iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Mill loading or have a laugh at my expense...

Started by Bigdogpc, December 04, 2003, 01:50:25 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Bigdogpc

Several of you have 'fessed up to rolling logs off your mill.  This is an awful thing to do, especially when you load by hand.  My son and I were milling yesterday and I managed to roll a 3 sided cant off the mill.  This was the first log of the day.  My first thought was the forum and how many other folks had admitted to doing it.  The thought perked me up since I figured I had joined the elite...After correcting the situation we continued to cut some 14 wide 10 footers.  All was going well.  Log number five reared it's ugly butt...after considerable trimming we managed to get it on the mill, cut a slab, rolled log...right off the other side of the mill!  My question now is do I have the dubious honor of record holder or have some of you others rolled more than two off the mill in one day?

Log number six proceeded to mangle my loading ramps so we spent the rest of the day stacking and sticking what we had cut.

I will admit to our bad/humorous day.  I will not submit pixs to be used for blackmail purposes later...Go ahead, have a laugh on us!!

BBTom

I doubt that you are alone, but noone may admit to it!!  

I normally wait till the cant is nice and square and there is no earthly reason anyone would have a problem turning it.  That is when I throw it off the other side.  

My question is, why does it always have to be the heavy wet oak that does it?  I don't think I have ever put a piece of poplar or walnut over the edge, just oak and hickory!!!!
2001 LT40HDD42RA with lubemizer, debarker, laser, accuset. Retired, but building a new shop and home in Missouri.

SawBilly

I ain't done it yet, close though. My Pop has just the other day, he was by hisself and put up a large pine, 16+ feet and 30" had to get the tractor to pull it out from behind the mill.

I did try and cut the dogs off one time, got purty far thru befor the blade broke and parts went everywhere! 8)

SawBilly

Oh, btw

Hi ScottAR, I have been up near your neck of the woods a few times.

SawBilly

Wes

It seems that alot of us have lost a log or two off the back side or cut the dogs.

Sawbilly, how many of us do you think can say they five or more kids? :D >:( ::) ??? 8)

ScottAR

Hiya!   I've been over thataway once or twice as well.  Once on a quest for early bronco parts...  
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

SawBilly

HI Wes,

I would guess only the ones "smartern" us stopped before 5!!

Actually I wouldn't have it any other way. You have one up on me though, yours is old enough to help a bit :(

Percy

Hey Bigdog
Yer not alone, when I got my first woodmizer(96) I was concentrating so hard on trying to get the goofy flip clamp that mill had, to pop up, that I didnt notice I had dropped the backstops all the way down. When the clamp finally flipped up, I pushed the 36 incher right off the mill. Jambed up on the tire, had no bobcat, just a peavey and sweat :D :D :D, nuther time while turning a log that was waaaay too big for the mill, the  log jumped the turner, went thru the logloader on the mill lioke it was a ski jump and chased a bunch of looky-loos accross the yard.... 8)
GOLDEN RULE : The guy with the gold, makes the rules.

EZ

I've always watch when I'd have the squaring arms and the dogs up, because of reading about sawing them off or hitting them. After awhile it was just automatite for me to watch them. I often told myself when sawing, I wonder how these guys are doing these. The last time I ran the mill before shutting it down, I sawed the second squaring arm right off. Of coarse my wife was standing right their when I did it, I still here it from her.
EZ

craigc90

I havent hit the dogs yet but I have knocked the blade off a few times. I forget to raise the saw head when I return the mill for the next cut and it slides the blade off the wheels and digs into the blade shields.You would think after the first couple of times I would start paying attention.

Minnesota_boy

The first time I rolled a log off the back side of the mill (yes there was  a second  :D) I was operating at a remote location so I had no power support equipment.  The log just fit tight between the frame of the mill and the tire. I struggled for a long time to get it out with hand tools and couldn't get it high enough to go over the tire.  Finally a neighbor stopped by and helped lift the end and I rolled and pivoted it around the mill so I could put it back on and saw it.  I probably spent more than an hour sweating with that log.

The next time it happened, I grabbed a cable puller from my truck, hooked the end of the cable to the log stop, wrapped the cable under the log and back over the top and hooked the winch end to the other side of the mill.  5 minutes later I was ready to saw and hadn't even worked up a sweat.   That log rolled right up the winch cable and back on the deck.

It might not be so easy with a really large log, but it can be done with the cable winches and some pry bars and perhaps a handyman jack.
I eat a high-fiber diet.  Lots of sawdust!

isawlogs

  I haven't put two in the hole yet , but I do have one and was lucky that my skidder was wright there to use .All it took was a few minutes to put the choker around it and bring it back into the pile....
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

ARKANSAWYER

   Some times it can make your day and let your help know that you are still mortal. :o   This was not to bad.   A 16 inch log just fits between the wheel and frame and is a bugger to get out.   Never happens when I am alone but for shore the more foks a looking the worst it is.
ARKANSAWYER

ARKANSAWYER

RevCant

I've done this a few times.  Why does it always seem to be the first log of the day?  Of course, sometimes its the last log of the day too :D.  
Is there a catagory for flipping the mill ove while loading a log.  Did this one time while trying to load a log say to big for my 96 WM - 36" small end, 20' long.  I had a tractor front end loader assisting the loading when the tractor lost contact with the log and all the weight of the log went on the loading arms, which were about halfway up at the time.  Mill took a strange list starboard and started to capsize.  Barely saved it by dropping the loading arms.  Fortunately, they didn't lock up as they sometimes do.  Close call.  Should have had the swinger that day. :)
If cows could only tail....

maple flats

I've had one go off. With my Peterson I was cutting 2 x 8's with the vertical cut doing the 8" cut and as I was nearing the final pass at that elevation the log was off balance because the remaining slab was rather thin and the vertical slab still attached tipped it off because I didn't have it shimmed good enough. I got it back on by hand lifting one end at a time but it took a long time to get lined back up and finally gave up and just cut a new starting line and got the final few cut out. Been there.
logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

fstedy

 :D ;D :) Very first log I went to mill, On one side off the other. LOL But things went a little better after that sobering moment. Of course you always happen to have an audiance at those times also.  :) ;D :D
Timberking B-20   Retired and enjoying every minute of it.
Former occupations Electrical Lineman, Airline Pilot, Owner operator of Machine Shop, Slot Machine Technician and Sawmill Operator.
I know its a long story!!!

Bibbyman

I say,  if there's not a witness,  it didn't happen.    ;)

Just last Saturday I about jumped out of my boots when Mary behind me yelled,  "PUT YOUR BACK SUPPORTS UP!",  as I was in the process of loading the next logs. :o

We've had it happen a couple of times.  Never a good thing.  That goes for Mary yellin' at me AND rolling a log off'n the backside.  :D
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

submarinesailor

Ok it's my turn.   :D :D :D  We had just busted a 40" red oak in half to get on the mill.   AAAnnnddd  as we were loading it the mill, the tongs give way.  Landed on the mill, rolled against the stops and preceded to roll over the stops.  I through it was going to take the mill with it – lifted the near side legs off the ground. :o :o :o  To make matters worst, we can't reach the back side with the tractor. >:( >:(  Had a he—of a time getting that bruiser out from behind the mill.  And to add insult to injury, that half of the log was full of worm holes. :'( :'(

subsailor

Kirk_Allen

OK, One Time!  Once was enough ;D

I was loading a 24" American Elm and forgot to have the dogs up.  Rolled right off the other side and WEDGED between the tire and the frame.  Being that it was a 20 foot log there was no prying it out with tools.  No equipment so had to depend on my brain.

Reminded me of that trucker story where he had to let the air out of the tires to lower the truck so he could go under the bridge, cept in my case I just took off the whole Dang tire!  Log rolled right off that little step 8) 8).

??????Now how do I get that monster back on the other side of the mill??????

Simple ;D  Turn the mill around 8)


Cedarman

We converted the WM to electric about 13 years ago so made the mill stationary.
So you don't need wheels which we took off. One of the help got a little agressive pushing a good size cedar over and over the mill went. Been better off if dogs were down and log went off.  But no, the mill goes over on its side.  I didn't see if happen and only heard the hollering.  I see the mill on its side and think the worst. This can not be good at all.  We hook a chain to the top of the mast and with the loader up high pull the mill back up slowly.  It sets back down with a small thud.  The only thing damaged was the dust chute was flat.  We checked the mill out and all was well. 
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

Furby

Quote

??????Now how do I get that monster back on the other side of the mill??????

Simple ;D Turn the mill around 8)


I wanna know how long it took you to come up with that?
I woulda dragged the log to the other side, and thought of it as I was cutting the last board out.  :-\ ::)

ellmoe

     I think there may have been "one time" :) that I rolled a log on and over the mill. It does work better if you have the log stops up! This type of thing usually happens when a customer stops me in mid-motion and, distracted, I lose my place, and then forge ahead!
   There was one time though that I was particularily happy a log did not go over the stops . On an older style woodmizer, I was trying to load a large, crooked oak log. This oak had a knot in just the wrong place, catching a cross member just right so that the turner just  couldn't guite turn the log over. Working alone, I grabbed my cant hook and went over to muscle the log past that point. Giving it all I had, I got that big log to move. When it moved, it moved quick! I had been straining hard on that canthook, leaning over the log. When the log flipped ,it pick me up off of my feet and tossed me up and over the mill, right over the backside. When I hit the ground I rolled as fast as I could, figuring "big boy" was right behind me! Thankfully, I had the log stops up that time and they worked. I have never experienced something like before or after. It happened so quickly, and the feeling of be tossed like my 220 lbs. did not matter , sure made me feel humbled.
  I sure like the newer models!
   
Thirty plus years in the sawmill/millwork business. A sore back and arthritic fingers to prove it!

DR_Buck

Ok...I confess I not only rolled a log off the back side, I rolled the same log off twice!.   About a month ago I was sawing a 10ft  34" red oak.  It had a couple odd shapes where the butt had been cut off the stump.   While turning it to get to the opening face one of those "odd shapes" hooked on the manual dog (without the rollers) and before I realized it, it was laying on the wheel on the backside of the mill.   With a little help from a high lift jack, come-along and cant hook it was soon back on the mill.

Got the opening face cut, rolled it 1/4 turn and cut the second side of the cant.  All was looking good.   As I went to roll it to the 3rd side, the log turner got hung up in the log.   So, I decided to help push it a little with the clamp.   What I hadn't noticed was that while fiddling with the turner, I had dropped the back supports almost all the way down.   One small nudge with the clamp and over the back supports it went.

Customer wanted to know if this was the normal[/b] way to mill logs?
Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

Duncan

Unfortunately I have one a bit better.  I was working with Gilman and he had a 10' 12" Doug fir on the deck.  While I was picking up slabs he popped it off the deck.  Hitting me in the bottom while I was bent over, and knocked me headfirst into the sawdust pile.  After all of the swearing was done,  I was the sawyer for the rest of the day.

He may have a slightly different version of the same story, but I will stick to mine.
Kelly

Faron

Cedarman, This may not apply to your mill turnover, but Woodmizer issued a warning that the supports supplied on a mill with trailer axles are not adequate for use if the axles are removed.  An extra support to replace the axle is needed.  They warned of the danger of turnover, and recommended the mill not be used until it is installed. 
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.  Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote. - Ben Franklin

Thank You Sponsors!