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Cutting oak


crossy67
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Hi.

We have replaced a lot of old oak beams due to them being eaten by wood worm where they sat in the sockets in the wall, on most it's only the end 12" that are effected.  I want to re use the wood to make beds, the wood cleans up beautifully being very dark with a gorgeous grain.  I am having a few problems though.  There are rusty nails embedded in the top of the joists, some I can get out, some I can't.  Any one have any ideas on removing them?  It's not a deal breaker but it does make my next task awkward. 

The joists are 75x175mm, I can loose 25mm off the top making them 150x75 but this doesn't go deep enough to get rid of the pesky nails.  I also want them cutting down their length into 22mmx150mm planks, this is where I am really struggling.  I could take them to a wood yard and ask them to do it for me but with the nails still in I doubt they would touch the job, even though the nails are in the middle of the beam and they would be cutting either side of them with about 10mm clearance.  I would be more than happy to buy a table saw or band saw to do the job if I had to but finding one that will cut 150mm is harder than I thought.  I have looked in the UK but anything that big is a huge piece of equipment and I'd need a trailer to get it back, a lot of hassle.

I know I could easily buy seasoned oak but it wouldn't be from our house, it wouldn't have the same colour or grain and I'm sure ours won't change shape being 150 years old.  These joists clean up lovely with a deep rich colour and grain.

Any ideas please?

Thanks.

Ian

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Surely that can't be right?  66mm is less than 3", the circular bit looks bigger than that and the chain bit looks much bigger than the circular saw blade.  I think some more investigation might be in order.  Thanks for that Alex.

Anyone had any experience with these saws?  I was thinking of getting a band saw and bringing it back with me from the UK when I visit as it might be a bit easier to sell on when I have finished with it.

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[quote user="crossy67"] I was thinking of getting a band saw and bringing it back with me from the UK when I visit as it might be a bit easier to sell on when I have finished with it.

[/quote]

How long are your beams? Bandsaws are a bit tricky to use with long lengths unless you have suitable support in place (Sorry about the 66mm I just skimmed the description [IMG]http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu210/alexh01/smile-1-1.jpg[/IMG] )

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The beams are two meters long, I would make a bench to support both ends.  I realise it might sound a bit obsessive but they really are that nice.  I'm going to a local wood yard next week to ask nicely.  The nails are  in a neatish line down the middle so they would be cutting with plenty of clearance either side of them.  Fingers crossed.

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Wood worm will not normally go more than an inch or so into a beam and they would probably go the complete lenght. Are you sure that the initial problem wasn't damp?. That would effect the ends more? Not the answer to the problem you have now, but??

As far as cutting the wood with the nails is concerned, if you can find someone with a band saw and they have an M42 bimetal blade then it will cut through the few nails you have. I have no idea if they are available here in France, but you could get one shipped over from the U.K., get your local wood yard to do the job with your blade and when he is so chuffed with what the blade can do present him with it against the price of the job.

That way he has not risked one of his blades, you have what you want and you have e friend for life!!

http://tuffsaws.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_4_18_47

If you are not sure then e-mail or phone Ian at Tuff Saws and he will fill you in on what you need.

No connection with Tuff Saws, they are just a very good company to deal with and have a boat load of experience!

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[quote user="just john "]You could try drilling either side of the nail to loosen it and then getting a decent large pair of pincers, and nail bar with the correct size claw to grip the nails; I've had some success using this method recently 'saving' some 100yr old timber.[/quote]

Johns method is right, but you may want to add a piece of scaffold pole about three foot long as an extension to the nail bar; also a piece of packing underneath the bend of the nail bar to increase the leverage.

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I have the same kind of issue and have been toying with the idea of putting a blow torch on the nail to see if heating would cause it to expand within the wood, then allow it to cool and see if the expansion/shrinkage loosens it by leaving the contracted nail in a slightly larger hole.

Very happy to let someone else try it first!

Mike

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Hi Crossy, tried to reply but the forum "improvements" mean that it doesn't register*

 

Mike

 

*unless of course this reply appears! and Lo and behold it did!

So, back to my original response.

Are we in danger of being too precious over the timber we inherit? In my case I'm looking at around 10 ceiling beams that it might be simpler in terms of cost//time to replace and then burn as heating fuel

 

Mike

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The original plan was to burn them but the colour, oh the colour!  They are a beautiful rich dark oak with stunning grain pattern.  I did look at some "seasoned" oak but it's way lighter than what I have.  I know they are going to be a bit of fuss and may not even be much cheaper than buying new but the 150 year old colour just can't be bought.

I have burned some of the ends I cut off, they weren't rotten at all being the ends that sat in the I beams.  They were really hard to get burning, it was a bit of a joke that we would put one on the fire if we wanted to put the fire out.

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