# Milling Madrone and Doug Fir for house



## Austin (May 9, 2008)

Hello everyone, 

I have been reading up on this forum for probably about a year, I see there are a lot of interesting projects. I really want to share what I am doing, but I am hesitant at this point in time because I don’t have any pictures to share. 

I decided to share what I am doing to try and motivate myself to actually take some pictures at some point. 
I live up in Northern California, on the north end of Humboldt county, I purchased 23 acres up here on the Yurok Reservation, I am a frugal person and if I can do it myself and save money then that’s the route I am going to take. 

I decided to start collecting materials to build a house, my girlfriend dad is a 3rd generation logger from here and has all sorts of equipment, he has been milling some wood on the property, and so far I believe we have close to 10 units of lumber, and 2300 linear feet of 5/4” by 4 inch ruff cut madrone for hardwood flooring. 
I am really hoping the madrone dries without too much waste, I built a little contraption with some all thread and 4x4s to clamp the madrone to add ‘weight’ above the stickers. 

It has been really exciting to see these logs turn into my house, I plan on building a solar kiln by this summer to bring down the moisture content of the madrone once it air dries a little. 

I will have some pictures soon for you guys, it just starting pouring up here so I had to make sure everything was finished before the rains hit, luckily I got everything cut up and under tarps.

So a question I do have, does anyone know the best route of cutting wood flooring, I was looking into a shaper to cut the T&G but the only bits I could find are made for ¾ wood, I cut it 5/4 to make sure it dries good and I could plane out the cups, but after cutting it and how straight it is sitting, I have a feeling there isn’t going to be much cupping. Would 1” hardwood floor be to thick?

Excited to share with you guys

Austin


----------



## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Welcome Austin. It sounds like a big project and I hope you'll document it as you got. It would be a blast to follow a thread like that from start to finish.

I don't know anything about Madrone, but I don't see a problem ending up with 4/4 flooring. Maybe there is a reason not to but I can't think of it unless you'll be using standard stick framing and 4' x 8' sheet goods. Even if you do of course, as long as you start your plates on top of the flooring as you should anyway, then that wouldn't present a problem either. 

I don't know where to point you for the shaper cutters, but if you can get a shaper with auto-feed to make the flooring that would be *ideal*. You can run them through a router table but a shaper with auto feed is much safer, quicker, and more accurate. 

Your clamping system will help but you have to stay right on top of it - making sure to retighten them regularly. Sorry I can't help much with the Doug Fir or Madrone but I bet you'll get some help on it. 






.


----------



## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I can't be much help either on that. I milled pine flooring for stair landings once but it was really basic and nothing special.

Reason for my post?... Cause im really interested to see this go start to finish! Please take some Picts and let us know how everything goes!

~tom


----------



## Austin (May 9, 2008)

Here are some teaser pictures that I have taken about a year ago, I have made a ton of progress since then, I am doing all the clearing by hand with my Husky 272xp and a 32 inch bar. its a lot of work by rewarding. 

these pictures show the property about 1/4 cleared and the stumps removed (used a loader for the stumps), and also the fir piled up and the madrone.

Most of the fir has been cut, and all of the madrone has been cut.

I am going to try and document it more and more, but i get caught up in working and forget to take pictures. 






























Austin


----------



## Austin (May 9, 2008)

I was going though some of my pictures, and I remember reading this forum and coming across spalted wood, so as soon as I found out I had to go find some on the property. 

This is some spalted pepperwood (bay laurel, myrtlewood) that I made a pepper grinder out of once I figured out what it was.



















Austin


----------



## Austin (May 9, 2008)

I made this stuff too from wood found on or near the property minus the rolling pin.

Curly Redwood, old growth redwood, Birds eye madrone ( sphere), i think Oak plate, and Madrone cut from the crotch of a tree.


----------



## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

:thumbsup:...Keep the pictures coming.



.


----------



## Austin (May 9, 2008)

I am running out of pictures...

here is the creek on the property, low flows late in the season, I plan on hooking up a hydro-power system, where I am at I have about 70lbs of pressure (138 feet of head) and will be able to produce about 10+ KW of power.

Its my dream, but it is taking a while.


----------



## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

I don't know what shaper model you looked at, but I bet there is someone out there that makes custom patterns for it if you cannot find a stock T&G.


----------



## Austin (May 9, 2008)

I am just beginning the process of finding something, I have a little bit of time because the wood is drying.

I am just searching craigslist seeing what jumps out.

Austin


----------

