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Milled my first Oak on the LT15.....and I'll never do it again!

Started by Piston, December 15, 2011, 09:49:42 AM

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losttheplot

I find the log arch very helpful in moving large timbers off the mill........ as well as moving logs to the mill .
Its handy for getting long timbers down the drive or between the trees too.  ;)


DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK !

ljmathias

Great job there, Piston- when I had my manual mill, I had Katrina logs and the worst one was a pecan that was just a little too big for the mill.  Trimmed it and got some beautiful slabs and lumber, which reminds me: have to go dig them out of the stack they're stickered in and see how they came out after five years of air drying...   :o

All this talk brings to mind an invention we need, sort of like the equipment you can get now that will lock onto a log, cut it at the base, hold it horizontal while you trim off branches and bark, then cut the log to length as you stack in the nice, neat pile of all-the-same length logs nearby.  Why not a woodmizer on tracks with a crane arm instead of hydraulic lift arms?  You roll up to that oversize log, grab it with the crane and lift it onto the bed, use the rail-mounted chain saw to trim pieces sticking out too far (like a radial arm saw maybe but sliding on the same rails as the band mill head?), then slice it up with the band mill head, followed by stacking and stickering it on a pallet that you use the crane to move over to the flatbed for loading and hauling, all done in the field.  Only thing left when you leave is a pile of sawdust and a pile of branches and slabs.  You bring the stickered and stacked pallet loads home ready to air- or kiln-dry.  Shoot, bring the kiln along and do that while you finish cutting and sawing.  Even better, put up a sign on the road and sell all the dried lumber before you leave- nothing to bring home but your equipment and a pocket full of cash.

Ok, so it is Christmas time and we all thing about that wish-list of gifts we want from Santa- he does have a Woodmizer, right?

Lj
LT40, Long tractor with FEL and backhoe, lots of TF tools, beautiful wife of 50 years plus 4 kids, 5 grandsons AND TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS all healthy plus too many ideas and plans and not enough time and energy

cutterboy

I just read this thread through and enjoyed it very much.  Piston, when I saw the pictures of the blade stuck in the log I burst out laughing. I've done that too! Big logs on a manual mill can be a challenge. I usually saw 8 foot logs so I can turn them. I almost always work alone. With pine I'll go with 8 or 12 footers.

Great pictures, great thread, thanks.
To underestimate old men and old machines is the folly of youth. Frank C.

Piston

Thanks Cutterboy! 


LJ,
Your wish list mill sort of reminded me of something I've had in the back of my mind to build some day.  I'd like to build a log trailer for sort of small scale hobby logging (on my own land).  One of the designs I came up with, was for the base of the log trailer to be wide enough to fit the LT15.  I thought if I built a log trailer with bunks, and with a log loader, I would size it so it could lift the mill up using slings, then place it right down between the foldable bunks.  If I wanted to mill a log in the woods, or a pile of logs, I would tow the log trailer and mill through the woods using my tractor, then park it right next to the pile of logs, so they were within reach of the log loader.  THen I would load one log on at a time and mill it.  Now obviously the problem with this would be the mill would be too high off the ground to operate from the ground, so I thought I would make my bunks foldable, as in they would fold down 90° so they were flat, parallel with the ground and mill, then I could place some 2x material across the bunks, on each side of the mill, which would give me about 4' of walkable area on each side of the mill. 

It's tough to explain and I haven't made a sketchup drawing of it yet, but it's something I've been thinking about.  I would be able to unload the mill and use the log trailer as a normal trailer.  Most likely I'll never do it, but you got me thinking again.   :D :D

Qwinton,
WHat is the lift capacity of your 110? 


Merry Christmas everyone!  8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

bandmiller2

What works well for a log trailer is a tilt bed with a beavertail on the back,make it a stern hauler.A winch on the front  to pull your mill or logs on.If you put a real winch with no duty cycle and a long cable you can pull logs up hill or out of swamps. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Qweaver

Cutterboy,  I think the specs put the lift capacity of the 110 at @ 2000 lb.  But I've frequently lifted over 3000 with it.  The trick is to get the load as far back on the forks as possible or hang the load on chains as far back on the FEL arms as you can get them.  I often get heavy loads back far enough that the logs bearly clear  the front of the tractor.  Welding grab hooks on the arms make this easier.  WARNING:  bubble-gum welds will not work here!
Quinton
So Many Toys...So Little Time  WM LT28 , 15 trailers, Case 450 Dozer, John Deere 110 TLB, Peterson WPF 10",  AIM Grapple, Kubota 2501 :D

Jim_Rogers

I too have had a blade stuck like that once or twice.

I had the blade stuck Friday, and had to chain saw the stock in order to release the blade.

I was sawing the last pieces of that 100 year old "live oak" that was from the Navy yard. That was some of the hardest wood I've ever sawed. And heavy too.
We loaded the forks of his forklift with just about every piece of 2 1/2" thick bench seat I cut off the timbers.

I also have cut the "bell" end of a large log in order to get the blade to pass through it.

Sometimes I only roll the log 1/8 of a turn to saw off nubs or other root flair parts, until it's small enough to make it cut-able.  Sort of making the butt end like a pencil point.

I have also cut full pieces on 1/8 turn in order to get a large log small enough to mill through and through.

Sawing large logs can be a challenge and it is truly a learning experience.

We've also had to chain saw a notch down the side of a log in order to get the blade guide by, because the log was so large.

My 2nd cousin, god rest his soul, and his son wanted one large red oak log saw up and they wanted 24" wide boards. I cautioned them about trying to save and use these wide boards of oak, but that's what they wanted so I made it for them.

Piston, nice write up and pictures.

I hope you've learned something from this experience.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Madtowner

I'm cutting pine 8 to 14 ft. Got a small tractor with forks and just about topped out with it. Last week I lost all the liquid in the right rear. Could't lift any thing. Been a log week with out the tractor.
From Madawaska Maine and now living in Mass.
John Deere 5420,
WM LT 15.

SwampDonkey

Gnawing at tree buts is for beavers, not men. ;)

Sorry, gotta find my entertainment someplace. :D

This was a joy to read. :)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

bandmiller2

If a fella with a small bandmill cuts alot of oversized logs it would pay to build a dedicated chainsaw slabber that could be picked up by two guys and set on the mill track.It could be adjustable up and down or set to a hight that the sawhead could handle.Probibly the most you would have to make is two cuts before the bandmill could handle it. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Magicman

No matter what size sawmill that you have, given enough time, you will try to saw a "too large" log.  I guess that is just our nature.  The sawhead on my WM will only raise 36".  Any log larger that 36" is going to be a pain and require extra work to get-r-done. 

Too large logs generally require support equipment such as a tractor with a FEL.  With it, they are easier, but without they are no fun.  But I still do it.   :-\

Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Todd

no matter how big the mill you need bigger, and you will bite off more than you can chew.  my first couple of logs yeilded some 28" wide soft maple boards that are still laying in the shop.  I have no idea what i'll use them for, but getting a couple giant boards is too cool at first! I think you did a great job on that log..and you got alot of experience outta one log too! (funny how at the time it's a "pain in the ---!  It's only after the fact that it becomes valuable experience  :D )
Making somthing idiot-proof only leads to the creation of bigger idiots!

DR_Buck

Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

beenthere

Only a mill that is too small. ;)

Or a bar that is too short. :D
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

jwoods

Piston,

Funny thing, my wife has the same posture whenever she's watching me run the mill.

I've got decent support equipment around the mill but am running a manual like you are.  Whenever I have big logs (like always) my method to turn them is still manual:

Get yourself a "handyman" jack -don't know the correct name but they're an overgrown bumper jack on steroids.....about 4 feet tall.  Place it on one side of the log, and wrap a chain underneath the log, and attach to a grab hook driven into the log(long forgotten but handy logging widget)on the other side near the top.  If you don't have one they can be made very easily from plate steel.

-chain attached to the grab hook, runs underneath the log, and hooked to the jack on the other side.  Start jacking up, and it rolls the log away from the jack and when it contacts the bunks the log turns....a whole lot easier than a peavy, and easier on the mill than a backhoe.  It's also a one-man show, you don't need any help. 

I'll try to get some photo's sometime.

Joe.





Piston

Joe,
That is a good idea, I've seen those 'Hi Lift' jacks used on jeeps before and never thought of it for the mill.  Thanks for the suggestion. 


Quote from: Todd on January 02, 2012, 09:38:53 AM
... (funny how at the time it's a "pain in the ---!  It's only after the fact that it becomes valuable experience  :D )


That is absolutely true!  :D :D :D :D :D
-Matt
"What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed his temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race."

zopi

The other thing a hi lift is great for is straightening out heavy logs on the ramps as they are winched up to the mill...particularly with the GO kit or a 28/40 manual...
Got Wood?
LT-15G GO chassis added.
WM sharpener and setter
And lots of junk.

never finished

  Piston, I turned a 29" oak on my manual mill last week using the high - lift jack method. There's a post started by maple flats 0n 7/05/09 where moonhill has pictures of this method. Thats where I got the idea,


swampbuggy

I ran into the same issue this summer. As my mill is small I had to cut it down a little at a time. But I got 2 of the most beautiful Mantel pieces ever. I figured my log to weigh 3K, and I blew out the tire on the skidsteer, but it was worth it and I hope I can do it again!!

  

 
If it was easy, everyone would be doing it!

Paper Maker

 

   Been there done that but I'll never do it again. It was way to dangerous and time consuming for me. This was a 18' long 34" diameter white oak log. This thing was way to heavy for my TK B-20. I almost done as much cutting with a chainsaw as I did with the mill. I think it ended up being about 15 true 2x8 boards and allot of work. The sad thing is that it had to be cut in the first place. I counted at least 175 rings but some of the rings where so close they where hard to count, so there were probably more than that.

Dan_Shade

i added a boom for the track I made for my old Hudson mill to turn over cants, it worked well.



This is the best way I found to load logs while parbuckling: take a chain and hook it to each end of the mill/trailer, then hook your cable to the middle of the chain, this keeps the log somewhat parallel to the mill/trailer.  Otherwise, a log can slip sideways about the time it hits the top.

Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

red

Honor the Fallen Thank the Living

red

There was a posting by member BitrrtrBill  from Oct 31,2010  titled Another Newbie   and he has a picture of a Gantry Style Lift-Hoist   looks like a Big Swing set
Honor the Fallen Thank the Living

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