Going stationary

ljmathias · March 04, 2009, 06:43:11 AM

Hey, all, I'm in the process of pouring a pad for my LT40 hydraulic and trying to weigh the pros and cons of stationary set-up. Guess I've pretty well made up my mind since I have the rigid legs sitting next to the barn waiting for the Woodmizer tune-up truck to get here next week. Had built a 12' overhang on the 'big barn' I almost have completed now but when I backed the LT40 into the space, it just didn't 'feel' right- too close to the wall for sawdust and me at the same time, and getting the sawdust out looked and felt problimatic.... so I'm in the process of forming up a 14X30' pad just for the sawmill. Already got plenty of wood for framing up, will need a beam for the side to allow 21' logs in, and already have tin for the roof (miscalculated on the roof and sides for the big barn). I guess I'd like some input on whether this is a good idea or not: anyone have experience going back and forth between mobile and stationary? Too much trouble? Better use for the axle and jacks? I've had the mill almost 2 years now and no real need or desire to move it- so far, I've cut only for myself for building on the farm here with both this mill and my earlier manual (5 years cutting total). Got lots of lumber air drying for the small house I'm building for my mother in law (if she survives chemo for small cell lung cancer) or for other uses. And besides, with the economy tanking and housing starts dropping to almost zero, not sure there will be much of a market for a couple of years- there goes any retirement plans I might have foolishly made!

Sorry to be long-winded as I just wanted quick feedback from you all- thanks.

Lj

WH_Conley · March 04, 2009, 06:58:09 AM

Stationary,I don't have wonder if I got everything on the truck now.

Meadows Miller · March 04, 2009, 07:28:06 AM

Gday

Lj im mostly stationary but having the option of packing the mills up and shifting them to another site with out to many dramas ;) ;D is why ive made the equipment choices i have over the years my opinion is that you cant beat being stationary and get any more productive than having a shed over your mill as it takes out variables like the Weather and will let you work whenever you want to if you have good lighting ;) but it causes one main problem which is Logistics ;) ;D with most of your work being around the farm and not realy having to shift your mill out to site the only advice i could give you is when you put your stationary legs under the Wm weld a ledge eg heavy angle iron to support the weight of the mill and bolt the legs and any braces to the mill proper as if you want to do some portable work with the mill it will just be a matter of jacking the mill up with the portable legs and unbolting the stationary frame ;) ;D If you wnted to you can take the axle out while leaving the spring packs in place to make the operattors side a clean runn with out having to worry about busting your shins on an axle stub ;) :D ;D ;) it will also make for a quick refit in the axle as they should have a locator pin ;) you should try and keep the mill so you can have it ready to tow within a few hours at the most ;) Mate

That being said if you have access to two loaders and a tray truck id just do all your work at the farm and just chage a cartage fee ;) or tell the costomer to organize their own transport Mate ;) ;D 8) 8) 8)

Wh I was thinkn that my self Ive had it happen a few times when somthing breaks down and the tool you need is still at home sitting on the bloody bench

:( >:( :

:

Mate ;) :D :D :D :D :D ;)

Reguards Chris

Chico · March 04, 2009, 07:58:57 AM

I think stationary is the way to go for all the reasons mentioed above . You're set up no flexing of frame which over time I could see a possible prob .JMOI would suggest raising it up high enough for easy maint under it also you never know what you may add later ie chipper etc also dust troughs I always went a min of 7' and as wide as possible on columns If you're limited to heigth because of log lifts or wanting to move it in and out etc,If I had a hill I could use I would prob cut into the hill and use it for end That I want to use to move the mill in and out with just give yourself as much room as you can Good Luck
Chico

SamB · March 04, 2009, 08:30:03 AM

IMO nothing wrong with being stationary, but I don't think I would do it with a mill like you're running. Sounds to me like you've got the set up a mobile sawyer would want. Another consideration in going stationary is you'll want good ventilation if you're under roof.

Bibbyman · March 04, 2009, 09:10:49 AM

We started out mobile but found that our mill was park (and ran) in the shed for 4 years without going out on a remote job. So when we upgraded to a new mill in 2002, we went electric and stationary. Won't say I'll never own a mobile mill again but it's unlikely.

There has been quite a few ways of moving the sawdust away from the mill. We have a 5hp blower from Timberking. It's been in service for 5 years now and moved many tons of sawdust from our mill and edger. There is still probably 10% that falls off the lumber or cant and just bark and debris that falls from the log that builds up under the mill. We have to stop and shovel it out about once a month.

Here is a link to how we installed the blower and some other combinations and comments.

Blowing sawdust - TK blower

pineywoods · March 04, 2009, 09:54:01 AM

LJ, like you I have a portable mill that's never been out of the shed. I find 2 big advantages to leaving it there and hauling the logs. 1 sawdust blower, you never realize how much back ache this will save you until you have one. 2 electric power for the hydraulics..My mill is a manual with home-built hydraulics powered by a 2 hp electric motor. The 12 volt powered hydraulic setup on a woodmizer is an expensive high maintenance item, dictated by the portability requirement. For the real cadillac setup, go to bibby's sawmill mods thread and look at his setup. Mine is similar, just made out of junk-pile parts..

bandmiller2 · March 06, 2009, 06:49:09 AM

Ole Piney pretty much nailed it ,you can't beat stationary.You want to have elect power,and a roof over your head.You can set up log handling and sawdust removal.Even a coffee pot ,hotplate for those DanG grits if you got to have them.Frank C.

Tim/South · March 06, 2009, 10:12:19 PM

I have an LT 40 Manual and a portable edger. I am set up under a roof.
I like having my equipment here at home. Part of the reason is that I do not feel comfortable leaving equipment on someone's property unprotected (from the elements and those up to no good).
Another reason is I do not like to haul a tractor or loader to a site.
When we first bought the mill the idea was to go on site and saw, leaving the slabs and dust to be problem for someone else, pack up and go home.
We bought a used forklift that has been the handiest thing around the mill. It is not designed to work on any surface, especially wet/uneven ground.
I can bring the logs to the shed with a tractor or loader and then place them on the mill with the fork lift when it is raining.
I also off bear a good bit of lumber the same way.
I guess I am just getting old and want to do things my way.

ljmathias · March 07, 2009, 06:34:37 AM

Thanks for all the great input- helped me firm up my decision to set up permanent. Poured a 14X30 slab that is curing nicely under visqueen now and it should be ready when the Woodmizer truck and crew get here sometime next week. Got the legs here and removed a couple of pine trees that might have been a problem when the next Katrina hits (and it will, sure as daylight and taxes). As others have pointed out, if you have some equipment on hand, stationary set up just makes so much more sense- I have a mid-size backhoe/loader I use to bring logs in, haul slabs to the burn pile, and carry lumber to one of the stacks that are growing nicely around the place.

Now only thing left to do is build a shed quick (or slow- guess I could build it after the saw is anchored firmly to the slab). Leaning towards a very simple four-plus-four set of posts (two on each side, two feet apart on each end) with either 30' rough sawn timebers or a pair of manufactured trusses spanning the openings of 26'. Got some really nice, aged under roof SYP that should do great- cut it flat on top (or maybe not?), notch where it will sit on the posts and lift them into place. I figure (with no figuring whatsoever, just seat of the pants) that an 8" or 10" diameter pole should bridge that gap and hold up a simple pole rafter frame carrying 26 gauge metal roofing. Maybe I can get one side up before the experts get here...

Lj

bandmiller2 · March 07, 2009, 07:23:17 AM

When you go mobile you have to figure in the cost of a truck and trailer large enough to haul your loader.Then anouther trip for the mill,alot of fuel and lost time ,you can't charge it all off to the sawee.Better to stay off the roads and in the sawyers box thats where the money is made.Frank C.

backwoods sawyer · March 07, 2009, 10:48:26 PM

Staying in the sawyer's box can get very boring unless you buy logs to mill, staying portable keeps you from having to buy logs. You can still buy logs if they are real nice ones. Besides the view is always changing if you are portable.

ljmathias · March 08, 2009, 08:59:48 AM

Sure, portable has a changing view, but it seems that view isn't always productive. Besides, my mill will be set up to overlook a really nice part of the farm- an everchanging vista that sometimes I just sit and enjoy it's so pretty. Got dogwoods getting ready to bloom, the grass is starting to come in (and the weeds but I don't discriminate, I bushhog them all) and the birds this year are unbelievable! Grandson and I were listening yesterday and the variety of bird calls was amazing. Guess the animals don't realize we're in a depression, and maybe there's a lesson there: keep singing and eat bugs!

Lj

ARKANSAWYER · March 08, 2009, 09:38:30 AM

There is nothing like pulling into a good site and finding a good pile of logs to saw that are well decked and ready.

The pretty sights that one will see.

And the jobs one gets into.

Then at the end of the day you leave the mess and lumber and know that all is right in the world and there is more to life then comfort and money. And all the Brothers and Sisters say "AMEN!"

(yes, I miss traveling, alot!)

Dave Shepard · March 08, 2009, 11:29:13 AM

We got our new mill at work last April. I moved it once, about 30 feet. I hope I don't have to do it again soon. :D It's not that the setup is that hard, but I get used to where all the holes and rocks are in the field, and it throws me off when I change locations. :

;D I am a huge fan of electric/stationary mills, but only if that suits your milling situation. I have decided that the effort of moving the mill, edger, and having to load tools and parts is greater than the cost of having the logs brought to the mill.

Jeff · March 08, 2009, 11:45:34 AM

Quote

Arky, aint that the one that broke yer leg?

ARKANSAWYER · March 08, 2009, 12:48:43 PM

Yes Jeff that is the one that GOT ME!

But Look what I got out of it!

And I had good help that day. If you look LBJ is sitting down on the end on the control box watching me saw.

Warren · March 09, 2009, 09:38:24 PM

LJ,

I am on my second portable mill. I have done one portable job. The current mill has never left the farm. Several reasons:

1) Have all the work I can handle (part time) right here. Why travel.
2) Am getting used to my set up (read that as "old and set in my ways...."). ;D
3) Always have a bed extension attached, so would require additional time for tear down and set up to go portable. Plus, being able to saw the longer length logs has made me more money than the one portable job I have turned down in 4 years.

Current mill is portable, diesel, walk along. The next mill will be stationary, electric, remote console. I don't thik you will regret pouring the slab...

Warren

VanWild · March 10, 2009, 12:12:32 AM

I run a Brand X Swing Blade and have the best of both stationary and mobile saws. The track on a swing saw is a pain to move and set up, so I have three tracks set in various valleys around north west Montana. I can haul my loader/skidder and the saw power-head in one load.

ljmathias · March 10, 2009, 06:46:21 AM

Update for last week: poured the slab and it looks great! I always overbuild so I used 3000 lb concrete with fiber (supposed to eliminate the need for rebar and remesh) but put remesh in anyway. Son helped me pour and we did it in about 2 hours total (pour that is; prep work took about 10 hours). Screed it off with a 16' 2X4 and I liked the way the scree marks looked so much, we left it at that. I've heard you should finish the surface to prevent water transport and make the surface harder, but hey! It's a sawmill slab, not a house (well, kind of a house, I guess, if I loved my sawmill that much).

Got excited waiting for the Woodmizer tuneup truck to get here (they seem to be lost somewhere here in the South, maybe just enjoying the great weather and doing a little bass fishing? :D) so I moved the mill onto the slab before I got the walls up. Sure looks nice and now I've got a wide flat area to collect sawdust on so I can push it into the bucket on my backhoe to move to the burn pile when I saw. I'm SO looking forward to a clean work space where I don't have to wade through piled up sawdust and stacks of slabs.

Got the day off so I'm going to rough up walls for the shed from treated 6X6's from my wood stash piles (why is it that I always keep 'extra' stuff around "just in case"? Pays off sometimes, other times the metal rusts and the wood just rots...). Planning open sides on both sides, one for logs in and slabs out, the other for sawdust out. Don't know how others saw without an endloader/backhoe but that piece of equipment has turned out to be the single most useful item I've ever purchase- wish I had two of them! Makes sawing fast and relatively easy- had a hook welded on the bucket when I had it welded back together (abuse does have it's price) and I just hook a chain with a grapple on it to pull logs from the pile over to the saw: easy on, easy off. That said, I was careful to keep access open for the backhoe, although (foolish me), I also left some standing trees just to break up the scenery: I love trees, especially in the spring and fall. Got a hickory and couple of pines near the sawshed-to-be although I downed a big old longleaf between the big barn and the sawshed- it was just too tempting to the hurricane gods being next to two such beautiful targets!

I'll try to get pictures of the stationary setup when we get to it: attaching legs, drilling and setting anchor bolts, leveling and squaring up. Saw doesn't have many hours on it, but I sure do want to keep it in tip-top form so I can just cut without having it wave and jam up and what not (wishful thinking, I'm sure).

Lj

OneWithWood · March 10, 2009, 11:31:19 AM

Brings back some fond memories.

Have fun now so you can have fun later ;D

ARKANSAWYER · March 10, 2009, 10:04:42 PM

Yes we like photos.

ljmathias · March 13, 2009, 08:02:26 PM

Got a few pictures to post today- of course, this is a work in progress and the Woodmizer expert is supposed to come tomorrow to tune up my mill and help me change out the legs and remove wheels and other stuff. Pictures clearly show I'm in a hurry on this project- my "timber framing" is more ersatz than real- hate to say it but I'm using 10" fastwings to tie everything together: not as pretty as "real" timberframing and it's definitely not as strong, but I'm under time constraints right now. Got a house to finish, another house to finish remodeling, upkeep on the farm, a new (or rather old) trailer to repair and update on land we just bought next to the farm (guy was wanting to extend the trailer park up the road but we managed to hold em off this time- nothing against trailers, my son and his family live in one, but we just don't want another dozen or so new best friends right on our front porch)... plus do my day job. Life is so much fun- heard it said that productive hard work is the most fun there is, and based on that, I'm happier than a dead pig in the sunshine!

Pictures aren't in any particular order, just to illustrate status today. Hopefully, we'll get a bunch more as we install the stationary legs and make that transition...

Shed will be 14' wide and 29' long with a roof that slopes at from the southeast to the northwest at 2in12 or so. I'll sheath part of the south-east facing side where logs will come in, just to cut down on some of the blow-in rain. Most of our bad weather comes from the south, more or less, although the really cold weather comes from the northwest. We'll see how this shapes up as a stand-alone, access from all sides sawmill shed.

Lj

Dave Shepard · March 13, 2009, 09:28:31 PM

Looks great! I think you will be very happy to have your mill stationary. Getting rid of the axle, and having it on a slab will make cleanup and even running the mill much easier. 8)

DWM II · March 14, 2009, 07:54:42 AM

Hey, I recognize that place! I like the dedicated slab just for the mill, if nothing more for the ease of slab removal. When I built my saw shed, I didnt account for that, i have to throw all my slabs to the loader instead of the back.

And before I forget, tell Ms. BJ I said hello! Pat the dog on the head for me too. ;)