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I'm liking the power poles.

Started by justallan1, February 07, 2013, 08:34:19 PM

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justallan1

After the fires this last summer the power companies gave us all of the poles they replaced, and even brought them down and stacked them right next a two track going through one of my pastures.
I had the time this morning before things thawed out to go grab part of one and quit early and sawed it this afternoon. I'll be getting the rest of those. We use the smaller ones for gate braces and corner braces, but the boss said to use the bigger ones for firewood in the shop. Well I'm sawing a little off for kindling and if I find some boards in the middle, well great!
I'm pretty sure I'll be sawing these poles at least until things dry up around here. They don't have much metal in them, they are good and solid, they saw great, I don't have to dry them and they are easy to get to. It sure seems like I'm missing something that's going to make me smack myself in the forehead.

 

drobertson

 ;D yea, well I say no more bragging ;D  I have had a chance to cut a few, and I agree, kinda sweet!  lots better than the reclaimed ties for sure.   
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

rooster 58

    Hey Allan, I'm glad you got to put the blade in some wood today ;)

justallan1

Thanks Rooster.
Drobertson, sorry about being so happy  8). I'm just so new at this and chomping at the bit wanting to get to some trees to saw. Everything here is either drifted in with snow or thawed so bad that you can't get to it. I had forgotten all about these poles.
For once I trip and land in something good!
Allan

lineguy82

Poles are part of the reason I want to buy a mill. I've got a stockpile of old transmission poles to cut. It's beautiful wood when it gets sawn up. Only the cedars and pines tho
95 chevy 4x4
Husky 562xp
Hardy H5
22T Countyline Splitter
...and hopefully a sawmill when the wife finishes college

drobertson

Heck yea! 8)  dancing along with you man!  I almost landed on the mother load this past summer, then one of the lineman got smart and horded all the goods for himself.  Poles for the most part are killer, meaning a good thing,  reclaimed ties, not so good imo.  Keep it up, you will get the logs at some point, it is almost a lock for sure.  We were talking today about building some fence, sure wish I had some of the stock you have. I am thinking on going to the white oak split posts.  those straight pine timbers will make some good ones for sure, keep it up, happy for you!,, david  lineguy, this post was written while you posted sorry man, no offense please,  get a  mill and go for it,   david
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

NMFP

Creosote poles?  If so... they work great for horse barns.  Horses dont crib on them because of the creosote so if you have a horse that likes to crib, replace all of horizontal boards with creosote and he or she will stop cribbing!   Most people out my way do this now and it breaks them from cribbing.


ND rancher

I've got a pile also. Was getting full main line poles delivered until someone complained. Most were cedar 22'x80'. Would like to build a small cabin with those.The pine are posts . When I got my mill I put a bottom 8' on the bed and took a plank out of the center, 1/4 the halves,ended with 4- 8x8 triangle posts and 1 2x18" plank for the barn. Will dip the angle posts before I plant them so they last longer.( saw cuts, no treat) Sweet! 8)
TimberKing B-20.  Have been bitten by the bug! Loving life !

slider

If these poles are creosote treated you don't want that dust on your skin or in your lungs.In the summer this dust will blister your skin.Been there.Don't cut them much except for myself.
al glenn

bandmiller2

Poles can vary depending on their species and treatment.If there heavily treated best left in the round.The cross arms are usally a good bet many of the high line ones are douglas fir, some up here are white cedar.A few years back a subcontractor came through and replaced many high line poles.I could have had all I wanted but they were heavily treated,no way for me I took the cross arms though. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

JSwigga

We got a load of old western red cedar poles. A lot of guys that build boats out of it.  I spent a day milling it and got enough lumber to build my back deck.  That was kind of what got me hooked on milling.  Taking the poles all the way to a finish deck.  Very rewarding.
the lighting in the pic is bad but you get the idea

60" Lucas Dedicated Slabber, TimberKing 2200 , 5 ton Nissan forklift, John Deere FEL

tyb525

Man you wanna be really careful there's not creosote in those poles, it can cause a lot of long term damage to your skin, eyes, and lungs.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

justallan1

The big poles we have sure seem to be cedar, looking at the knots and sawdust, plus smelling like a good old No.2 pencil.
It looks like the bottoms were perforated and sprayed with something, but it's not creosote and the end is sealed. The ground wire runs down the things and takes about 10 wraps around the base with about 30 staples, so I'm planning on just lopping off the last foot or so.

justallan1

Here's a little better picture of the pole I sawed up yesterday. Looking at the piece biside the mill you can see what I called perforated. I worked at a place in Wyoming in the early 90's that did that before being pressure treated. Whatever they pressure treated this pole with, it sure doesn't look like it took to deep.
Looking at the knots and how they were all tight and it seems they were more a part of the center of the tree and then it grew around them makes me think cedar. Plus how it cuts and leave the board "hairy" for lack of better words.
Please feel free to give your opinions.
Allan


 

downsouth


drobertson

Not sure on the western timber, looks like a tight grain pine, maybe DF?  Looks good whatever it is,
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

justallan1

Is there any other trees that smell like cedar? Other than the smell of it I could be talked into thinking anything.

downsouth

I know it's probably not cypress. It just looks real similar to some old blow down cypress I have been cutting (especially that 2nd pic) they also get kinda furry after cutting. But they don't smell like cedar of course.

Ianab

Port Orford Cedar? Or one of the related species (Nootka Cypress etc)

White Colour? Smells? Durable?

It tends not to need, or take treatments very well, but lasts for years untreated.

It's good stuff, especially clear old growth wood like that.

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

JSwigga

That looks like Western Red Cedar to me.  They used it a lot in old telephone poles. 
60" Lucas Dedicated Slabber, TimberKing 2200 , 5 ton Nissan forklift, John Deere FEL

tyb525

I vote for WRC, that's the kind they use for pencils too.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

redbeard

It dose look like WRC its native to my area. I too will mill the cedar tele poles. Keep your eye out for Alaskan yellow cedar they made a lot of poles out of that also.
Whidbey Woodworks and Custom Milling  2019 Cooks AC 3662T High production band mill and a Hud-son 60 Diesel wide cut bandmill  JD 2240 50hp Tractor with 145 loader IR 1044 all terrain fork lift  Cooks sharp

Solomon

The poles I have been getting come from various pile driving companys in my area.  They are the sections they cut off when ther are done driving the pilon.  So the're clean and new with no metel in them what so ever.   I know a lot of folks being here nearly 40 years.  Every no and then someone gets educated and my supply dries up for six months or a year but they always seem to grow tired of it and sooner or later they are will to deliver them to me again to get rid of them.  Which give me a nice window the finish milling the pile of poles that are still taking up space.   My gallery has pictures of the fence I built around my property from some of the poles.
I use all the creosote ones for posts just mill on flat side.
  And the green ones are more dangerous than creosote because they are treated with arsnic.  I will turn the mill around facing the controll valves into the wind so I am standing up wind form the dust.  And I still wear a partical mask to boot.    So please everybody , take extra precautions when sawing chemicaly treated timber of ANY kind.  It can save your life and will prevent you from poisening your self.  Seriously , it's nothing to be careless about and it only take a few extra minutes to do it safely.
  Ok, I am done lecturing now .
In closing , I might need you later, if you laid up in the hospital with arsnic poisening, you're no good to me.  Now get out there and make some saw dust.
Time and Money,  If you have the one, you rarely have the other.

The Path to Salvation is narrow, and the path to damnnation is wide.

millwright

I saw a lot of poles, and most are white cedar, but every once in a while I'll get some wrc which I consider a bonus.

beenthere

As I understand it, the arsenic is chemically bound up and one can only get arsenic poisoning from burning the wood and being 'involved' with the ashes over a long period of time.

I don't disagree one bit with being cautious around chemicals, no matter which ones. But CCA treated wood is not a life-threatening deal. Nor is creosote.   That is my understanding. Others may vary.

Penta was a great wood treatment, and went the way of CCA because of the hype surrounding some chemical found in milk (I believe in Michigan). The dairy herd producing the milk was found to be in a loafing shed with Penta treated wood posts and other framing materials. Someone figured this dairy herd was apparently eating the wood, tho no evidence existed that wood was consumed. And other dairy herds housed in sheds with Penta treated wood didn't seem to get Penta in their milk.
Nevertheless, that put the fear in for Penta with the big media splash and started the ball rolling to remove Penta from the treatment of wood.
But it was later learned that the Penta chemical was mistakenly mixed in with the feed rations and delivered to the dairy farm thus consumed by the cows and found in their milk. Those findings didn't stop the snowballing effect or the push to remove Penta from wood treatment. Then came CCA. Similar fate.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Solomon

Thanks for the info.  If it's all the same to you, I will continue practicing  all precautions.  I'm staying up wind of the arsnic.  Burning, Flying saw dust or otherwise.   Do what you want but     I 'm  telling you; breathing sawdust of any kind is NOT healthy for you.
Especially arsnic treated sawdust.
No offence Brother, but I strongly disagree with you with manly firmness on that subject.   You do have my upmost respect. I know that you are a knowledgable,. expierenced sawyer and I can learn from you.
And if I can ever come to your relief, it shall be accordingly so done.
Time and Money,  If you have the one, you rarely have the other.

The Path to Salvation is narrow, and the path to damnnation is wide.

Red Clay Hound

I agree with Solomon.  Pressure treated wood likely contains arsenic and/or chromium neither of which you would want to have in your lungs.  I would take extreme precautions not to breath the sawdust.  As previously mentioned, you should also avoid breathing the fumes from burning treated wood.
2007 Wood-Mizer LT40 Super Hydraulic with 51 hp. Cat; 2007 Wood-Mizer EG200 Twin Blade Edger; Woodmaster 718 Molder/Planer; Stihl MS460 and MS362 Chainsaws; 2011 John Deere 5065 with JD 553 Loader

pmatt

Sawed lots of poles over the years.  Most of the older poles were wrc, a few Port Arthur Cedar and once in while a few doug fir.  Tough on the blades - can saw about 3 times the pine I can with the cedar poles.  The old poles were usually placed along dirt roads for many years - lots of dust and dirt inside.  Timber Framed an entire building of old poles.  Turned out real nice.  Here are a few pics.  Most is wrc, a few beams are df and the knee braces are yellow or port arthur cedar.

  

 

ND rancher

 

   These are some plank from the treated poles I cut. You can see treat on board edge. Pretty sure it is fir. I the took the wide plank right in the center of the pole then cut the 2x6 off the 1/4's.
TimberKing B-20.  Have been bitten by the bug! Loving life !

terrifictimbersllc

A state DEP official told me he knew of a man who nearly died from arsenic poisoning resulting from breathing dust while sawing CCA treated wood (not with a sawmill). 
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

justallan1

Here's a picture of a tag on these poles in case anyone can figure them out.
At this point in the game I'm pretty sure they are WRC. They just seemed a bit lighter in color than what I've seen, but they have been sitting in the weather for years.

POSTON WIDEHEAD

Quote from: justallan1 on February 10, 2013, 01:41:42 PM
Here's a picture of a tag on these poles in case anyone can figure them out.


smiley_paparazzi
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

beenthere

Likely a tag put on by the utility company and used when re-visiting poles during reinspections. Prolly tied back to their database.
Some treaters might put a brand on the poles, which may have been at the time the poles were incised (knife-like depressions observed) for better treatment.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

tyb525

Several members have reported skin burns from contact with the sawdust from poles.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Magicman

A utility pole's "birthmark" is burned/engraved 10' from the butt end when it is manufactured.  Any external tags are user placed.  The 10' is important because during the pole's lifetime of service, workers can always tell how deep it is into the ground by that birthmark.

The birthmark includes the year of manufacture, length, and class (diameter) of the pole.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

justallan1

OOPS! I guess that last picture was a bit small. :D

 

Magicman

Yup, that is user installed tags placed when the pole was inspected and/or ground treated.  That treatment could have been simply probing, digging completely around the pole and placing a treated ground shield, or boring holes and injecting chemicals.  If boring took place, then wooden pegs would have been driven into the holes.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

justallan1

All of the poles are perforated from about 10 foot down to the bottom and I have run through some wooden pegs further up, but not many.
This weather is sure wrecking my day. It's barely snowing but it's going straight sideways at about 40 mph.

Magicman

I have never seen a "natural" utility pole (untreated), so I am not familiar with the perforations on yours, but I am confidant that the pegs are plugging/sealing treatment or testing holes.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Papa1stuff

I have been cutting some real old WRC poles and have run into a glass tube in a couple poles.

Anyone know what these are ?
1987 PB Grader with forks added to bucket
2--2008 455 Rancher Husky
WM CBN Sharpener & Setter

downsouth

MM is on the money about the markings and the pegs. They (we) also use plugs when the old steps are removed out of the poles, or other hardware removed , you place a peg in the hole

redbeard

One thing I have run into on milling the cedar poles is the wood dose not take stain or oil type sealers very well I tried mixing some pole wood with sawn WRC from logs and you can see the difference. At least that was what happened on a shed and a garden arbor.
Whidbey Woodworks and Custom Milling  2019 Cooks AC 3662T High production band mill and a Hud-son 60 Diesel wide cut bandmill  JD 2240 50hp Tractor with 145 loader IR 1044 all terrain fork lift  Cooks sharp

Magicman

Which may indicate that there was a preservative process that took place during manufacture.  Maybe a chemical/vacuum/pressure treatment.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

lineguy82

The glass vials are just another form of treatment that was used to deter ants
95 chevy 4x4
Husky 562xp
Hardy H5
22T Countyline Splitter
...and hopefully a sawmill when the wife finishes college

justallan1

Welcome to the forum Lineguy82. Iv'e never heard of that one, very interesting.

Solomon

It seems we have sparked an interesting thread.  I have learned a  couple of things.  I did not know poles are subsequently treated after they are set.  I've also never run across wooden pegs in a pole.
But as I said in an earlier post,  I have mainly been milling the cut offs from pilons that were driven.
So they are free of metel and other forgin objects.  I have milled only a few telephone poles.  I suppose I am fortunate to have a source for pilon.
Time and Money,  If you have the one, you rarely have the other.

The Path to Salvation is narrow, and the path to damnnation is wide.

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