams pulled off from the remainder of the log.  With the swing mills, I think that I'd be tempted to bunk the log so that the top was relatively parallel to the tracks, make some cleaning passes and pull a quartersawn 2 x 4 out for record purposes.  That should leave enough wood in the lower 2/3 of the log to also yield a couple of very large beams - perhaps a pair of 10" x 20" beams that were sawn out below the 2 x 4.
Second, are you taking a board or a timber, say a boxed heart?
See above.

Third, how you gonna turn that monster for the second, third and final cuts?
If we did the entire job with swing mills, we would not need to turn the log.  If we incorpored some band mills into the project, then the thing to do would probably be to get a bunch of folks with Logrite cant hooks to turn it.  It would probably be easiest using swingblade mills, as cutting a beam like this is where they really shine compared with a bandmill; howerver Arky is one of the originators of the idea and speaking personally it would be great to do a group project with "the Ankansas master"!

Fourth, how you gonna move him/her to a place of honor in some building or shrine?  You can't just cut it and leave it there, right? especially in the middle of a runway (imagine coming in to land in your 2-seater piper and finding that thing in your path- maybe you could straddle it, maybe not).

Good point; some options would be to either mill it on site for wherever it was going to be used at (but then you have the difficulty of moving the log), or once the record is verified to cut the boards/beams down shorter into transportable lengths. 

Last, and tied to number four, what purpose for the final product?  Seems like that should come first, then the means of cutting it.

I think that the best purpose would be to have a group from the Forestry Forum teaming together to create a new worlds record. 

Not trying to be a wet-blanket here; just the opposite: you're more likely to get help when it comes to crunch time if everyone has some goal for using what you cut other than to just beat the record (although that can be a goal in and of itself).  Maybe we can brainstorm some on just why you might need timbers that long?  Shoot, once you've spent all the time, energy and money setting up to cut one, why not cut a bunch and build something that sets a record also?  Like the barn with the biggest sill and/or top plates every made?  Guiness might sit up and take notice of that...

Those are some great points and good ideas.  Looks like we need to keep our eyes and ears open for some potential applications for long beams.

Other than northern California, where else are untra large/long straight logs available at?  Scott[/size]

Ideas?

Lj

[Furby]

Maybe you could auction off pieces of the world record for forum support.

[ljmathias]

Great input, guys- I like the idea of an auction.  Maybe we could carry the idea one step further and have regional contests: the South with SYP, the NE with whatever they have that's really tall and straight, and of course, CA with it's beautiful trees.  Canada could easily participate as well. 

Course, once we got the first board cut, we cut just nail that to another long tree and use a big chainsaw and something like a "beam machine" to cut some more.  Than we could build a really long house or meeting center, or some other useful object.

sure is fun thinking of possibilities but we need a contest (maybe with a prize) to really get people motivated to participate: having your name in Guiness World Records only lasts as long as it takes the next guys to top your record, but building something neat for a community that will last for generations- that's worth doing.

Lj

[Captain]

OK Scott, since Furby volunteered    I'm in with my 45 feet of track.  Anybody else??  We need another 30 feetof track for the record.  Any trees that tall there Scott??


Captain

[Furby]

Trying to figure out what I volunteered to do.

[ARKANSAWYER]

  I would just buy a Swinger just to play this round.

  What we need to find is someone like Super Rich (Bill Yates, ect...)  that could use this in some multi million dollar home and have the bragging rights of having the record board.  The FF sawed up that big redwood so why not hold the record for the longest plank. 
  But we have got to find the stick first and get it to where we can make boards.

[Furby]

Wonder how much interest the world's longest board would get on ebay.

[Haytrader]

A maual bandmill would also be a contender to saw the "big stick".

It would be more feasable to take the saw (and the bed extensions) to the tree, rather than the other way around.
Why not put some feelers out (surely some are watching) among the mill manufacturers and see if any want bragging rights for such a long stick. A manufacturer could furish a mill AND the extensions.

Braggin rights and paid sponsorship could possibly be gained within the industry also.
I am gonna have to rely on the rest of you to supply these candidates. One comes to mind that starts with a big W.

What we have here is the concept, and, a broad spectrum think tank.

[Captain]

OK who has the stick to cut up??  Have swinger, will solicit tracks, will travel...You're comin', right Furby??  Got anything like that in an Arkansas tree plantation, Arky??  I'm thinking major Forestry Forum event here....


Captain

[Furby]

Give me a direction and I'll start walking.
Got a warm front heading this way this weekend, so I'll to get where ever without freezing to death.
Arky has some biguns, but I think he may be falling short on this one!
I'm really thinking this will be a West coast thing.
It sure as heck better not be a Canada thing, unless you are gonna wait until summer.

[SwampDonkey]

Well, there is probably no snow to speak of up on the Charlottes, ya just have to deal with all the Dang rain. 

[scsmith42]

Hey Craig - I'm wondering about a west coast roadtrip, via Sturgis!  Mid August would be a nice time to be milling, and I'm already going to be headed that way with my truck and Softail.  Adding the Peterson and track wouldn't be that big of an extra load...

Be nice for you to be able to write off a trip to Sturgis, too!   

Hey Steve - I know you've been holding out here; how much track do you want to contribute do this endeavor???  If you can't make it in person, send it with the Furbster!

SS

[Furby]

I almost dropped a double section at SAWLEX a few years ago, not sure I can pack it that far.
Might be able to drag them, but they may be a little short by the time I make it to SD.

[dad2nine]

What you guys need is some sponsors - Logrite, Patterson and Harley Davidson so furby don't have to walk so far

[Captain]

I like TimberPro As a sponsor too;) 

Captain