A day cutting wood

[beenthere]

Or a spare key for the mill in the truck and at home.

[ozarkgem]

I use tongs quite a bit. I have 4 different sizes . That looks like a pretty good load for your truck and trailer. Did you have a crowd watching you saw lumber in the street?

[backwoods sawyer]

It as Sequoia, about 40-50 years ago a good many of the nurseries in the area carried them. Another large one across the street. Now they are getting so big they are causing damage and have to come down.   

Had a few duplicates, but several will require changing lock sets, Had just got a second key for the car last week and the original was one of the missing, that was close. Got to know the key maker at the local hardware store today ;D

The area had light auto traffic but a lot of dog walkers, foot and bycyle traffic. We took a break when the school on the corner let out. Did hand out a few cards and a few lounge chairs, cigars and coolers came out. At the end of the day it was all thumbs up ;D

[Jim_Rogers]

So, yesterday, we hauled my mill some 85 miles south to a salvage lumber yard. I was to bring my 6' bed extension along so we could mill up some 23' long beams into smaller pieces.
I hired a friend with a nice flat bed pick up truck to haul the bed extension behind me as I hauled my milled down there.

Wasn't the best weather for the ride or set up. But the mill is there.



 

above are some of the first timbers that I have to cut in half.

They were suppose to be 23' long. Not to bad to do on a 22' mill, will only have to slide them 1' or so I thought:



 

A bit longer than 23'. The tape reads 28' 7".......

The yard area where I was going to set up was a little rough. I asked the bobcat driver if he could flatten it out some.
He said sure:



 

back dragging with the timber. I sure hope they don't expect me to saw that one......

Got the mill in the yard but didn't get the bed extension hooked up yet:



 

Some of the ends of the timbers I have to cut today:



 

I'm leaving now as it is a two hour drive and I have to be there by 7am to meet up with the bobcat driver.
Wish me luck for sure.

Jim Rogers

More photos later on.

[thecfarm]

Good luck to ya Jim.

[terrifictimbersllc]

Good luck to you again.  As to the timber in the dirt, I have a customer where that seems to be standard log preparation.  :

[Peter Drouin]

The beam dose work well.  :D :D :D :D


Cut some butternut today.


 
And a load came in.


  

  

  

 
Nice hemlock, This is what good stuff looks like all white on the ends
3800 BF in all.

[thecfarm]

Yes,nice looking hemlock.

[Peter Drouin]

They came from a place that is sandy.

[highleadtimber16]

I sure like those short self loaders!!!

[New Brunswick]

They are great looking logs, do you find less shake in that size of tree vs the older. bigger ones?

[Peter Drouin]

They are great looking logs, do you find less shake in that size of tree vs the older. bigger ones?

No, it's all about the ground, Sand and clay seem to make nice wood.
W pine no red rot, No spider crack on the end of red Oak, No shake in the Hemlock. Not 100%, but you can see the wood is nice. When the loggers are on ground like that I try to get what I can.
Right now the big mills are screaming for logs. We have one mill goes through 30 +loads a day.

[Jim_Rogers]

OK so here's the update on how the job went.

First timber 9x15x23' had to cut two 3" piece off of each side.
First cut first side, first timber.



 

I hate when that happens.

First piece after replacing broken blade:



 

I had to make (6) pieces 3x15x23' the rest were 18' long a little easier.

Some were 4" thick and the bobcat driver was very good sitting them on and lifting them off.

Then they brought me some 3x floor joists and told me to just cut them in half. The wide way.



 

most were less than 8' long.

Some weren't that great inside:



 

But they don't really care about that.

They put that side, the inside, down and make that the bottom side of the table top. The glue these wide pieces together and make antique lumber table tops. and that means the rough out side of the old beam is the top of the table. they seem to sell a lot of these.

While I was there, I saw him making a counter top for a sandwich shop somewhere near by.

Mud and rain on Wednesday and Thursday.
Friday was a sunny day but they said later Thursday that I was done.
I spent all day Friday going down there, removing the bed extension and waiting for the truck to show up to haul it back. then driving it back 85 miles one way.

I won't be doing this job again for this price. Next time more money for sure.

Jim Rogers

[Peter Drouin]

Another load pine and hemlock


  

 
I have been cutting 2x stuff so I need the hemlock.


  

 
Look what I found, :D A short one, I like 6" trim on the logs.


 
Would you pay for a 8' log with 1½" trim? :D :D :D And would pay for this thing? :D


 
I know Poston would make something out of it. :D
The hemlock is big some bigger.


  

 
Then a customer came in and had some elm, Wants to make a truck bed with it .
Will Elm work out in the weather? How long will it last? And the logs are not the best. :D :D :D


  

 

[drobertson]

Treated, bout like pine, left with a topical coat, not too long,

[beenthere]

Then a customer came in and had some elm, Wants to make a truck bed with it .
Will Elm work out in the weather? How long will it last? And the logs are not the best.

If that is what the customer wants to make his truck bed from, then why not as long as you get paid ??

[Jim_Rogers]

Many many years ago, my cousin who was in the excavation business at the time, re-decked his backhoe trailer with elm and it didn't last long at all. Not even as long as oak.

He thought it would be rough and tough as it is hard to split to burn but it didn't last very long for him.

That's about my only experience with it that I can tell you.

Jim Rogers

[barbender]

The old timers here rave about elm for decking. I think that was due to strength more than longevity maybe? I've never got to test it out myself.

[WDH]

I thought you was off Fair Hoppin', now you are cutting elm  :D.

[Peter Drouin]

I thought you was off Fair Hoppin', now you are cutting elm  :D.

I am, going Friday and Sunday :D :D :D :D :D :D
The elm is for next week If I get time :D

If that is what the customer wants to make his truck bed from, then why not as long as you get paid ??

When someone asks me about wood I like to know what I'm talking about. ;D

[highleadtimber16]

Peter, Do you buck your logs? Or saw them, in whatever length they come?

[Peter Drouin]

Peter, Do you buck your logs? Or saw them, in whatever length they come?

I tell the logger what I want. All cut to length 8'6"---10'6"---12'6"---16'6" and up.  No 14'  :D :D :D :D

[rooster 58]

Here in Pa. they cut hemlock in 25' lengths

[highleadtimber16]

Peter, Do you buck your logs? Or saw them, in whatever length they come?

I tell the logger what I want. All cut to length 8'6"---10'6"---12'6"---16'6" and up.  No 14'  :D :D :D :D

That's nice. Gives you more milling time and less bucking.  ;)

[Magicman]

I was back to sawing today.


 
Four 8' Sassafras logs to be sawn into 1X5's & 1X10's for flooring, plus one 2" slab for a counter top.


 
Thankfully I quoted "hourly rate" and came out OK.  I did not scale the lumber but it looked like about 500 bf.  It took 4 hours which was not too sporty production.