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What kind of floor do you have in your sawmill shed?

Started by Wallys World, August 25, 2010, 12:25:04 PM

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Wallys World

We are planning to build a shed for the LT28 to go in. What kind of floor should I be looking at? Gravel, Crusher run, or Multch. I plan on using white oak blocks under the jacks and put down ground cloth under whatever. The shed will be open on 3 sides with one end enclosed to have the tounge and head (when all the way forward) covered and sided.
Wood-Mizer LT28G25, Wood-Mizer EG10 Edger, Wallenstein Timber Talon log loader trailer, Wallenstein GX640 wood splitter, Wallenstein WP835 Fire Wood Processor, Kubota BX 22 TLB, JD 445, JD Gator, Home made arch, Stihl 024 Super, MS251, MS311, MS440 Magnum & MS660.

Qweaver

Dirt or concrete would be the only options for me.  How would you get the sawdust out of gravel or mulch?  Mine is dirt right now but I will eventually concrete mine and place the saw so that the sawdust is exhausted mostly outside.
So Many Toys...So Little Time  WM LT28 , 15 trailers, Case 450 Dozer, John Deere 110 TLB, Peterson WPF 10",  AIM Grapple, Kubota 2501 :D

Meadows Miller

Gday

Ive got plans to get a good size mill shed up this summer and am thinking along the lines of using 8" of compacted stabilzed rock (crushed blue metal with 5 to 7% concrete powder) not the smoothest finnish but economical $44au a ton del  ;D or concrete strait up at around $220 a yard but like i said to dad if i dont lke the rock ill just throw afew inches of crete over the top of it later on  ;) :D ;D 8)

Regards Chris
4TH Generation Timbergetter

paul case

dirt works well for me. just so its smooth and not too slick you will be ok.   pc
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
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Brad_S.

Anything but gravel. The gravel gets caught in the bark of all logs but especially in that of deeply fissured stuff like walnut or locust. A real blade killer.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

Banjo picker

My mill shed is 30 x 105 ...three of the 5 bays are concrete...thats where the mill is....I will eventually concrete the whole thing...Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

jimparamedic

Wood works good to  warmer in the winter and easier on the legs plus it won't turn to mud.

jdtuttle

Have a great day

red oaks lumber

if you can swing the cost of concrete go that route. alot easier to clean(sweep)
the experts think i do things wrong
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Bibbyman

Our shed sets on a slope that was filled with creek run gravel. (That is all size stone with sand mixed - right from the creek).  It now has about 4"-8" of packed sawdust in most areas.

We have two areas where we've put down oak floor.  We just laid down 4x4 cedar posts and leveled them and nailed the oak over them.  Works great.  We got boards.  I also did this in the area where I have the CBN sharpener.





Floor under the CBN sharpener.





Floor under our jump saw.  (We used oak for joist as no water runs in here.)

We have a wood floor of the same design in our red shed where we have a plainer and jointer and radial arm saw.  It's been there 15 years now and is still in fine shape.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

Handy Andy

  Bibbyman, did you treat for termites?  We have an abandoned rail line through the farm, I was considering putting chat down, it packs down hard. Keeps the dust down, if you put dirt in here it gets to be dust 3 or 4 " deep.
My name's Jim, I like wood.

Brucer

Quote from: Wallys World on August 25, 2010, 12:25:04 PM
We are planning to build a shed for the LT28 to go in. What kind of floor should I be looking at?

Sawmill shed? What's that?

I have a natural "floor" -- dirt. That's what the mill sits on (with a piece of 1x under each leg). On top of the dirt is compacted sawdust. Basically I let the sawdust build up to just the right height to keep my eyes level with the vertical scale. Then I regularly shovel/rake the sawdust away. Eventually the base gets so compacted it's easy to remove the new sawdust that sits on it.

Note, however, that the mill doesn't sit directly on the sawdust -- it would be way to "bouncy" if it did.

The guy I bought my first 6' extension from was preparing to shift his mill so he could add a 24' extension. He dug out the topsoil, laid down a strip of gravel, leveled and compacted it. Then he put down several 60' long x 5' deep glulam beams (on their sides) that he salvaged. The mill will be bolted down to the glulams. The next part of the plan was to build an open shed around the mill.
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

weisyboy

im just about to put up a shed for my mill when the dozer gets home.

im on a hill so we are gunna cut out an area next to my milling site. so that its about 3m lower than the yard. then put a shed on poles with the floor level with the yard.

the floor will be 2x2 with 1" gaps so the sawdust falls threw. i can then clean it out with the bobcat/loader from under there.

keeps the work area clean and reduces shoveling.
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bandmiller2

Hard to beat wood for a floor,if you have space under leave gaps if not butt the boards to make cleanup easier.Work a day on concrete and work a day on wood see which feels better.I like a little spring in the floor,just support it a little further apart.Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

maple flats

My mill is very easy on the feet and legs (and at my age that is good). I have dirt with about 3-4" packed sawdust. Easy to walk on. I leveled the sawdust in the beginning until it was all rather level with a snow shovel. Now I just shovel the excess to the side periodically and notify my neighbor. He drives over with his lawn tractor with trailer in tow and loads the sawdust for his daughter's horse. I never need to move excess away any more. He spreads it out on the barn floor to dry and then piles it after drying. Saves me time and saves him cash.
logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

Banjo picker

Quote from: bandmiller2 on August 26, 2010, 07:53:37 AM
Hard to beat wood for a floor,if you have space under leave gaps if not butt the boards to make cleanup easier.Work a day on concrete and work a day on wood see which feels better.I like a little spring in the floor,just support it a little further apart.Frank C.

I'll give that Frank,but blow a hydralic line and soak that wood floor with several gallons of hyd. fluid and you have a fire hazard ..imo....Tim
Never explain, your friends don't need it, and your enemies won't believe you any way.

ljmathias

I agree with Banjo- sawdust on whatever is dangerous, although a little makes walking on concrete easier on the feet.  I poured a concrete pad for mine- can't beat the performance price ratio as it will last longer then I will, or my mill.  I made the mistake of not putting a smooth finish on, though- thought a brushed finish would be less slippery- well, duh! but it's not in the rain anymore so that doesn't matter.  I use a grain shovel to scoop sawdust and bark into the FEL of the tractor- easy and fast except when the shovel hangs up on a ridge- smooth surface would have been a whole lot better.  Also, I've worked on dirt with sawdust on top- PITA to scoop top layers out without digging into your substructure and creating holes to trip in...

This whole discussion really hinges on whether you are portable mostly or stationary mostly- at least for some people; for me, having a rock-solid base under the mill either way is a big plus.  Also, keeps the water out when it rains so during and after I'm not mucking around in mud and sawdust mix.

Whatever you choose, think carefully about where and why: not in a low area and with the prevailing wind at your back- your comfort is important more than functionality of the mill.

Lj
LT40, Long tractor with FEL and backhoe, lots of TF tools, beautiful wife of 50 years plus 4 kids, 5 grandsons AND TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS all healthy plus too many ideas and plans and not enough time and energy

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