iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

I upgraded!

Started by Dan_Shade, October 15, 2006, 10:08:58 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Dan_Shade

I've been thinking about diving in a little deeper for a few months, but couldn't figure out what I wanted.  I was kicking around a manual mill, but was encouraged to go hydraulic.

I found a saw on ebay, then was outbid on it, probably best that I was, it had over 7,000 hours on it, then another one popped up, a lot more money, but a lot less hours, in considering the money, reading posts here, and talking to DR_Buck, i decided to try to make the plunge.

so I contacted the seller and it turned out to be sawdust studios from the board here!  I thought that was kinda cool, we live in a small world!  so after juggling finances for a month, I got the money lined up, and am now the proud owner of a new to me LT40HDG25!

I drove to WV to see my folks this past tuesday, drove on into PA on wednesday morning to pick up the saw, and towed it 200 miles back this way that afternoon.

on friday, i started my learning curve, sawed out a 618 board feet, dealing with the figuring out how to use it, and all of that good stuff.  on saturday, we kicked up the produciton to 1200 board feet, and still have a lot of room for improvement. 

I'm a happy camper, we didn't take pictures as we went, but I snapped a few this morning.




Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

Shawn

Congrats to you dan. But what happen to the hud-son?
Change is part of the design process.

Admit nothing, Deny everything, Make counter-accusations

SawDust_Studios

Hey, thats a nice looking saw  :D

I feel your pain with the learning curve.  I only walked into my remote once today when I hit the fwd lever  ;)


Making Sawdust on a Woodmizer LT40SHD CAT 51 /WM Twin Blade Edger and WM DH Kiln

Dan_Shade

the hudson is sitting on my car trailer, awaiting a "tune-up", then it's going to hit the market!

if I could only remember to lower the toe rollers, i'd have it made!
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

Radar67

Congratulations Dan.  8)

Stew
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

farmerdoug

Great news Dan. 8)

Old Marty must sell alot of mills in PA as that was were I picked up my Woodmizer last winter. ;D

Doug
Doug
Truck Farmer/Greenhouse grower
2001 LT40HDD42 Super with Command Control and AccuSet, 42 hp Kubota diesel
Fargo, MI

pigman

Quote from: Dan_Shade on October 15, 2006, 10:16:06 PM


if I could only remember to lower the toe rollers, i'd have it made!

Congratulations on the new used mill. 8)  I have cut more than a few wedge shaped cants because of those toe rollers.  A few years back I was cutting 6" X  6" ERC building posts for a customer and I made one tapered because of those toe rollers. He liked it so much that he made me cut all the others the same way. He liked that there was less sap wood on the top to rot and the bottom was just as strong.
Bob
Things turn out best for people who make the best of how things turn out.

ScottAR

Nice score!   Don't forget to call WM and get the mill owner name changover thingie.
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

DR_Buck



Quoteif I could only remember to lower the toe rollers, i'd have it made!

Wait till you run the debarker into the turning claw!   ;D     

                            It makes a god awful noise.  :D
Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

twoodward15

What model is your old hudson?  When do you plan to sell?  How much? 
108 ARW   NKAWTG...N      Jersey Thunder

OneWithWood

You are gonna like that mill  8)

1200 bd ft in a day is very good production.  I trust that wasn't all 1 by
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

Dan_Shade

it was all 4/4 except for maybe 150 board feet of 6/4x10

most was white oak.  i had my offbearers hustling, and my main helper called in sick to work today :)

i gotta be careful to not run off my help!
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

Tom

I think that you will ultimately find that 1200 to 1300 bf a day is an ample production and allows for stacking the lumber, a leisurly dinner, maintenance in the morning before starting and even as much as an hour of travel time with supper not being pushed too late into the evening.

Don't shoot for how much you can do in  a day, shoot for how much you can handle in a day.

There will be days when you don't feel good or the mill breaks and you don't want to go home feeling bad that you didn't make quota.  If you turn yourself into a machine, it will be difficult keeping it fun. :)

Dan_Shade

I agree, Tom, and that's what I'm aiming for.

this "job" was a bit of a doosey for me, and kind of pushed me over the edge to buying the bigger saw (always needing an excuse).

a friend of mine had most of his yard trees cut down in May or June, and then had a guy come in with a tractor and stack them up, the log count ended up being around 60, many being 16' long, and a few 8' logs.  the job was WAY too big for my hud-son, but I had already commited before I really realized the size of the job, and then I had some logistical issues, and he was freaking out about the huge log pile.  So my goal was to get in, and get out as fast as I could.

so hopefully, the next few jobs I line up will be a bit more calm. 
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

big_sid

way to go Dan  8)   congratulations!
never been so happy to be so broke

MartyParsons

Hi FarmerDoug,
How is your mill working?

We do cover a little more territory than PA. Headed to Christiansburg, VA Next week for customers wanting service.

Thanks Marty
"A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty." -Winston Churchill

WkndCutter

Dan,

I'm walking the fence right now. (see the "More Power" post).  I would really like to have a saw that I could cut production with.  Every once and a while I get a deal that could be a good job but I know my limitations and hand it off.  I'm still looking for the used WM and may go that way.  Congrats on the new saw.  I know what you had and I've seen LT40's in action, you got to be happy.

Andy

farmerdoug

Marty,

The mill is doing great.  When the Woodmizer tech was out this summer to go over the mill I had him switch it back to 1 1/4 inch blades which I like alot better.

Guys, If you are looking for a used mill check with Marty as he upgrades alot of mills for owners and has a heads up on the sale of the used ones.  I bought my mill before the owner even had a chance to list it.

Doug
Doug
Truck Farmer/Greenhouse grower
2001 LT40HDD42 Super with Command Control and AccuSet, 42 hp Kubota diesel
Fargo, MI

OneWithWood

Quote from: Dan_Shade on October 16, 2006, 03:34:51 PM
  i had my offbearers hustling, and my main helper called in sick to work today :)

i gotta be careful to not run off my help!

Help?  Wow,  :o there's a concept  :)

I feel good if I turn out 800 bd ft in a day.  But then again I am working as a one man band and when my buddies , me and myself, get tired that's all she wrote  :D
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

Shawn

I'm with onewithwood. I have to do it all by myself. Tring to get help is more work. But I get calls all the time to help someone and I reply "I'm still tring to finish the job YOU wouldn't help me with", " oh I'll help you finish, so you can help me" they reply. I say " thats ok, I'll call you when I'm done". That call never comes!

Shawn...
Change is part of the design process.

Admit nothing, Deny everything, Make counter-accusations

Dan_Shade

I guess i'm lucky, i've got a friend who loves this stuff as much as I do, he's the normal help!
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

sprucebunny

Congratulations on the new mill, Dan  8) 8) 8)


MS193, MS192 and an 026  Weeding and Thinning. Gilbert Champion sawmill

pacodog

congrats on the new mill let us know how she works.

thecfarm

Good for you.Snap a few more pictures for us.You have to show off that saw better than what you did.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

SawDust_Studios

Hmm.  I just happened to have a few pics of Dan's new mill lying around on my computer  ;D





Making Sawdust on a Woodmizer LT40SHD CAT 51 /WM Twin Blade Edger and WM DH Kiln

Thank You Sponsors!