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My milling adventure begins (HM130)

Started by Roundhouse, May 16, 2016, 11:13:31 AM

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Roundhouse

This weekend was a little like Christmas morning around here.  8) My HM130 was delivered on Friday and I spent a good chunk of time unpacking and assembling the mill Saturday and Sunday. I'll post up some photos as I go along. This is my first mill and I'm sure there is some overlap in the design and assembly with the HM126 but being a new model I figured I'd document the process for anyone considering this mill.

First off, the delivery. With Woodland Mills gearing up to sell this mill I thought the turnaround time was good. It was exactly two weeks from when I sent off payment by mail to when the mill arrived. The mill left Buffalo on Tuesday and reached me in Western Wisconsin Friday (the distribution hub for delivery is in Minnesota).

Thankfully the that morning's torrential rains had stopped by the time the truck arrived in the afternoon.


A word of warning to anyone receiving one of these mills via curbside delivery. I don't know how much bigger the crate is than the HM126 but the driver struggled with it. It was too big to turn inside the truck. Most significantly, the spacing and placement of the studs in the pallet didn't allow the pallet jack to lift from the center, it had to be offset to one side or the other. With the jack offset, and the weight of the mill, one side or the other would drag. With the width of the crate filling almost the whole lift gate, and one side dragging it hung up on one of the hinges, partway onto the gate. At this point the jack handle is on the outside of the crate on the lift and the driver is inside attempting to push. The only way to slide the crate over the hinge and allow the gate to lower was to get a pry bar from my garage. The gate was angled slightly down and out due to the weight. I could tell what was coming and when I popped the pallet off the hinge dropped the bar and pushed back on the crate for all I was worth to keep it on the gate. Once the large "steering" wheels of the jack went off the gate the forks hit and the crate stayed on the gate, from there we got it to the ground without incident. Maybe I'm unlucky, or lucky, but if at all possible have some strong friends on hand if you run into the same issue.  :)



I was grateful the driver brought the crate down the driveway and into the garage where I planned to do the assembly. This allowed me to take my time in unpacking, I doubt I would have been able to move the whole crate otherwise. The crate shipped with an extra length of track on top, and 10 extra blades as well as fitted cover. This combo weighed in at 1186 lbs according to the shipping order. I was surprised at how relatively small the track box was but it was quite heavy by itself.

Once the smaller boxes were removed the mill head is laid down forward to start the assembly. It is on a wheeled platform that I used throughout the process.


The front vertical posts and the bottom brackets go on first so the mill can be stood up for the rest of the assembly. I'm getting ready to lift it so I've set cardboard under the brackets to not scratch them. There is no shortage of cardboard once you start unpacking.  :D


I was working alone and the mill is heavy even before you start adding pieces. Using an electric winch was a life saver several times, first seen here as I stood up the mill. I keep the winch in a crate I made for it so in some of the shots it just looks like a wood box with a hook sticking out of it. As I stood up the mill it sat on the cardboard but before going on I would lift it enough to set it back on the platform before proceeding.


While I could pick up the top crossbar it too was heavy. I was able to line it up just right with the winch and take my time placing the bolts through the uprights.


Now it's really coming together with the cables routed, dashboard attached, lube tank attached and lines routed. Ignore the tennis ball, that's a parking gauge for my wife.  ;D


There are some gaps in the instructions, as I went back to the box and realized the ruler still needed to be assembled but that was pretty self explanatory. Once it was all together I lifted the mill head off the platform and turned to the track. Although I'm still determining a trailer before I put the track together I decided to put one section on the cart so I could line up the wheels correctly before tightening everything down. To keep it simple I only used two cross pieces and the stops since this will be coming apart when I do my trailer build. Here I have lifted the mill head and moved the platform with the track underneath it. This worked pretty slick as I could ease the head onto the track and see where I needed spacers (one on each of the forward wheels), then lift just enough to add the spacers, then ease it down on the track to test it.


With the wheels set and everything tightened down I rolled the platform out into the sunshine for a couple more pics. Even though the mill didn't tip when rolled to each end of the stops I put the wood clamps on the track as an added measure of precaution. If this mill cuts as good as it looks I'll be happy with it for a long time.


Other side showing the controls etc.


With that I put the mill back inside and placed the new cover on it, now to make that trailer decision. Good thing I'm not planning to mill at home or I may still be out there trying it out.  :D

One question I have for the FF members;
I notice when reading the manual it stresses taking the tension off the blade when done milling to prevent flat spots on the wheel belts. Is this something I need to do before use? I've made no adjustments to the blade tension and it will likely be a couple weeks before I do any cutting. The blade feels like it is under tension. Is this done for shipping to keep things stable? I don't want to mess up any factory settings but I also want to let it "breathe" if that's what it needs.

Thanks everyone, I'll put up more to this thread as I proceed and impressions of the mill as I get to using it.
Woodland Mills HM130, 1995 F350 7.3L, 1994 F350 flatbed/crane, 1988 F350 dump, Owatonna 770 rough terrain forklift, 1938 Allis-Chalmers reverse WC tractor loader, 1979 Ford CL340 Skid Steer, 1948 Allis-Chalmers B, 1988 Yamaha Moto-4 200, various chain saws

york

You did a good job on the documentation of your mill assembly and thanks,yes back off the band tension......
Albert

squidboy51

Roundhouse

Wow!!!

Nice write-up and pictures.

Woodland is a very helpful company, if you have any questions I am sure they can help you out. The videos are very good too.

I am very happy with the HM126 I purchased last October. I make nice lumber with it and I had no prior experience. The quality of the mill is very good and the Kohler engine starts easy and has not skipped a beat so far.

I mill bug killed Ponderosa Pine right at the size limit of the mill throat all of the time and have not had the frame tweek from the weight. I am thinking about adding another section of frame rails to do 20' beams.

Good luck with your new mill, I can see Woodland made some nice improvements over the HM126.

Please continue posting about your adventures with the HM130.

squid
Woodland Mills HM 126, Dresser 125G with 4 way bucket, 1950 Ford 8N, Stihl 048 and MS170, antique Clyde Iron Works (1889-1947) cant hook.

Roundhouse

I've finally got an update to post. After a lot of research about pontoon trailers I narrowed my search to a particular manufacturer that builds with a design that I thought would work best for what I wanted to do. Some measurements were obtained from the manufacturer since like all pontoon trailer makers they are described and sold by the dimensions of the upper frame since that is what needs to fit the boat. What I really needed to know were the lower frame dimensions. I knew I could mount my track directly to that lower frame and get very close to the 19' 3" length needed by ordering a 22' trailer.

With the order in for a Wolverine trailer I had about a 2 week wait for it to arrive at the local dealer. Thursday it arrived and I picked it up, towed very nicely on the short trip home. At first I was quite dismayed that in selecting a 43" wide upper deck over the 47" option I wouldn't be able to remount the moving portion below the fixed frame like I had planned but upon further study the spacing of the brackets on a 22' trailer wouldn't allow that anyway. The design of my legs have been evolving quite a bit since. I will also use the top frame much as I had planned but only in semi-long term set ups where the axles are removed for convenience and security.

I had to snap a few photos in its as delivered form since there is a good chance it will never be set up like this again, or carry a boat, or go in the water:



By that night I had squeezed it into the shop, took a big gulp and started cutting, not the easiest thing to do on a brand new purchase but necessary. The pins on the upper frame brackets were welded on. After grinding away at a set in an attempt to pop them out I sped things up with the sawzall, I'll go back later to clean off the welds and ends of the pins. The trailer barely fit with the long overhang. Once the top frame was disconnected I lifted it out of the way suspended from the rafters, I'll go back to working on that at the end. This shows the tight quarters in the beginning but the top frame raised with my mill on a platform and the trailer:



I also unbolted the post at the front of the trailer that holds the crank, the crank will be remounted in a new position later and this allows me plenty of room to start the process of setting up the track on the trailer:



It's going ok so far. I did have a tense moment when I wasn't sure if the log stops would have room to adjust downward below the rails and still clear the trailer frame, ran out to check and they'll fit just right. I'm on to the bolting track together phase and have a trip or two to the hardware planned for this weekend. Stay tuned...
Woodland Mills HM130, 1995 F350 7.3L, 1994 F350 flatbed/crane, 1988 F350 dump, Owatonna 770 rough terrain forklift, 1938 Allis-Chalmers reverse WC tractor loader, 1979 Ford CL340 Skid Steer, 1948 Allis-Chalmers B, 1988 Yamaha Moto-4 200, various chain saws

grouch

I see somebody else desperately needs to build some cabinetry. There's a winding, almost-pathway through my garage if you can step high and walk crazy. My son tells me it's tougher than the agility exercises they had in football. It's a fire hazard, a critter habitat hazard and a falling in a heap and getting lost hazard. Been trying to fix mine for over 2 decades.

Looks like you're not far from being mobile! I wouldn't have thought of using a pontoon boat trailer.

Is that top frame mostly angle and the part you're mounting the mill to rectangular tubing?
Find something to do that interests you.

Kbeitz

If you got a lot of metal cutting to do then do your self a favor and buy some cut off wheels for your grinder.
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

thecfarm

All looks good,and some good idea there.
I use metal cutting blades on my Makita circular saw.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Roundhouse

Quote from: grouch on June 11, 2016, 03:08:05 AM
I see somebody else desperately needs to build some cabinetry. There's a winding, almost-pathway through my garage if you can step high and walk crazy. My son tells me it's tougher than the agility exercises they had in football. It's a fire hazard, a critter habitat hazard and a falling in a heap and getting lost hazard. Been trying to fix mine for over 2 decades.

Looks like you're not far from being mobile! I wouldn't have thought of using a pontoon boat trailer.

Is that top frame mostly angle and the part you're mounting the mill to rectangular tubing?

Haha! Thanks, it actually looks a little worse than it is in there. The "boss" keeps her car parked in there on the other side, the stuff on the left hand side is all on two rolling platforms, when the car isn't in there it rolls over a bit for more room in the work area. All that stuff on the right hand side is mostly mounted to/hanging from that wall.

Both frames are rectangular tubing. The upper portion is 2x3 tubing and the lower part I'm building on is 2x4.

I've used the cut off wheels on my grinder for lots of projects. For this I have almost no cutting needed. I did need the "reach" of a reciprocating blade to get inside the hinges to cut the pins out, I'll be making some mounting clamps but I won't need to cut or weld on the trailer or track at all.
Woodland Mills HM130, 1995 F350 7.3L, 1994 F350 flatbed/crane, 1988 F350 dump, Owatonna 770 rough terrain forklift, 1938 Allis-Chalmers reverse WC tractor loader, 1979 Ford CL340 Skid Steer, 1948 Allis-Chalmers B, 1988 Yamaha Moto-4 200, various chain saws

plowboyswr

 smiley_clapping popcorn_smiley smiley_reading_book
Just an ole farm boy takin one day at a time.
Steve

Roundhouse

Work continued over the weekend, here's a quick update on the trailer build.

I put together the track on top of the trailer to see how everything lined up and I wanted to make sure exactly where I wanted to mount the track. It's looking better and the mill head stands by waiting for the big moment when it can perch on the new rig:



A look at the axles after I shifted them forward a bit, for balance and to better line up with the down travel of the bracing. It still surprises me how well this fits, the clearance for the wheels is close but adequate. In situations where I mill with the wheels in place they shouldn't really get in the way.



Next up was the most unpleasant task so far in the build. To provide spacing for the axle u-bolts and for the mounting bolts below the rail I decided to run rubber strips the length of the track. For the length and width I needed I decided to buy a stable mat and cut it into strips. At 3/4" thick it was very tough to cut. First I tried my circular saw, a lot of smoke, stink, and binding was the result. I had to finish the cut with my sawzall, not the greatest but it did cut it. Once cut down into pieces small enough to handle on the table saw I did that for a while. I made a mess there too eventually binding and blowing the circuit breaker. I finishing up with the reciprocating saw again then cut the 6' strips into the needed lengths. Here are the strips lined up on top of the rails to confirm sizes and placement.



As I matched up the strips to the rails I realized I wasn't done cutting rubber. Where the rails meet up to each other there is a "joiner plate" that mounts below the rail. I would need to notch each strip that runs under a joiner to avoid creating a hump in the track at each joint or having a middle section that "floats" without a solid mating to the matting. It was late and I needed to sleep on this one to figure out exactly I was going to make these notches. I ended up clamping the strip to the fence on my table saw and raising the blade into it from each side, more stink, more mess.



This shot shows how the notch corresponds to the plates visible below the rail here.



The last step for preparing the strips was to drill holes for both the bolt heads under the rail and for the large bolts that will attach the track to trailer.



I had a spray paint on hand that was a decent match for the color of the mill so I used that to mark each hole before drilling the strip. Since all six rails are the same I only removed one to use on all the straps for marking the needed holes. Although I won't be using every mounting hole I drilled the strip in every location so they are available should they be needed later.



They feel like baby steps but I do want to set it up as close to how I want as possible.
Woodland Mills HM130, 1995 F350 7.3L, 1994 F350 flatbed/crane, 1988 F350 dump, Owatonna 770 rough terrain forklift, 1938 Allis-Chalmers reverse WC tractor loader, 1979 Ford CL340 Skid Steer, 1948 Allis-Chalmers B, 1988 Yamaha Moto-4 200, various chain saws

Timster

On all the trucks I worked on between the body rails and chassis rail there was a spacer of hardwood usually oak. I would be worried about the rubber compressing as the head moves down the rail or from tightening the rail mounting bolts. Not sure how hard the rubber is but would consider milling up some oak spacers.

fishfighter

Why installing rubber strips? Per Woodland mills, it is best to mount 1"x1" tubing across the trailer and then bolt the track thru the tubing, thru the trailer. Or, line up the tubing with the track holes and weld the tubing in place to the trailer. Then bolt the track down thru the tubing.

Roundhouse

Quote from: Timster on June 13, 2016, 10:55:54 AM
On all the trucks I worked on between the body rails and chassis rail there was a spacer of hardwood usually oak. I would be worried about the rubber compressing as the head moves down the rail or from tightening the rail mounting bolts. Not sure how hard the rubber is but would consider milling up some oak spacers.

Thanks, it's really quite dense. I'll be mindful to apply the hold down bolts evenly and study any deflection I get from the weight of the head. If I detect any issues I'll go with a hardwood spacer.
Woodland Mills HM130, 1995 F350 7.3L, 1994 F350 flatbed/crane, 1988 F350 dump, Owatonna 770 rough terrain forklift, 1938 Allis-Chalmers reverse WC tractor loader, 1979 Ford CL340 Skid Steer, 1948 Allis-Chalmers B, 1988 Yamaha Moto-4 200, various chain saws

fishfighter

Oh, also about using rubber. Mix a little water in between your rails, rubber is carbon and it will create rust fast.

Roundhouse

Quote from: fishfighter on June 13, 2016, 11:03:29 AM
Why installing rubber strips? Per Woodland mills, it is best to mount 1"x1" tubing across the trailer and then bolt the track thru the tubing, thru the trailer. Or, line up the tubing with the track holes and weld the tubing in place to the trailer. Then bolt the track down thru the tubing.

Here is my thinking. The way the mill track sits on the trailer it "straddles" it by being wider, the mounting holes are outside of the trailer. I like the idea of not drilling into the trailer rails (slightly weaken) or welding on the trailer rails (slightly warp). I'll be fabricating clamps that connect my bolts to the bottom of the trailer frame rails. I also like the idea of a tiny bit of extra vibration dampening built into the track/trailer given the distance I'll be transporting between home and my wood lot. I'm probably being overly cautious by not altering the trailer frame but the way things are lining up this method makes sense to me, not that I won't revisit it later.
Woodland Mills HM130, 1995 F350 7.3L, 1994 F350 flatbed/crane, 1988 F350 dump, Owatonna 770 rough terrain forklift, 1938 Allis-Chalmers reverse WC tractor loader, 1979 Ford CL340 Skid Steer, 1948 Allis-Chalmers B, 1988 Yamaha Moto-4 200, various chain saws

grouch

Tip for cutting rubber, as in tires or stall mats: use brake fluid mixed with some water for a lubricant. Sawzall does a good job at low speed then or you can use a utility knife while bending the rubber to open the cut. Just keep dipping in the lube and be patient.
Find something to do that interests you.

Roundhouse

Finally, it's time for another update. Progress has been very slow but steady and summertime interruptions plentiful.
Once I had the rubber in place and the mill track aligned and bolted together I focused on mounting the track to the trailer frame. Originally I thought I'd be fabricating many clamps but instead used a series of angle irons running across both rails. They would become a resting place for my trailer legs when moving the mill, also a bracing point to lock the legs down when stationary. Still, I did make two sets of clamps for places where they worked better than an angle. One was a "single" set.



The other set of clamps was a "double" set that would be used by a set of bolts where two tracks sections came together:



And a look at one of the single clamps after it was installed on the trailer:



After that came a lot of drudgery involving assembly of the legs (with feet) that would be used in the "landing gear" supports. It must not have been fun since I didn't take any pictures! After a couple weeks of sweat and metal shavings, last Saturday morning I had all the prep work done on the trailer and rolled it out of the shop into the sunshine again:



In that photo all the legs are up in "travel" mode. I took the trailer out on the highway for a few miles to make sure everything pulled right and tracked well after all the construction, move of the axles, etc. If there were any issues I wanted to address them before placing the mill head but it pulled great. Three of the legs tuck up into the frame, the rear legs are set outside of the frame and swing up above it when not in use.

When setting up the trailer for milling, the first step is to drop each of the legs, then link each of the "feet" with a chain. In this photo the repurposed crank has been attached to the first leg but hasn't lifted the trailer yet:



With the cable drawn back by the crank all four legs press downward at the same time. Once the tires and the tongue jack lift off the ground the trailer is a stable platform for milling. In this photo the braces up front have been placed. This will allow the tension to be released from the front crank. When it's time to lower the trailer again the crank will lift it just enough to remove the braces, then lower it back onto the wheels:



More to come...
Woodland Mills HM130, 1995 F350 7.3L, 1994 F350 flatbed/crane, 1988 F350 dump, Owatonna 770 rough terrain forklift, 1938 Allis-Chalmers reverse WC tractor loader, 1979 Ford CL340 Skid Steer, 1948 Allis-Chalmers B, 1988 Yamaha Moto-4 200, various chain saws

clintnelms

Congratulations, looks great. Don't get me wrong, I have a HM126 and love it. But after all the time and money you put into the trailer, couldn't you just have bought an LT15-GO?

Ljohnsaw

Quote from: grouch on June 13, 2016, 12:29:36 PM
Tip for cutting rubber, as in tires or stall mats: use brake fluid mixed with some water for a lubricant. Sawzall does a good job at low speed then or you can use a utility knife while bending the rubber to open the cut. Just keep dipping in the lube and be patient.

A little late but for others in the future:  I had to cut a LOT of stall mats for a big barn.  They were 3/4 to 1" thick.  I would place a 2x2 under my cut line and a 2x4 or 2x6 on each side with some weight on it, causing the mat to be flexed and under tension.  Then I just used a razor knife/box cutter and sliced away.  Probably 4-6 passes and was through - changing blades as necessary.  Actually went quite quick.

Nice looking trailer.  How is the stability side to side on those legs?  I'm assuming  you have a collection of planks to make up for any uneven ground.  Are you going to use the remainder of the frame to make a bed extension, maybe something permanent at home?
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Roundhouse

Quote from: clintnelms on August 03, 2016, 04:41:52 PM
Congratulations, looks great. Don't get me wrong, I have a HM126 and love it. But after all the time and money you put into the trailer, couldn't you just have bought an LT15-GO?

That's a very good question and believe me I went around on that for quite a while. Ultimately I had saved just enough to buy the HM130, an extra section of track and pack of blades, just shy of 5K. A month later I was able to pay cash for the trailer at just over 2K. When I priced out the LT15-GO I was at 8K before I started buying extra blades. Within reach with a little borrowing although I was too tempted to upgrade the engine to 25 hp and a couple other upgrades, pretty soon I was looking at 10K. While I'm borrowing why not spend a little more and get an LT28. I was leaning toward the LT28 for a while.

I don't want to start any arguments but another factor was that for my purposes I liked the trailer I would end up with better by sourcing it separately. The mill will get some relatively long miles put on it and I really like the idea of having four tires under the mill. Also the trailer has two 3500lb axles. That's a lot of overkill but in the off season I expect to have to store some items with the mill/on the mill while in my garage. The other problem is that once I get an idea in my head about building something it's tough to not see it through.
Woodland Mills HM130, 1995 F350 7.3L, 1994 F350 flatbed/crane, 1988 F350 dump, Owatonna 770 rough terrain forklift, 1938 Allis-Chalmers reverse WC tractor loader, 1979 Ford CL340 Skid Steer, 1948 Allis-Chalmers B, 1988 Yamaha Moto-4 200, various chain saws

Roundhouse

Quote from: ljohnsaw on August 03, 2016, 05:49:37 PM
Quote from: grouch on June 13, 2016, 12:29:36 PM
Tip for cutting rubber, as in tires or stall mats: use brake fluid mixed with some water for a lubricant. Sawzall does a good job at low speed then or you can use a utility knife while bending the rubber to open the cut. Just keep dipping in the lube and be patient.

Nice looking trailer.  How is the stability side to side on those legs?  I'm assuming  you have a collection of planks to make up for any uneven ground.  Are you going to use the remainder of the frame to make a bed extension, maybe something permanent at home?

It's quite stable. There is an extra piece that clips to the front leg making it 42" wide (same width as the outside of the tires). The rear leg base is also 42" wide since it is always outside the frame and doesn't need to fit within the rails. My yard where I tried it is quite flat so it worked without any extra planks beneath. Also the legs can be extended in 1" increments to compensate for any slope front to rear if I end up setting up on a slight grade sometime.

I am planning to use the top part of the frame at my main milling location. The inner part of the adjustable legs are removable when the pins are removed, then I can pin the trailer to the "top" part of the frame and raise it on a very stable base.
Woodland Mills HM130, 1995 F350 7.3L, 1994 F350 flatbed/crane, 1988 F350 dump, Owatonna 770 rough terrain forklift, 1938 Allis-Chalmers reverse WC tractor loader, 1979 Ford CL340 Skid Steer, 1948 Allis-Chalmers B, 1988 Yamaha Moto-4 200, various chain saws

Roundhouse

It took so long to get everything set up I ended up making two trips to my woods in the meantime. The first trip I brought the steel palette "cage" that my mill had shipped in for future use as firewood slab rack. This was in a small trailer that I just hated to bring back empty. I tried not to overload it but decided to bring back a few short logs to try on the mill before hauling it anywhere. One of which I'd cut along my road and would be the first log on the new mill. A month ago I made a run with the skid steer trailer to get the loader moved to the right spot. I really hate to move that trailer empty since it whips back and fourth without a load. I took two nice straight maple logs back that I loaded up on the trailer before leaving.

Now I had some good wood to practice on here, but realized a week ago I didn't have the cant hooks here to handle the logs with. I did have an old hook bought years ago at a farm auction for a couple bucks. I dug it out and the handle was just about ready to crumble. It made a nice side project as I fitted a new oak handle for it, cleaned up the hardware and applied new paint. It works good too!

Before:


After:
Woodland Mills HM130, 1995 F350 7.3L, 1994 F350 flatbed/crane, 1988 F350 dump, Owatonna 770 rough terrain forklift, 1938 Allis-Chalmers reverse WC tractor loader, 1979 Ford CL340 Skid Steer, 1948 Allis-Chalmers B, 1988 Yamaha Moto-4 200, various chain saws

WDH

Just wait until you use your first Logrite.  You will put that thing back up. 
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Roundhouse

Quote from: WDH on August 04, 2016, 07:36:42 AM
Just wait until you use your first Logrite.  You will put that thing back up.

Oh I'm sure I'll get there. As for now I'm trying to keep a somewhat low profile with the better half until I impress her with all the stuff made from milled lumber. The bug has bitten and I can see a day when there are a handful of Logrites and an LT40 in the stable. These days I'm enjoying the journey and all I learn here plus with my new mill.
Woodland Mills HM130, 1995 F350 7.3L, 1994 F350 flatbed/crane, 1988 F350 dump, Owatonna 770 rough terrain forklift, 1938 Allis-Chalmers reverse WC tractor loader, 1979 Ford CL340 Skid Steer, 1948 Allis-Chalmers B, 1988 Yamaha Moto-4 200, various chain saws

WV Sawmiller

   I'm impressed with the pix and work you have put into this venture. I am sure the results will be a lot more personal to you because of the ground up efforts used. Looking at the trailer makes me wonder if you are planning to install and outrigger for extra stability.

   All this also makes me appreciate my preassembled mill that much more. I don't have the experience or tools or shop space to do something like that.

   Good luck to you and be careful.
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

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