Mobile milling: How much water to wash logs?

[treebucker]

Allmost every log we have milled had varying degrees of mud on it. >:( We use a log wizard and hachets but want to use a pressure washer. Every site so far has been at least 300' from water and across well-traveled driveways and trails so we know that we are going to have to haul it. Before we get into all that I would like to get an idea how much water it's going to take. I would rather improve the existing methods than get into hauling 30 gallons of water per log. I know there are a lot of variables like how muddy the log is and texture of the bark. But I have to ask anyway: Anybody out there pressure washing at remote locations?  How much water do you use for a typical 8-16' log?

[ohsoloco]

I don't know if all pressure washers work like this, but the little one my dad bought says it needs a water suppy of at least 25 p.s.i. to work  :-\

[scsmith42]

figure 3 - 4 gallons per minute, times the estimated time that it takes you to pressure wash a log.  Of course, some of that will determine how caked on the mud is...

Scott

[D Martin]

You would needto be able to carry a couple hundred gallons at least. and that would get you 10 minutes of washing. Most power washers need  water pressure  to run so you will also need a pump, plumbing from tank to pump wich will will have to be a gas powered pump $$$ if its mobile. Sounds like a p.i.t.a to me. I set up and ran a mobile powerwash truck for  highway tunnel paint prep project once. Water is 8 lbs a gallon

[WH_Conley]

Debarker quit on my mill one time and I wanted to finish the job, so we took a small pressure washer, 2.2 gal per min at 1200 psi. My Sil was washing the logs, almost as fast as I could saw them. : I am sure a larger machine would have done a better job.

Personally, if I were going to saw a lot a debarker would be cheaper in the long run, depends on how many ft per year and how many years you saw. I know I sawed muddy with a debarker and washed without, I'll take the debarker any time.

If you had a water source easily available washing would be fine, if you have to haul I beleive it would be p.i.t.a.

Course that's just my 2 cents.

[Robert Long]

treebucker;

leave this task to the owner of the logs to do and expect to find them clean when you arrive with the mill.

I give out a sheet of things to do when someone wants custom cutting off site.  If I don't see the site before the mill goes out I ask for an e-mail address and send the sheets on set up of logs for milling to them that way. It includes cleaning of logs.

Robert

[Skip]

I use a 3000 psi Karcher it will actually PUMP don't need water pressure from source It uses3gpm I usually carry 2- 30 gal drums If you use it wisely (dont wash whole log) it will last most of the day depending on how dirty etc. I don't wash till log is on mill so I wash only where cut is. Of course you must charge accordingly. And refills are from their source if possible.

[Brad_S.]

I'm in Roberts camp, leave that to the owner and charge for time chipping it off. The few sites I've been on that the customer was pressure washing the logs for me ended up turning into a swampy mess.