Is it just me? 21 feet on an LT40 without moving the log?

OlJarhead · August 25, 2022, 10:20:54 AM

OK folks,

I was thinking about this lately and ran into it last month: can an LT40 really mill 21 feet without moving the log?

I milled a 20 foot 10 1/2" Fir with 1 1/2" bands and found that I was in the wood immediately and had to have the lumber pulled before I lifted the head at the end. I thought "can this really cut 21 feet without moving the log down the deck to get the last 1 1/2"?

Of course, if I ran 1 1/4" bands I would have had another half inch but that would get me to 20'11" not 21 feet.

Maybe I just needed to position the log a little better but honestly, I don't think so -- and it took me a while to position the log to mill what I had.

I've always said it's really 20 feet 6inches more or less and clearly I could have done 20 feet 10 inches without having to wait (I think anyway) for the cap cuts, flitches and lumber to be pulled but it seems to me the 21 foot rating isn't really 21 feet...more like 20 feet 11 inches.

What am I missing? lol

And I know I can mill well beyond that if I want to move the log after milling the first 20 feet or so but I'm thinking if the mill is rated at 21 feet it ought to do that and a little more.

Thoughts?

OlJarhead · August 25, 2022, 10:26:09 AM

I went back and looked...I could have gotten another half inch I guess...but that's 20'11" -- it took me less than one second from the time I hit the forward switch to when I entered the wood in this pic.
<br
>

and here I'm not out of the wood, just the first half of the band so the cap is cut.

OlJarhead · August 25, 2022, 10:28:33 AM

To answer my own question, now that I've looked at the video a little, if I ran 1.25" bands and started right at the face cutting almost the second I hit the forward switch and pulled the cap before lifting the head at the end I could indeed cut 21 feet without moving the log.

Hmmm....first time for everything I guess! lol I just don't get asked to mill that long.

If I do get asked, it will cost (I'm hourly) because it will take time to set up the log (it took some time with this one actually) and then take longer to off-bear etc because I will have to wait every cut.

terrifictimbersllc · August 25, 2022, 10:36:33 AM

On my old 40 and on my 70 I could take off the rubber stop bumpers to get some extra length.

Max length is distance from teeth at one end and teeth at other end. Trimming an oversize log to fit exactly is a good option vs trying to adjust log position. You may have to do that anyway each time it is turned.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

OlJarhead · August 25, 2022, 10:43:27 AM

I forgot about that one. Yes, shortening or removing the bumper would help...and could cause a problem if not careful I guess.

I've given it more thought and decided that it 'can' mill 21 feet but that it would be a challenge for sure! Heck, that log was a challenge in and of itself. Positioning it was the biggest issue as moving a log that big is tough and once moved into place on the rollers, it will shift a tad when the rollers lower

causing you to have to adjust again...we got it but it was a tough one!

barbender · August 25, 2022, 10:51:34 AM

I hesitate to even saw 20' on my LT40. I use my board dragback and it doesn't work well past 16' stuff as you have to go well past the end of the log for it to drop and hook the cut piece.

Magicman · August 25, 2022, 11:00:26 AM

I advertise 20½', but I would rather have 20¼". Same ½ & ¼ with 18' logs but that is because I have an operator's seat that takes up 2'. I doubt that I have ever sawed much over 20½'.

I removed one rubber bumper once to clear the blade but that might have been because it was easier than moving the log. Same scenario chainsawing an inch off of one end or the other. There are times when it's just easier.

moosehunter · August 25, 2022, 11:21:44 AM

I have sawn 21' a number of times. It is right but it is doable.
mh

OlJarhead · August 25, 2022, 12:11:04 PM

I timed the start of forward movement to the poinit of entry into the log: 00.11 seconds! That's basically 1/10th of a second to enter the cut! However, I can see it's doable just the teeth will be just breaking the far end at 21 feet and maybe only with 1.25's vs 1.5" bands...

What bands were you using for 21 feet?

I'm going to stick with "yes but!" as my answer lol.

WV Sawmiller · August 25, 2022, 01:15:21 PM

I sawed about 80 of these 20'10" cabin logs for a customer last summer. It was a real learning experience. First, every log had to be cut perfectly square. They had to rest between the 2 black marks on the mill. Second, when I'd rotate the logs they wanted to slide forward or backwards and we'd have to raise the toeboards to slide them as needed. My magichook got a real workout for this. I removed the front and rear rubber bumper to give me about 4 more inches. I'd cut a slab, a couple of 4/4 flitches, rotate 180* check my marks, start so I'd end on 6" and repeat. I'd raise the toeboards so the tractor forks would fit under the log and lift and remove it. We got to where we were cutting one about every 15-20 minutes. The heart check had to be parallel to the finished log so it would not show in use. Generally I'd let the log lay where it wanted, cut, flip, repeat, raise and move.

It was very educational, very stressful and not much fun at all. They did not have extra logs to play with.

I now tell people 20'6" is best, shorter is even better!

Peter Drouin · August 25, 2022, 07:14:49 PM

Good job. 8)

Crossroads · August 25, 2022, 10:27:02 PM

I have milled several 21' logs, but don't like to. On the front of the mill you can pull the entire bumper and pin, but on the back I have to pull the rubber off and put the pin back otherwise the head gets stuck and I have to pull on it to get it back. I carry a leatherman and use it to pull the bumpers fairly often it a log is to far one way or the other. I figure I can pull the bumper and gain 2" faster and easier than moving the log.

WV Sawmiller · August 25, 2022, 10:35:01 PM

Good point. As I remember I lost my plastic scraper that runs along the rail because it ran out past the rail with the rear bumper gone. And I really did not enjoy the clanging when I'd hit the ends.

OlJarhead · August 26, 2022, 07:58:36 AM

I've done a lot of 20 foot 6 inch logs...but I pretty much always said that was the limit ;) Then I ran into the log in today's video ;) pics above and it made me ponder the question ??? The challenge has always been re-positioning the log but with the rollers and enough help that's less of an issue then letting the toe boards down

Seems every time it shifts a little.

WV Sawmiller · August 26, 2022, 08:36:35 AM

Yep and 1/4" is enough you either can't enter or exit the log. And as I mentioned above they have to be bucked perfectly perpendicular/square or the top will cut fine and the bottom of the log is too long.

If I were designing a mill specifically for long logs it would certainly have powered rollers and it might even have an end stop similar to the site supports.

OlJarhead · August 26, 2022, 12:11:51 PM

It would be nice to have a swing up end stop like the manual side supports that you can swing up, roll the log into, lower the log and then the stop and get milling! Would make it a little easier to position the log...maybe on both ends so the log doesn't shift when you lower the rollers which seems to always happen

WV Sawmiller · August 26, 2022, 12:43:37 PM

That is the design I was thinking of but one on the end would be enough with powered rollers. Raise the end stop, roll the log forward with the power roller till it bumps the stop then lower the log and let it slide down the stop. Maybe WM is reading this and will include this feature in the future and send us some of the money it makes for them. :D

OlJarhead · August 26, 2022, 01:52:15 PM

I like it!

Crossroads · August 27, 2022, 07:35:16 AM

Some of the euro WM mills have powered roller, I saw them in Liberia and thought it would be a neat option.

WV Sawmiller · August 27, 2022, 09:03:12 AM

I knew I had read about them somewhere here on the FF but I did not remember where or who made/used them. I don't know how complicated the design is for them to work or how much maintenance on them is required.

I don't know of any mill that makes an end stop. As often as some of us (not me of course :

) hit the side supports when sawing I can just imagine what the raised end stop would look like. Probably pretty chewed up. :D Maybe we better put it on the front end instead of the rear. ;)