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Cold weather stop you sawyers?

Started by welderskelter, December 28, 2018, 11:43:17 AM

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welderskelter

Its 5 degrees here right now. Dont want to go out in the cold. Things dont seem to work right when it is too cold. What is your temp at which you go back inside. Just curious. Harold

SawyerTed

We don't get frigid temperatures here often or for long. If it's going to be below 30-35° for a high temperature I doubt I run the sawmill but I will cut firewood. Five degrees is time to stay in beside the fire!
Woodmizer LT50, WM BMS 250, WM BMT 250, Kubota MX5100, IH McCormick Farmall 140, Husqvarna 372XP, Husqvarna 455 Rancher

woodworker9

I'm good down to about 20°, give or take a few degrees, as long as it's not windy.  Problem is, in Northern Illinois, it's almost always windy......like today. 30 to 35 mph gusts all day.
03' LT40HD25 Kohler hydraulic w/ accuset
MS 441, MS 290, New Holland L185

Tom the Sawyer

07 TK B-20, Custom log arch, 20' trailer w/log loading arch, F350 flatbed dually dump.  Piggy-back forklift.  LS tractor w/FEL, Bobcat S250 w/grapple, Stihl 025C 16", Husky 372XP 24/30" bars, Grizzly 20" planer, Nyle L200M DH kiln.
If you call and my wife says, "He's sawin logs", I ain't snoring.

Jeff

When I ran the big circle head saw our rule of thumb was -5 if we knew the temp was going to climb.  Anything colder than that and stuff started breaking. At about ten below you can usually break the cast iron housing off a failed pillow bock bearing with one good blow of an 8lb hammer. The failed bearing was probably from trying to run at ten below.  You can get your body used to working in 0 to 20 degrees, but its really hard on equipment. There were times when we had orders that gave us no choice but to work in sub-zero, and most always we would pay a price.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

ladylake

 

  5 above f here with climbing temps and not a lot of wind.  I have sawed at -5  but that was nasty.  Steve


Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

Resonator

It is a judgement call for each individual sawyer when it's too cold to work. Especially when you work for yourself, and you decide if it is worth the aggravation. If it is too cold, I try to find inside projects too work on. As I mentioned in another thread, sometimes you have too work outside to pay the bills, whether it is cold or not. Minimizing exposure, working shorter hours (noon till 4 pm), and stopping to warm up frequently also help (and is safer). Where I live having temps below freezing may be bad for sawyers, but is actually beneficial for loggers. As otherwise too wet areas freeze solid, and they can get wood out.
Under bark there's boards and beams, somewhere in between.
Cuttin' while its green, through a steady sawdust stream.
I'm chasing the sawdust dream.

Proud owner of a Wood-Mizer 2017 LT28G19

welderskelter

Shows 2 degrees and falling. Supposed to be 19 below tonight. My mill will be lonely. Ha

Kwill

I only cut in colder weather. Don't like dealing with the ticks and snakes.
Built my own hydraulic splitter
Built my own outdoor wood stove
Built my own log arch
built my own bandsaw sawmill
Built my own atv log arch.
Built my own FEL grapple

longtime lurker

Gets around about 45 and I start to shiver and shake. Everything is relative.
The quickest way to make a million dollars with a sawmill is to start with two million.

terrifictimbersllc

Customers usually draw the line at 25F or lower.  If they're up for it at these colder temps it is the more enthusiastic ones, I can accommodate. 

If it is Peterson work I draw the line at has to be mid 30's in the morning with at least in the 40s during the day. I'm not crawling around on the ground when its freezing or chain slabbing frozen logs. 
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

goose63

Quote from: welderskelter on December 28, 2018, 01:20:14 PM
Shows 2 degrees and falling. Supposed to be 19 below tonight. My mill will be lonely. Ha
My mill will be lonely for a long time


 
And the wild turkeys are hungry


 
goose
if you find your self in a deep hole stop digging
saw logs all day what do you get lots of lumber and a day older
thank you to all the vets

terrifictimbersllc

If you saw really cold you will find out the things that need fixing on your mill.  And how good your battery is. 

Also if it rains and then freezes, and  you go out sawing, you will be reminded of how the cat track is put together.

:) :) :) :)
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

jimbarry

Nope. Rain, sleet or snow doesn't bother me much. The wife, who likes to come along and work along, tends to stay indoor once it drops below 0ºC, or if its windy or raining or snowing... she' missus out on a lot. :) 

It was -11ºC (12F) today, spent the better part of the day out in the yard, and waiting for this to show up.



 

Bruno of NH

I'm good to 20°f if there is no wind chill.
In the winter if it's a sunny day it's much better.
When you spend half the day getting things up and running I would rather do shop work or firewood.
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

Chuck White

If it's cold (40° or colder) I'm not sawing!

I usually put the mill away for the Winter around the end of October (it's Hunting Season), then it comes out of hibernation around the end of March!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Ron Wenrich

I was always good for 10°.  Anything less was time for things to break.  I had heaters for the hydraulics, so that helped.  I always told the help that I would be the second guy to leave.  Wind was always a deal breaker.  The first cold spell is usually the worst, as logs have frozen and unfrozen areas.  You'll be cutting two types of wood.  After the logs freeze solid, its not as much of a big deal.  

The loggers would love the cold.  No need to worry about mud or wet areas.  Logging with cold weather and little snow and those guys would fill the yard up.  

We had a debarker which makes things easier if the debarker man took off the bark.  Frozen logs won't dull the saw so much as what's frozen onto the bark.  
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Jeff

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

bandmiller2

The worst thing about the cold is thinking about it, once your working your OK. What Jeff says low temps are hard on diesels and cast iron. Twenty and below you work if you have to if not do something in the shop. Frank C. 
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

btulloh

Yes.



But this the year the rain is stopping me often than the cold.
HM126

Tom the Sawyer

After 31 years of having to work outside, no matter how cold or hot it got (law enforcement), I retired and bought my bandsaw mill.  Rain, snow, wind chills below freezing or heat indices above 100°, you'll likely find me in a heated or air-conditioned environment.  Doesn't always work out but that is the plan.  ;D
07 TK B-20, Custom log arch, 20' trailer w/log loading arch, F350 flatbed dually dump.  Piggy-back forklift.  LS tractor w/FEL, Bobcat S250 w/grapple, Stihl 025C 16", Husky 372XP 24/30" bars, Grizzly 20" planer, Nyle L200M DH kiln.
If you call and my wife says, "He's sawin logs", I ain't snoring.

ladylake



 I don't even have to think about going out today,,   It's -19 f right now with a high of around + 5 .  Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

moodnacreek

I would like it to be above 10 degrees but the wind and sun play a part. Sawing below 10 things start to happen like the teeth coming out of the saw. Half frozen logs can cause a lot of mis sawn lumber. If your in a long cold spell you have to deal with it but if it's going to warm up, wait.

Magicman

I have sawn in the mid teens a few times but generally my customers will put a stop to sawing long before I will.  Sawing when  it is below 40° is iffy and below 30° is almost certain to be a no.  Yes, wind is killer.   :-\
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

pineywoods

Yep..My mill is cold natured. Won't run if the temp is below 45°. The operator freezes up and becomes erratic. ;D
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

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