Hi, I’d like to introduce myself I’m a 4 metre length (13 foot) of 250 x 50 mm (10 x 2 inch) Indonesian hardwood called Amoora – some call me a brunette, some a redhead -anyway, the boys at Teak and Fancy Timbers have dedicated me and a good few of my mates for a timber floor job for a lovely new health spa in Southport on the Gold Coast.

I’ve travelled pretty well down from Indonesia, but the guys want me straight as a dye so first I’m going to be buzzed – Oh, I just love the close shave these cutters give me!

See SURFACE PLANER (buzzer) photo – maximum width 400 mm.

One edge and one face flat and square.

See THICKNESSER photo – maximum width 620 mm, maximum thickness 300 mm.

O.K., paralleled through thicknesser – now I’ve a short back and sides – and we’re off! Over to the table saw to be paralleled to 240 mm (9½ inches) – nice safe and clean workshop with safety gear, push sticks and dust extraction. Wow, these lads are lucky compared to guys up North.

See TABLE SAW photo.
I notice Arthur, the foreman, putting on a freshly sharpened stellite tipped blade on the band resaw.
See BANDSAW photo – Maximum depth 300 mm.

We’re going down the saw 3 times so we’ll finish around 10/11 (7/16 inch) off the saw i.e. 4 pieces from one.

240 mm (9½ inches) by 10 mm (7/16 inch) fine sawn. Well, there must be a go slow happening because we have just been piled up on a trolley separated by little sticks. Actually I overheard the boss talking to the architect, Konrad, that this is to allow the timber to recondition to the heat and humidity to Queensland – they loaded weights on top of the pack, so we recondition and stay straight. Apparently, we will be just sitting around like this for a week or two.

Ow, I just felt the sharp spikes going into me and someone mumbling about moisture content, seems like we are on the move again. Crumbs, not seen one of these before – looks like a giant clothes mangle – actually a wide belt sander up to 900 mm wide (3 feet).

See SANDER photo – maximum width 900 mm, maximum depth 100 mm.
Gosh, we are going through 3 at a time! That didn’t take long and now we are all 8 mm thick sanded smooth as a babies bum. Crikey! What the heck’s this machine?

See SPINDLE MOULDER photo.
Spindle moulder – more rubber wheels pushing me through a machine twice and I’ve been converted into a tongue and groove floor board to be laid directly onto plywood. What a neat way to make 240 x 40 mm (9½ x 1 3/4 inch) of cover 4 times that width; good timber economics. I reckon me and my mates will look real flash when they polish us up.