iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

OldJarheads Milling Thread...

Started by OlJarhead, April 06, 2016, 02:06:53 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

OlJarhead

Got some maintenance done today.  First, I took off the tarp and wondered what I was in for.  I'd covered all exposed metal with Fluid Film last fall when I put the mill away for the winter and was pleasantly surprised when I looked today!  ALL IS WELL :D

So much better than ATF and no tarp ;)


Next, after a good check over, some added fuel, a warm up on the engine and overall checks etc, I cleaned off the rail, relubed it with ATF which is what I'll use while milling and set to adjusting the belt tension which was rather loose (sitting all winter relaxed did that?  Hmmm....odd)

First step for me is to do it wrong, by loosening the bottom jam nut and turning the main buckle...... :snowball: :( Then i smack myself, go back to the book and do it all over again the right way! lol



    
In the end, after double and triple checking i thought I was wrong when it comes to the autoclutch turn buckle but the drive brake works well...maybe I'm reading it wrong but it seems I need a little time to recheck things.  The book says I should see 1/16th to 1/4 of an inch of the turn buckle when the clutch is off and I do not.

So far it's going well, just need to get some grease to grease all the zirts and check the hydraulic fluid and I'm ready to hit the road on my next job :)

Cheers
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Magicman

You gotta have that space on the turnbuckle.  Without it the engine is resting on the turnbuckle instead of all of the engine weight resting on the brake pad.  Adjust your brake.
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

OlJarhead

Quote from: Magicman on March 25, 2018, 04:12:22 PM
You gotta have that space on the turnbuckle.  Without it the engine is resting on the turnbuckle instead of all of the engine weight resting on the brake pad.  Adjust your brake.
Thanks!  I knew someone would set me straight on that one ;)
I'll sort it asap!
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Peter Drouin

Don't forget the wheel bearings.
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

OlJarhead

After 6 months of not milling I must admit it hit me yesterday like this "crap!  what else am I forgetting?" as I was loading up the truck to head out and realized I needed to grab shims LOL
 

I got the book out again and adjusted the brake....over and over and over.  I found that I could adjust it until I was blue in the face and it would not be right but if I tested it by first trying to rotate the belt by hand with the clutch off, and then running the engine, engaging and disengaging the clutch and THEN checked the turn buckle it would be different.  That difference could be 1/4"!!!

So after much messing with it, and finally getting the brake to stop the band, just, and checking the turn buckle I settled at 1/4" and left it.  I am now interested in what tricks you all employ to get it right?

Heading off soon for the first mill job of the year with a out of place left shoulder (no idea how or why since it's not the usual one I have trouble with) and a disc problem in my neck (or so I'm told without the MRI) and wondering:  how on earth do you run a mill without moving logs? moving lumber? etc".

Wish me luck
Erik
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

derhntr

Eric, I started having problems with my left shoulder and left elbow. Been to the pain doctor and have got 2 injections in my neck. I had instant relief. I am sure that its not good for future health but lets me function. I don't have to pop pain pills daily now. 
2006 Woodmizer LT40HDG28 with command control (I hate walking in sawdust)
US Army National Guard (RET) SFC

Magicman

Sorry to hear about the shoulder, but thankfully you do have the auto clutch.  ;D

It sounds like I do what you did.  First adjust the turnbuckle to get the proper belt tension and then adjust the brake to get the ΒΌ" gap on the turnbuckle.

Having had both the manual and the auto clutch, it's well worth the extra effort.    :)
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

OlJarhead

Thanks gang :)  She's running nicely now!


First log of 2018 goes up on the mill :)  Got a pile of pine, some apple and some locust (so I'm told but I'm not sure) to mill up before getting into more pine and poplar


Lunch and the last of the pine is ready to mill.  I had 4 logs up and 4 down in the first 60 minutes or so and it sure felt good to be milling again!


The last small apple 'log' on the forks but I just couldn't take the dust storm!  30-45mph winds were kicking up dust from nearby fields and just killing us and at some point I said "ok, I'm done!"  I was starting to have trouble seeing down the line at times and realized things were not safe that way.

Funny thing, when I took this pic it was much worse than it looks!
Not even sure what my production was today but I know it's over 700 board feet (which seems crappy for 5 hours of milling but nearly 600 in the first 2 1/2 hours before getting into little apple 'logs' but the customer wanted the 1x4's I was making out of them and was very happy with them.

I could not, however, mill out the stress in those little apples!  They face bent every darn time and no matter how much I flipped them they never stopped.  I'm guess orchard trees are like that but he felt he could strap them down, dry them and plane out whatever he didn't like so I'm willing to mill them up for him (he's paying me by the hour -- of course since that's what I charge but I thought I'd mention it).

Not sure what can be done with a 'log' that gives you a 4x4.5" cant LOL

Anyway, back tomorrow and Thursday and loving it :D and he said he has another job for me so we'll see!
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

rjwoelk

Do you have pic of the apple wood?
Lt15 palax wood processor,3020 JD 7120 CIH 36x72 hay shed for workshop coop tractor with a duetz for power plant

terrifictimbersllc

If they face bend in one orientation shouldn't they face bend less and crook more if sawn at 90 to that?  If so that would be better. Just an idea. 

Sure you got enough room for the mill there? tight squeeze.  :D
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

OlJarhead

Quote from: terrifictimbersllc on March 28, 2018, 08:08:35 AM
If they face bend in one orientation shouldn't they face bend less and crook more if sawn at 90 to that?  If so that would be better. Just an idea.

Sure you got enough room for the mill there? tight squeeze.  :D
They would crown but you do not want crown for things like wood you used to make a table, flooring, paneling etc.
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Resonator

Might want to save some applewood for grilling,  I've seen it listed for $40+ for a 6-10 lb. bag. 
Under bark there's boards and beams, somewhere in between.
Cuttin' while its green, through a steady sawdust stream.
I'm chasing the sawdust dream.

Proud owner of a Wood-Mizer 2017 LT28G19

OlJarhead

Quote from: rjwoelk on March 28, 2018, 07:28:34 AM
Do you have pic of the apple wood?
Darn!  I didn't get any but will try to!  They were banding it up and hauling it off as fast I could mill it up!
Milled a bunch more today but did not get a count :(  I milled the last apple log, then some pine, followed by locust (that stuff is beautify and HARD!) and then more pine followed by a bunch of poplar.  The customer said "you rock!  you're killing it!  I'm thoroughly impressed!  I'm going to have you back!  We'll mill all day tomorrow and then set a date to come back and mill as much of that poplar as we can before the summer!

Early in the day



Then this happened :D

The help was awesome and they kept it up all day

Making sawdust is just good for the soul :)
I finished the day turning about 18 1x8's to 1/10's into 1x3/8" sticks for their bee hives.  Hard to see what that yield was but the customer was stoked at how fast I could turn those suckers into 3/8" trim boards for him.  He told me the 3 bundles we made wouldn't even make one project! and wants MORE MORE MORE!  Good thing I charge by the hour.
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

OlJarhead

Holy logs batman!  This customer called and wanted me to check out his logs and see if there was any lumber in there.....ahhhh......



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
To be honest, I'm not sure if he wants to mill much of it but he's looking for options.....there is a TON in there!
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Darrel

Looks like there might be some saw logs in there, but I'm sure that there a lot more firewood. 
1992 LT40HD

If I don't pick myself up by my own bootstraps, nobody else will.

woodyone.john

What's the quality of timber he's after  
Saw millers are just carpenters with bigger bits of wood

OlJarhead

Quote from: woodyone.john on March 28, 2018, 10:22:31 PM
What's the quality of timber he's after  
He doesn't know.  I explained a little about poplar to him but my knowledge is from speaking with a cabinet maker or two and reading online since I don't use it.  Pretty stuff though.


 
I didn't get many pics of the stuff but all in all I thought "wander what this would look like as a..." often when milling it.
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

OlJarhead

Quote from: rjwoelk on March 28, 2018, 07:28:34 AM
Do you have pic of the apple wood?
I do now, but first here is a pic of the locust poplar (oopsie, I thought I had one of the locust and then realized I did not).  It was quite yellow and very hard.

and now for the grand prize :D  This apple cost him a lot since the logs were small.  I was only getting 1x4's and 1x5's out of it but it sure was pretty stuff


 

 

 

 
I guess he plans to make a table out of it.
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

NorcalMatt

Nice work jarhead!

Is he using steel to band the lumber? Does steel ever discolor the wood?

OlJarhead

About 3200bf done this weekend.  The apple and locust really slowed me down on the first and second day but we knocked about 2/3rds of the total (if not more but I was being lazy until today on keeping tally) on the last day (yesterday).  I have to get better at keep tracking of the production when the help is that good!  Boards came off the mill as fast as I could make them! 8)


Setup at the new spot and was ready to mill by 8:30am



 
As the logs came up, I knocked them down but the customers help just kept bucking up more and more of them!



 
After milling about 20-24 logs (I don't count logs anymore but may go back to doing that) I spent an hour making 3x8x1" strips for his bee boxes and pallets.  Must have made 200 of those suckers!  That's a lot of sawdust.  I set the setworks to 7/16 (which he wanted) and ripped the flitches down....over and over and over again ;)

Going back in May to do a few more days.
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

OlJarhead

Quote from: NorcalMatt on March 30, 2018, 08:56:51 AM
Nice work jarhead!

Is he using steel to band the lumber? Does steel ever discolor the wood?
Thanks.
It is a plastic/nylon type band.  Doesn't care if the wood stains since it's all for the bee boxes (except the locust and apple).  He was a cabinet maker for several years so seems to know his wood well.
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

OlJarhead

 
Ready to get underway to the next milling job 100miles from home.  Camper packed and ready, mill loaded up and ready and I headed to the scales.  Without the mill in tow and no mill gear in the back seat area of the truck (and minus a few other light items) the truck weighed in over 12000lbs.  My E rated tires are rated at 4080#'s ea so with a rear axle tire rating of 8160, stables loads (upper and lower) and air bags I wasn't too concerned when the rear axle weight was 7680.  However, I'd had the hitch beefed up (basically a custom superhitch) and added the 36" supertruss extention I new I was starting to get closer to what the tires could handle.  The rear end is actually rated by (Visteon) the manufacturer) at 9750#'s so I wasn't worried there but getting close to max on the tires was a concern.

I figured the mill had a light tongue weight and thought I'd still be under but I was wrong!  With the mill in tow, about 100#'s of hitch and truss and all the gear etc I weighed in over 13000#'s!  Rear end sat at 8240 -- 80 pounds over the tires :(

Decided to drive slow (55) and see who she did.  Research told me the tires are rated at 4080lbs given standard road speeds (legal limits) and 50,000 miles so in theory, 40 pounds over on the two rears and lower speed (less heat) should be fine.

I headed out and got 9MPG on the 100 mile drive (with some good hills to climb) and all seemed fine.  Felt the tires and hubs at the end of the drive and they were cool.  I think I'm ok!


I arrived at the location, set the mill in front of the logs, dropped it, pulled ahead and set up the camper :)  Life was good!


21 logs turned into 22 by day two but I knew I could get them all done :)


After milling up some locust I got into real logs :)  Customer wanted 3x12's out of this guy so I offset the pith and split that sucker!


Another big log and more 3x12's


The customer wrote on all the logs what he wanted :)  Very nice.


At the end of the day I'd milled 2300bf of various stuff from small locust and walnut logs to big fir.  It was a good day and I was ready for a shower, a drink and some chow!

The awning helped keep the rain off my gear and I was really loving the generator!  I could run my compressor during every blade change and get things cleaned up nicely with air! :D

 
Some of the days results


After a shower in a bathroom that I actually can use! dinner and a drink I was ready to crash and the nicely laid out 'bedroom' was rather inviting!  I crashed at 8pm!  Can you tell I took too long off milling?


Couple cups of coffee in the morning and a little breakfast and I was ready to clean up some flitches and get to the big monster log waiting for me :)


This big log was 9 feet long and measured 42" outside the bark on the long axis.  I knew it would be a fun one!  But before loading it up we removed a 4" screw clamp used to clamp phone wire to the tree!  It was HUGE


Not much room for play here!


Time to start gun barrelling this sucker down!


After getting into it we found 5 or 6 nails (DanGit) and the customers worker offered to trim bark with the chainsaw.


At least he put safety glasses on but I have to admit it makes me nervous seeing others run a saw without at least having chaps on.

On a side note, I got my Husky 576xpw out since it was newly rebuilt (thank you Husky and Bailey's) and it ran well.  I didn't push it hard wanted to be sure it was well broken in and ran Husky bar oil and TruFuel 50:1 in it.  So far so good.


Later in the day the last big log was milled into 1x4's.  I was having trouble with knots causing waves and cursed myself for bringing the wrong box of bands (only brought 10's but meant to bring a box of 4's) which cut fine all day, and later but not on the big wood with knots.  Changed bands, checked everything and determined the 10's just suck on big cuts with knots and discounted the customer the 3 bands I cut nails with in exchange for what I felt were poor 1x4's.  He said he was happy with them anyway but accepted the exchange :)  But then I'll be back in May so I'd say it's worth it!


Clean 3x12's cut nice and square.  I knew my belt tension was fine or this could not have happened!  Darn 10's.  I'm starting to only use them on small wood now and replace them with 4's or 7's when I need replacements.


Oh Arctic Fox 990 how I love the! :D  

The LT40 turned 428 and I need to do some maintenance before next weekend where I'll drive 110-120 miles to the next job and mill up a dozen logs or so.  Then I'm off a week or two and back to milling local for a few days, then back to Chelan to mill 20 burned pines.  I'm busy through to June now :)

Cheers

Erik


2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Weekend_Sawyer

Nice going Eric,
I'm still enjoying watching your milling adventures.

Jon
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

WV Sawmiller

Eric,

   Can I have your customer call mine as to the log marking idea and such. I like that. As often as not when I get there the customer has no idea what he wants. I bet the 3X12's got a little heavy by the end of the job.

   On the blades I'm replacing all mine with 4's as I go along too. They'll cut anything while the 10s only seem to like certain softer logs with no knots.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

OlJarhead

Thanks guys :)

Most customers only have some rough ideas but this guy knew what he was doing :)  He used to have a guy with a Timberking nearby but it burned in a fire.

Oh and I didn't have to pick up a single piece of lumber this trip :D  The help was awesome.
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

Thank You Sponsors!