Sawmilling & Timber

We run our own sawmill, so we can take a trunk and open it up into boards ourselves. That means we can mill our own chestnut for a job, or mill a tree of yours into timber you can actually use.

What is an Alaskan mill?

An Alaskan mill is a chainsaw mill: a frame that guides a chainsaw along a log to cut flat, parallel boards straight from the trunk. It goes to the timber rather than the timber going to it, which suits big or awkward pieces that would never make it to a fixed sawmill. It is slower than an industrial setup, but it is precise, portable, and well matched to the one-off work we do.

Can you mill my own tree?

Very likely, yes. If a tree has come down in your garden, or you have had one taken down and cannot bear to see it go for firewood, we can often mill it into boards. It helps to know the species, the rough size of the trunk, and whether it is clean of nails, wire or embedded stone, all of which are hard on a chain. Send us a photo and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth doing.

What species do you work with?

Our own timber is coppiced sweet chestnut, which we know and trust for outdoor work. We are happy to mill other species too, oak and the common hardwoods among them, whether from your ground or ours. Each timber behaves differently, and we will tell you what to expect from yours.

Can you cut to the size I need?

Yes. Because we open up the trunk ourselves, we cut boards to the dimensions a job actually calls for, rather than making you work around standard sizes. Thick slabs, thinner boards, or stock left oversize to allow for seasoning: we cut for the piece in front of us.

The tree decides some of it. We cut to what the job needs, not what a catalogue lists.

How long does timber take to dry?

Longer than most people hope. Freshly milled timber is green and full of moisture, and it needs to season before it is stable enough to work, or it will move, cup and split as it dries. A rough guide for air-drying is around a year for every inch of thickness, though it varies with the species and the weather. We will not rush a piece to the point where it fails later.

Where do you work?

We are based near Sittingbourne and cover Kent and the neighbouring counties. For milling a felled tree we can often come to you, since the mill travels; for smaller jobs the timber usually comes to us.

To talk through milling a tree or ordering timber, call 07888 855 219 or email info@thewoodmanandhiswife.co.uk. We work by appointment.