Garden Railway Forum

I'd like to cut some small branches into flitches for my sawmill, but am struggling. If real flitches are, say, 3 inches thick, then I need to somehow cut branches into 4mm thick strips lengthwise. Other than buying a miniature bench saw, I'm stumped ( ). Anyone got any suggestions?

Rik

You always learn new stuff on here (flitches).

Can you not use a hack or razor as the flitches do not need to be a perfect shape and you can clean them up afterwards with sand paper if required?

Spills that you light fires with. haven't seen any for years. or lolly sticks. make your own kit ones!

jimmytrains_01 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:33 am Spills that you light fires with. haven't seen any for years. or lolly sticks. make your own kit ones!

That's an idea, lolly sticks. I could simulate the bark in some way...... Hmmmm, (sounds of cogs whirring and levers clunking ......... ). Thanks.

Rik

This is the effect I'm seeking Rik

Burn the Lollipops stick?

Also, white vinegar with some wire wool left over night will give you a nice wood colour (you can vary the colour depending how much you put into the solution).

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:00 am Also, white vinegar with some wire wool left over night will give you a nice wood colour (you can vary the colour depending how much you put into the solution).

Tom,

That's interesting. I am building some wagons from lolly sticks and was wondering about the finish. I'd like to keep the interior natural, but weathered. Have you any more information? I think I'll try the effect on some offcuts.

Ian

Vinegar and wire wool:

https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 23&t=10655

Have you got access to a band saw?
Mount you chosen branch to a thin board (hot glue) and then take slices by running said board against the fence and moving it over by 4mm each time.

An improvement would be to stick the branch to a batten, and then fix this to the thin board, that way only the very last slice would have glue on it.

Hope the above makes sense!

Forget the second bit, that's overcomplicating things.
1. Glue branch to batten.
2. Run batten against the fence, with branch running through blade.

Thanks Boris
Unfortunately, no access to a band saw, I'm afraid, but the technique sounds good.

Rik

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:27 am Vinegar and wire wool:

https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 23&t=10655

Useful idea, thanks. I see I responded to the thread two years ago but had forgotten it.

Rik

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:27 am Vinegar and wire wool:

https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 23&t=10655

Thanks Tom,

Like Rik I've seen that and admired it but in my case I couldn't recall where. Bookmarked it now for future reference.

Ian

Rik,
How about a jigsaw, held upside down in a workmate? Most come with a small fence that needs to extended to be of any use.
Just don't let H&S see you!

What size 'logs' are you trying to represent? I have a lot of semi-seasoned pine and sycamore branches at the moment, and am willing to give it a go (I have a small band saw) and send you the results if successful.

ge_rik wrote: ↑Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:09 am If real flitches are, say, 3 inches thick, then I need to somehow cut branches into 4mm thick strips lengthwise. Other than buying a miniature bench saw, I'm stumped ( ). Anyone got any suggestions?

I'd cut them on my 6" bandsaw, same way I cut the firewood loads for my locos. Yes, I know that's not what you want to hear......

Woodworkers as a breed are much more common than railway modellers, so I'd think there would be at least one friendly one in your vicinity. Do you have anything in the UK like the Aust. 'Men's Shed' movement?

The only way I can think of making what you want is to cut strips from balsa sheet, which is easier to work by hand than harder woods like pine. Distress the edges a bit, run a bead of glue along the edge and dip it in suitably coloured scenery flock. It won't stand close scrutiny, but once stacked under a roof, it won't be that visible anyway. Also the 'bark' won't fall off over time the way real bark tends to do.

I know you'd prefer not to go that way, but given that the UK was importing 90% of it's timber before WW1, most sawmills would have been resawing baulks of imported softwoods rather than milling locally grown trees in the period you model. It would still need to be railed in and taken out the same way.

Regards,
Graeme

BorisSpencer wrote: ↑Fri Jun 15, 2018 2:21 pm Rik,
How about a jigsaw, held upside down in a workmate? Most come with a small fence that needs to extended to be of any use.
Just don't let H&S see you!

What size 'logs' are you trying to represent? I have a lot of semi-seasoned pine and sycamore branches at the moment, and am willing to give it a go (I have a small band saw) and send you the results if successful.

Nice idea. I'm willing to give it a try. Not at home at the moment, so will have to wait until I'm back and can measure up. I think the 'logs' must be around 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter and around 9" long.

Rik

GTB wrote: ↑Fri Jun 15, 2018 2:54 pm I'd cut them on my 6" bandsaw, same way I cut the firewood loads for my locos. Yes, I know that's not what you want to hear......

Woodworkers as a breed are much more common than railway modellers, so I'd think there would be at least one friendly one in your vicinity. Do you have anything in the UK like the Aust. 'Men's Shed' movement?

Unfortunately, not - at least as far as I know. I'll make a few enquiries, though. You never know.

GTB wrote: ↑Fri Jun 15, 2018 2:54 pm The only way I can think of making what you want is to cut strips from balsa sheet, which is easier to work by hand than harder woods like pine. Distress the edges a bit, run a bead of glue along the edge and dip it in suitably coloured scenery flock. It won't stand close scrutiny, but once stacked under a roof, it won't be that visible anyway. Also the 'bark' won't fall off over time the way real bark tends to do.

I might give that a go. I'm wanting to make stacks outside the millmin the timber yard, but I wouldn't leave them out in all weathers.

GTB wrote: ↑Fri Jun 15, 2018 2:54 pm I know you'd prefer not to go that way, but given that the UK was importing 90% of it's timber before WW1, most sawmills would have been resawing baulks of imported softwoods rather than milling locally grown trees in the period you model. It would still need to be railed in and taken out the same way.
Regards,
Graeme

I might do a combination. The actual landowner did turn over most of his estate to forestry in the given period and there really was a sawmill at Peckforton, but I doubt it would have had the turnover which needed the services of a light railway.

Rik

Rik,
I used a version of Boris's jigsaw suggestion about 45years ago to cut out the frames on a model yacht . I drilled a hole large enough of the jigsw blade to pass through, in an old Deal table ( which I still use as my workbench to this day) and then screwed the jigsaw upside down under the table top with the blade poking up through the hole. It was then fairly easy to guide the ply around and get the outlne to follow the saw blade around the frame rib shapes. For your purposes, a straight edge screwed to the table top to act as a fence at the thickness you want, would be simple. Wear goggles and watch your fingers though!

Graeme mentioned the "mens shed" movement. It does exist in the UK, I investigated about a year ago, but it is very patchy and not really in the same vein as he he Oz version as far as I can make out. https://menssheds.org.uk/

Rik, We had a few days in Cornwall last week and amongst other things, spent a day at The Lost Gardens of Heligan. Unfortunately the sawmill had just finished operations when we got to that, but I did see the pile of sawn timber and thought of you! Don't know if these are of any help?