Journey of family run sawmill

[thecfarm]

There is a post about having the coolant from the motor running under your feet. I think they put in a pan on the floor to run the fluid through. Could also do it with the boiler too. I suppose you will have a command center at the sawmill?

[PAmizerman]

I don't understand how you plan to have a sealed building and run all diesel equipment? I would think the fumes would be a huge issue.

[Busysawyer]

There is a post about having the coolant from the motor running under your feet. I think they put in a pan on the floor to run the fluid through. Could also do it with the boiler too. I suppose you will have a command center at the sawmill?

Never heard of that. Sounds interesting.  We planned on using the self contained coil with fan heaters that has the hot water from the boiler running through it. The boiler guy said that in floor wouldn't really work well if we are opening and closing the doors often.

I don't understand how you plan to have a sealed building and run all diesel equipment? I would think the fumes would be a huge issue.

We are planning to copy the mill that we visited. They had the edger exhaust ran straight out the roof and the mill on a flexible exhaust ran out as well. Similar to how they had the sawdust blower blowing dust out. Similar to how a dyno shop runs the exhaust from cars out. They said they had been running that way for 7 years with no issues. I'm not coming up with new ideas , just copying what works well for others.

[Busysawyer]

Pamizerman. Sorry if that last comment came off as snotty.  That was not my intention at all but after posting and reareading it it sounded a little snotty to me.

[Busysawyer]

Here is the layout we were going to try and copy from one of the mills we visited. Please excuse my drawing , art is not my strong suit. They said they averaged 7000bf grade sawing walnut in 8 hour days with 3 guys. One guy running the mill , one guy edging and stacking, one guy in the yard in the bobcat running logs through a debarker and feeding the mill. The kid running the edger and stacking was busting his butt. Their barn was larger. Probably 40 x60 instead of 30 x 50 but it looked like I could run the same setup in my barn, just less storage space. 


 

 

[thecfarm]

Aup,just like this.  

But I would think yours would be bigger.    This unit is about 18 inches square.  I did put a varible speed control on mine,because of noise. On a slow speed it does not make much noise. Wide open it's loud. I know with the sawmill noise is not a big deal.                

[Busysawyer]

Aup,just like this.  

But I would think yours would be bigger.    This unit is about 18 inches square.  I did put a varible speed control on mine,because of noise. On a slow speed it does not make much noise. Wide open it's loud. I know with the sawmill noise is not a big deal.                (Image hidden from quote, click to view.)

That's what she said. Haha. Boiler guy suggested two of these 100k units seeing as how the doors will be opening and closing often.

 

[PAmizerman]

Did not come across that way to me at all.  I thought it was a great explanation. The only reason I asked is because I have a diesel mill and was curious. I was looking into the same scenario with the exhaust pipe. Glad to hear it works! Good luck on your endeavor! Looking good so far.

[PAmizerman]

The exhaust pipes. Did they have an exhaust fan hooked to them?

[Busysawyer]

The exhaust pipes. Did they have an exhaust fan hooked to them?

That is a good question.  I was talking with my dad about it the other day and neither one of us was paying enough attention to that detail. We are going down for another visit soon. The first time we went there it was to demo the lt70 and I should have paid more attention to the details of their setup. I did notice the kicker on the back side of the edger was homemade and operated by a pulley hanging from the ceiling at the front of the edger. So when it was time the edger operator would reach up and pull a handle connected to a rope hanging from the ceiling and it would kick the board off onto the return conveyor. I took note of the design but over looked many other details of the operation.  

[Gearbox]

If you run the exhaust out run it out a side wall . A snow slide on that steel roof will wipe the pipes right off or at least cause leaks . If you have no choice then keep them near the peak . Also run your logs in from an end wall for the same reason . Looks like you are in lake effect country .

[Busysawyer]

If you run the exhaust out run it out a side wall . A snow slide on that steel roof will wipe the pipes right off or at least cause leaks . If you have no choice then keep them near the peak . Also run your logs in from an end wall for the same reason . Looks like you are in lake effect country .

Excellent suggestion. The shop I used to rent about a mile down the road was a large pole barn construction with insulated roof and no ceiling 60 x120 . One of the reznor shop heaters was piped out the eave side of the building near the roof line. Three years in a row the landlord had to pay a tin knocker to come out and replace it due to ice slide offs. That building would build a foot thick ice and when it warned up it would slide off in massive sheets. Even after experiencing this I probably still wouldn't have thought of it when doing my exhausts here and would have ran them to the most convenient location.  Thank you for the reminder. Although my building dies have 1ft overhangs on all sides so if I kept it short it should be ok. But then I would assume I'd get the diesel soot all over my pretty new barn.

[PAmizerman]

I'm not sure if you have ever seen this video but I like this setup and plan to do something similar when I move to my new location. 

[Busysawyer]

I'm not sure if you have ever seen this video but I like this setup and plan to do something similar when I move to my new location.

I had not seen that video. I have seen similar setups. Looks pricey, I would like to get there someday.  The mill we visited was much less automation but honestly I have to say the lt70 was kicking out boards much faster. I don't see the point of the long conveyor. Their edger was set up basically the same except you had to pull a handle that was dangling from the ceiling to kick the board onto the return conveyor. The lt70 would kick the slabs, flitches and boards off to the return table where the off bearer would grab them and send them to the edger,  cart or finished pile.  The way it was setup he didn't have to move around very much at all and minimal automation and space was needed. He would get behind on edging but would get caught up when a new log was being loaded on the mill. The edging was the only bottleneck in the system. The only thing I could see improving production would be an edger that could keep up with this guy cranking out cuts on the lt70. He said he had about 16000 hours on the machine and the way he manipulated controls and the speed he was able to rotate clamp and cut was nothing short of amazing.

 

[PAmizerman]

I agree to buy it would be very pricey. I plan to build it myself. I believe I have the air valves and solenoids figured out. I like the setup because I work by myself and I can let the flitches pile up while i saw. I  see nothing wrong with you're setup and was not questioning it. If I had a full time helper I would use the setup you have. I just liked the video. As I'm sure you're aware there's only 100000 ways to set up a sawmill . Every time I think I have it figured out I see something else I like.

[Busysawyer]

I agree to buy it would be very pricey. I plan to build it myself. I believe I have the air valves and solenoids figured out. I like the setup because I work by myself and I can let the flitches pile up while i saw. I  see nothing wrong with you're setup and was not questioning it. If I had a full time helper I would use the setup you have. I just liked the video. As I'm sure you're aware there's only 100000 ways to set up a sawmill . Every time I think I have it figured out I see something else I like.

I liked the video as well and if things go as planned we will add more machinery to lessen the work load. It doesnt look terribly difficult to fab conveyors, transfer tables, log loader deck or green chain.  I had my own fabrication and welding shop for about 6 years and have no doubt I could make them. The problem that I found was most things like that I was better off buying and using my time for the more custom items and specialty tig welding. I made very few things for myself when I had the shop. For example , one of my larger welding tables I could have very easily built but I bought it used in great condition for what it would have cost me to just buy the materials.  
This weather here is slowing my progress.  Everything is a snow and ice covered muddy mess. I figured it would be a good time to start spreading crushed concrete and stay in the cab of my heated bobcat. I called the plant that I normally buy at which is 2 miles down the road and they are out and won't be producing again until some time in June.  They give me a good product for 10 bucks a yard. So I called around town and best price I could find was 25 bucks a yard and that is 30 miles round trip. I have no idea what I'm going to do now. If I just needed a dump truck load or two no big deal but I need about 250 yards.

[moodnacreek]

If your are going to open doors all the time and run exhaust blowers you need a thick walled oil tank to make into a giant stove for burning your slabs. Nothing new about this, just has to be fire prof around the stove. It will actually save work.   On my edger I made a sweep bar that is controlled with an automatic log splitter valve, foot operated. Are you going to bring logs inside? You are going to have a lot going on in that building.

[Busysawyer]

If your are going to open doors all the time and run exhaust blowers you need a thick walled oil tank to make into a giant stove for burning your slabs. Nothing new about this, just has to be fire prof around the stove. It will actually save work.   On my edger I made a sweep bar that is controlled with an automatic log splitter valve, foot operated. Are you going to bring logs inside? You are going to have a lot going on in that building.

We were planning on opening the door a few times a day to bring logs in. The mill we visited would bring in about a dozen or so logs in and set them on ties then use a can't hook to roll them to the living arms of the lt70. Do you have a picture of the sweep bar contraption you made? We were planning on getting a large boiler to heat multiple buildings and sizing large enough to handle another building if we build more. I realize this building may be to small and we might outgrow it sooner than later but that's ok. Here is a pic of the burner we have been looking at. 

[thecfarm]

Look at other OWBs too.

[Southside]

^ *2 on the advice given by thecfarm there, do plenty of research.