Log scales and smart phones

[RayMO]

A while back I was wishing for a log scale for my Droid smart phone so took a picture of a scale card and used it as my screen cover/ wallpaper .Comes in handy from time to time.

[Tom the Sawyer]

Try "Sawlog Calc" for Android phones.  Figures board footage in 3 different scales, if you enter the species it will also estimate the weight of the log, and keep a running total of both.  The Pro version costs about $3 and enables you to email the results to yourself or to you client/customer.  Very clean and easy to use.

[Dave Shepard]

I bought the Pro version. It's really handy to tally that way, and then I email them to myself and I have a record both on my phone, and in my email.

[Piston]

Try "Sawlog Calc" for Android phones.  Figures board footage in 3 different scales, if you enter the species it will also estimate the weight of the log, and keep a running total of both.  The Pro version costs about $3 and enables you to email the results to yourself or to you client/customer.  Very clean and easy to use.

Thanks Tom!  I'm gonna try this out. 

[petefrom bearswamp]

Great idea Tom.
my problem is a smart phone with a dumb user.

[RayMO]

Good info . I bought the Pro version last night and it still has not finished loading on my Droid razr Max HD and I have  good 4g service . Guess I did not want to use it today anyway lol .

[Tom the Sawyer]

RayMO,

Something must have gone wrong on your download, the program is only about 600 kb.

[RayMO]

Rebooted and loaded fine. Very nifty app for sure.

[wfcjr]

Does anyone know if there is a similar app for an iPhone?

[clearcut]

There is Sawmill Calculator (free) and Sawmill Calculator Pro ($1.99), but  I have not tried either.

From the Pro description:

Description
Sawmill Calculator Pro assists you with lumber and timber calculations.
It has three major functions:
1. Generation of a list of cuts to make the desired boards accounting for blade kerf. As cuts are made, they can be checked off in the app.
2. Calculation of board feet where lists can be saved and emailed as a table. Hardwoods and softwoods are supported.
3. Calculation of log volume on the Doyle, Scribner, and Internation 1/4" scales.

[Tom the Sawyer]

Although there were also versions for Windows and the Palm operating systems, currently the only version available is for Android.  Nothing for iPhones.

[Piston]

Although there were also versions for Windows and the Palm operating systems, currently the only version available is for Android.  Nothing for iPhones.

Aw shucks!  I missed the part about it being for android phones.

[Tom the Sawyer]

An Update on Sawlog Calc

I have been using this app for years and, when I had some concerns about how it worked, I wrote the developer.  I actually got an answer to my questions.  We communicated several times and I made a number of suggestions about features that I thought would be helpful and he responded quickly.  The app has been updated and is now available at Google Play Store.   

In addition to calculating board footage in 4 scales, and estimating log weights, you can now add notes for each log and assign board footage prices (either what you charge to mill, or what you pay when buying logs) and it calculates the individual log prices and total footage, weight, and value for your log tally.  You can export it to your email and to your client/supplier.

Now available at the Play store.  If you are already a user you may have been updated but it not, it is certainly worth a try.  The Pro version stores your tallies and it only $3.

[ohiowoodchuck]

Timber Tracker is a app that will work on iPhone. I have it on my phone and it was created by Daniel Turner. He cuts a lot of walnut in Missouri, I watch a lot of his stuff on YouTube.

[scsmith42]

An Update on Sawlog Calc

I have been using this app for years and, when I had some concerns about how it worked, I wrote the developer.  I actually got an answer to my questions.  We communicated several times and I made a number of suggestions about features that I thought would be helpful and he responded quickly.  The app has been updated and is now available at Google Play Store.   

In addition to calculating board footage in 4 scales, and estimating log weights, you can now add notes for each log and assign board footage prices (either what you charge to mill, or what you pay when buying logs) and it calculates the individual log prices and total footage, weight, and value for your log tally.  You can export it to your email and to your client/supplier.

Now available at the Play store.  If you are already a user you may have been updated but it not, it is certainly worth a try.  The Pro version stores your tallies and it only $3.

Looks like a good app; I've just downloaded it.

I've been using the Norwood app to calculate board footages (works fine); I think that they have one available for Apple devices.

[clearcut]

If you feel comfortable with spreadsheets, mobile spreadsheet apps allow you to customize an "app" with your own formulas, notes, price lists, etc. Using data validation reduces input mistakes and allows for pull down lists for species and such.

We have been using Google Sheets (free and available for both Android and iOS) for cruise data acquisition and it works quite well. You do need to set up individual sheets for off-line use for places with no cell signal.  The spreadsheets automatically back up to the cloud when you have cell or WiFi signal.

Excel also has mobile versions, but I believe you need a Office 365 subscription to edit spreadsheets on mobile devices.

[Tom the Sawyer]

For those who use the SawLog Calc Pro app for Android phones, I got an email from the developer this evening.

He has just released a new version with a couple of improvements.  One of the changes is that you can tap a previous comment and insert that rather than starting from scratch.  

The other improvement (which I think makes it the only app with this feature) is that he added the International 1/8" scale.  The International 1/8" Scale is much more accurate for thin kerf bandmills.  For example, with the 1/4" scale, a log that measures 24" on the small end and 8' long would scale at 205 bf.  On the 1/8" scale it scales at 225 bf.

Tom

[Stuart Caruk]

Thanks, I've been looking for a scale that fits in my pocket. Had to go wrong for $3.