Sawmill Setup

[Billbob]

I'm setting up my Woodland sawmill this week and need a little advice.  The mill is on a homemade trailer with a removable axle.  Should I take the axle off and put the bed on 6"x6" sills or leave it on the axle and block the corners?  The reason I'm asking is that I am 6'4" tall, with a bad back (herniated disc) (because I'm big like truck and smart like truck!)  If it the mill bed is blocked on the axle then there is less bending over.  My concern is that the mill would would be less stable if I do this. 
Your thoughts on this are most welcome.

[rasorbackQ]

 i LIKE MY MILL OFF THE GROUND . I have left my axle on it  and its mostly in the way when cutting long timber.  My mill has 4 corner posts and I added a scissor jack at mid point just for some support.   Don't know how some guys run the mills on the ground

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I had a friend that has now passed, he took the wheels off his LT 40 bed and had blocking on each end and in the middle. It worked great.
You can saw your blocks to what ever height you need. He never had any problem.

[drobertson]

Bad backs, and bad sinus, sinus might not be an issue, but proper lifting would be critical. anything to help is an advantage, not sure it matters what others like or prefer, the boards' in your hands, do whatever it takes,
david

[21incher]

Bad back! Sounds like many of us on here. Why not just start by blocking it up level and saw a log, then make adjustments from there to get it to a comfortable working height for you. If the wheels need to be removed or are in the way, then take them off it will not affect the sawing. The only thing the height will really affect is log loading. I have a mill that came with ground tracks and raised it up on a trailer so the bed is about 22 inches off the ground and it made everything easier on my back, Especially removing the cut boards without having to bend over and pick them up.

[Happycamper]

Bilbob,
  The day I brought my mill home I mounted it on a nice boat trailer that was given to me. It's under roof and about 24" off the ground. Have never had any reason to change it. It's easy to see the gauge, easy to clean off and underneath, just rake the sawdust out, I can watch closely the blade and guide wheels, plus any adjustments that need to be made are at close to eye level. Put lots of support under it to make it stable and easy to shim if necessary. I left the axle on and removed the tire and fender from the one side. The tire on the other side is off the ground.
                                   Jim



 

[thecfarm]

Others know more about this than me,but seem like I remember with a WM with wheels,the tires are kinda used to help keep it from tipping over??  You may have to chain it to the ground when  you take the wheels off. With yours being a manual mill I doubt you would need some 3/8 chains to hold it down.

[Billbob]

Thanks Gents.  I'll leave the axle on and go from there.  The axle and tires are small.  Off a tent trailer.  They won't be in the way.  As it is the bed will be a foot off the ground so I eventually block it up higher.  We'll see.  The back of the trailer frame has two fold down outriggers but they are made of 1 inch square tube and don't look all that sturdy.  I'll have to be gentle loading logs. I dropped some pretty big poplar trees today.  Got to clean up the logs laying around then set up the mill.  I have a good pile of pine, spruce, tamarack and poplar ready to go.  I'll practice on the small logs before I mill the big ones.  Getting itchy to start and the weather is holding.  No snow on the ground and none in the forecast for the next two weeks.

[Chuck White]

I had a friend that has now passed, he took the wheels off his LT 40 bed and had blocking on each end and in the middle. It worked great.
You can saw your blocks to what ever height you need. He never had any problem.

If anyone is considering removing the wheels (and/or axles) from their LT40, my advice would be to make sure the mill is well anchored to the ground.

If it's not anchored to the ground, you could very easily have your mill laying on it's side someday when you're loading a log and it hits the uprights a little hard!

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

My buddy has his anchored to the BIG BLOCKING. The logs came into the barn on a ramp level with the bed.
Worked great....no jarring or moving of the mill what so ever.

[bandmiller2]

BillyBob,I would raise the mill a little higher than it is on the axles now,you don't want to bend over.You have a good tractor and you can use it to load a dead deck same height as the mill bed. You can cut dunnage to support the mill,good heavy stuff.I would also build a roof over the mill heavy enough to have a hoist to turn the logs on the mill,you only have one back.My mothers side of the family came from Turtle Creek. Frank C.

[Sixacresand]

You should do what ever you need to do to help your back.  This includes setting up your mill like it needs to be and stretching/warming up your back before  bending/lifting each time you start milling.  I definitely need to heed my own advice.  lol

[Billbob]

Now yer talkin', Frank C!!  We have a saying here in the southern part of the province -                           

"Hold my coat and give me a rock....I'm from Turtle Creek!!!"

I've included a picture of a Turtle Creek sports coat and dancin' slippers!

  

 

All joking aside, the folks around here hold Albert County in high regard.  Great people, fishin', huntin' and woods!

Thanks for all the suggestions fellas.  I think I may have solved the problem  Bought four 2000# trailer jacks.  I'm mounting one on each corner of the trailer frame. I'm making the two on the opposite side of where I'm going to load from as telescopic outriggers. Much like a boom truck has. I have lots of 5"x5" tamarack sills.  I'll lag bolt the feet of the jacks to the sills.  That will take care of my concerns of tip over and will make it the height I need and make it easy to level the mill.  Got the materials in the shed.  It'll only take a few hours to fabricate.  Might has well get that done.  It's been raining cats and dogs here for the past two days and two more to come.  Weird weather for the Maritimes!  I'll post pics when I'm done.

Bill S

[coalsmok]

I block mine up. A six by six and whatever one inch it take to level it up across the bed is just about right. My mill was made with removable stub axles though, pull a pin on each side and the wheel comes off.

[WDH]

About 18" is a pretty good working height if you have to manually turn logs with a cant hook (i.e. hydraulically challenged).  Higher than that, you lose a lot of leverage and could wind up hurting yourself. 

[Billbob]

That's what I was considering, WDH.  18" puts the bunk to knee height.

[rimshot]

Always nIce to have the mill up off the deck a foot or two.  Even if the logs have to be hoisted.  Those of us with wheels beneath our mills or retrofitted to a trailer know to make sure and have a failsafe system that can  immobilize the saw head from moving the mill.  I not only pull a pair of tight load straps over the saw head and connect to something solid. In addition I slip a bolt through the head carriages and lock down the wheeled head assembly as well.  Don't need any runaway sawheads

Have fun with that new woodland.

rimshot