iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Lt35hd mill set up

Started by jb14972, March 31, 2019, 06:10:44 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

jb14972

I'm looking to start cutting ties and using the side boards as flooring and pallet lumber as long as I can lock down buyers. so far ties and pallet lumber looks easy to sell. My set up isn't finished yet but getting close and I was looking for some feed back.

I am buying the 12' or 20' log deck from woodmizer to speed up loading logs but im thinking about loading them from the operator side of the mill instead of the loading arm side. the reason for this is for easier off loading of the ties and lumber bc im setting up gravity rollers on the end of my mill and I would prefer to do that off the end of the mill and not under the sawhead and over the hydraulic controls. my barn setup doesn't allow me to load the logs on the correct side and offload from the end of the mill so that's y im considering turning the mill around.

the tie will come off the first gravity roller and fall into a pile to be loaded by the tractor.

I am setting up a straight line operation into an edger and then stacking lumber past that. all scabs will be pushed off the side of the first roller into a bin to be picked up by the tractor.

i will probably end up with a resaw pretty quickly to start sawing the pallet lumber with. haven't figured out yet if im going to keep it in line with everything else and set a chop saw inline or just stack it out and set up the chopsaw and resaw together elsewhere.

i also have a kiln so im looking to separate any high grade lumber for the kiln.

with rolling the ties with the toe boards straight onto rollers and into a pile im hoping to hit 70 ties per day with 3 men.

any advice is appreciated

Southside

Ties and pallet wood are easy to sell, then suddenly they are not, the tie buyers have no problem dropping the price to nothing when they have too many.      
  
In order to make money in that game you have to be into BIG production, more like triple what you are targeting production wise. 

Tie sawing is not the place for a 35, just ask the guy I bought mine from. It's a terrific mill, just the wrong application.

I would look into other markets long and hard before I put guys on payroll and tried what you suggest. 
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

WV Sawmiller

    I'm with Southside. I think your using the wrong mill for that application. I would not want to load from the operator side. That is where I off-load my slabs. Your sawdust is going to be blowing on to or under your log deck the way I understand your description making clean-up difficult unless you hook up some kind of blower system or such. Good luck. Keep us informed how your plans work out.
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

jb14972

so relatively quickly im planning to expand to an lt70 when I need the production but im looking to build my way to that.
why do you think an lt35 is the wrong machine to cut ties with, is it just the daily production? I also don't need 200 ties per day to be profit cutting ties and I am already diversifying with putting in a 4,000 bdft kiln. I am putting in a dust collection blower. I am also undecided on starting with a single or double blade resaw. im not trying to focus on cutting pallet lumber but this year I will be running an lt70 and lt35, I don't want the resaw to be the pinch point.

stavebuyer

1. I have done what your doing with a modified LT70.
2. I have done it with an LT15.
3. I have done it with an LT35.

With a fully automated 70(log decks, outfeed conveyor, sorting table, green chain, barn sweep, sawdust blower, edger, chipper, green chain, and chipper) 3 men would cut 70 ties and +/- 2500' of grade lumber. I was and am primarily a log buyer/broker. I hand picked most of the logs to be sawn. Significant investment. 300-500k in equipment, loaders, and the log pile to feed it. It was very profitable. Glad I was too stubborn to listen to all the experts who told me why it couldn't be done.

When ties are in high demand such as now: I know of several people who basically 4-slab 12-13" diameter logs into 7x9's using LT15s/LT28s. I have provided them logs to cut and bought back sawn ties. Tie logs in @.$40 bf doyle($14.40 per log)=7x9's out @35.00 and do 50-60 a day with 2 people. Completely manual. Mill and blades around $50/day to run. Tractor or skid steer for a loader. The math works just fine. The catch once again is having a connection for the "right log". Works great if your a logger and save out the right logs for rainy day sawing etc. 

The LT35. Its hydraulic but the hydraulics are slow and all the bed functions are at the end of the mill. For logs 12-13" 8'8" long : a manual mill and the Log Rite Mill special cant will saw circles around the LT35. The LT35 has no drag back. I set up gravity rolls to match the height of the roller toe boards. In my shed the lumber /slabs rolled off the back(tail light) and ties over the hitch end. Cutting ties and sawing/edging the lumber with an LT35 was 35 ties 500bd/ft lumber for two men. Set up could have been better but it was clear to me the slow hydraulics/no dragback/bed functions at the end of mill the LT35 was slower than a manual mill for sawing ties.

Go big. Super40+ or stay small (lt15 w power feed). Either one will work. Been there. Done that. Good luck!

jb14972

yea I agree with the slow hydraulics, I am also setting up a gravity roller to be at the height of the rolling toe boards to take them off the mill. everything is coming straight off the gravity roller. im really trying to set up the edger and all secondary equipment to be as efficient as possible. edging on the lt35 is a nightmare lol. as soon as I max out the capability of the lt35 im going to get an lt70 or 4500. I have been looking at both and cant decide between them but either will do the job im looking for. I have a small manual mill that I was considering putting a guy on also but not sure if it would be worth the time.

Thank You Sponsors!