Just about tipped over the WM

[ElectricAl]

This happened a while back but our Puter was acting up and we could not post photos.

Had a 36" x 10' Black Oak on the saw. I was trimming the flare off when the flip clamp flipped down unexpectedly.
The only thing to do is raise the loader as fast as possible to catch the log.
The sudden impact on the loader arms tipped the saw to the left. The loader side legs were 8" off the floor.



Good thing WM makes a sturdy loader. The loader has shock valves on the cylinders to protect the pump and valves.

[ElectricAl]

Here you can see the loader foot with the heal up.
Like our Iowa license plate? Guess we don't wash it often enough. We actually have a clean current plate stuffed in the main frame tube. Never know when I might have the urge to tow.


Here you can look to the corner on the walls to see the photo is square with the world. Now look at the saw head.  





Linda asked if insurance would cover parts if I had dumped it on it's side ???

Probably not now that we have "An Act of Terrorism" clause in our insurance policy.  Them log terrorists are bad news. :D

[dewwood]

Al,

Not only do I have an "Act of Terrorism Clause", the insurance company also charges an additional separate premium apparantly to cover losses incurred due to past terrorism.  It is not like a regular additional coverage premium it is a separate charge.  

I am feeling a bit terrorized myself.

Dewey

[shopteacher]

Them insurance and oil companies invented terrorism ;D.
Al, I thought you had the saw set that way to cut shiplap siding :D

[ARKANSAWYER]

 Al   You might think about a few bolts into the floor to hold you steady.  Them big boys can move things aroung a bit. Wouldn't you need a very long extension cord to go mobile again?  Them RE boys would rally like that.  
  I got the terriorism information in my insurance re-newal.  I called them and asked how many Sawyers, Loggers, sawmills, logtrucks and timber were destroyed  in the last attacks?   It seems there was a tree growing by some Church about 3 blocks fromt the Towers that was damaged was all I got.  I guess since the one plane landed in a corn field that corn farmers are really catching it.   Besides if a terriorist took out my whole county it would be 3 weeks before any one noticed.   I have not noticed any insurance offices having to sell thier big offices and moving into mobile homes.
 Soap box any one?

[Norm]

Well since you offered Arky I'll use it, we got our insurance renewal and a letter saying that they were going to come out and inspect our place on the inside and outside to "help us", not sure what that meant but if they think they are going to nose around my place they better hope they have good insurance.

So Al how did you get everything straightened out. Looks like one of those predicaments that your dam#ed it you do and dam#ed if you don't.

[Bibbyman]

E-Al,  

Did you have your mill bolded down?  Looks like you've removed your axle assembly.   I took the "driver's side" wheel off'n our old mill for a few days and then thought better of it and put it back on.  The axle works as outriggers to limit the tip in such situations.  

Our LT40HDE25 was ordered as a stationary mill and came with different support legs.  They set out further on the backside and have holes for bolting it down.  They are also fixed height.  They recommend 5/8" anchor bolts cast-in concrete.  





We used 5/8" bolts through heavy planks on our gravel and sawdust floor.  For added security,  we planted "dead man" anchors near the front two corners and chained the mill down.  
Earlier post about bolting down the LT40

I'm not sure how our mill would have come through a shock like your's has taken.

Hope you get everything straitened out. ;)

[Wudman]

It's best to keep the insurance companies away from your residence.  I built a new shop a few years ago and went to add it to my policy.  I was with State Farm at the time.  They wanted some pictures of the building for their files and sent a representative out to take them.  A couple of weeks later I got a notice that they planned to cancel my insurance due to an unlicensed derelict vehicle in the yard.  (This vehicle was a 1950 Ford pickup that I bought to restore -- it was the main reason I built the shop in the first place).  The insurance company stated that this was in violation of our business insurance policy.

So, I went to my local independent agent and arranged for coverage.  They wanted to get pictures of everything and the agent came out.  I got a notice from them that to carry the policy, I either had to remove my daughter's trampoline or build a fence around it with a locked gate.  We took down the trampoline.  Needless to say, I am a bit skeptical of insurance companies.

Wudman

[ElectricAl]

Dewwood,

Our insurance went up 25% for 2003. We went through our list of covered items, and deleted a bunch. We're going to be self insured on everything but the big ticket items. We did keep coverage on our Yamaha Big Bear. ATV theft is crazy around here.

Shopteacher,

We had an example of what is not true plumb or square.


Arkansawyer,

I would love to be bolted down. The problem is we have radiant floor heat. Tubes are every 12" , 3/4"OD and 3" down.


Norm,

To undo my predicament I hooked our biggest set of log tongs to the forklift and lifted the log off. The saw settled by it's self. Then we cleaned the floor and under every leg.


Bibbyman,

Norm and Patty poured concrete footings and bolted their saw down. A nice solid setup.
We have talked to the fire department about having them bring out their heat sensing camera, and find the tubes.
But, it's still no guarentee.

I'm amazed at how rugged the WM is. You and Mary are like us, when you have support equipment, you tend to push the limits.

We have only found one log we could not process. Back in 95 when we were portable. We loaded a huge Hard Maple. Used cribbing and levers to help the loader lift it. Then we were unable to turn it. Had two guys on cant hooks and the hydraulics bypassing. We started cutting chunks off trying to lighten the load. Finally the owner wanted to give up, and called a buddy with a wrecker to pull it off. :


Wudman,

We got a surprise inspection from our Insurance dude

We walked around the saw shop and talked a little, less than 30 minutes. He thanked us for our time and left. 3 days later we get a letter in the mail. He had made a list of danger items.

Danger items at a sawmill   ???

1) frayed cord on a sawzall -remove from service until fixed.
2) Breaker panel door open-Keep closed at all times.
3) Sparks from blade sharpener-build walls to enclose   sharpener
4) flamable sawdust on floor-Clean at the end of each day.


Ok, I shut the door on the breaker box.  The rest........ :D
sorry, not gonna do it ;D

Good thing he did not see me welding on the sawmill while standing in a puddle of Mt. Dew. 8)

[Norm]

Our insurance went up about the same as yours Al, we started marking things off not to cover on our policy. We have had insurance thru Farm Bureau for 20 years and have had one claim. Most times when we have damage from storms our what not we just dig out of our pocket. We are seriously thinking of not having any insurance but that's just asking for a tornado or fire to hit. Right now we have the highest deductibles allowed and the least amount of health coverage we can have. Ahhhh the pleasure of being self-employed.

[ElectricAl]

Norm,

You got health insurance Wow you're rich :D

Don't give up your day job ;)

[Bro. Noble]

Al,

Your surprise inspection brought back very unpleasant memories of a surprise inspection we had at the milkbarn onetime.

We have a local inspector that comes around a couple of times a year.  On occasion there is a state inspector that selects a few dairies at random and visits those farms accompanied by the local inspector who is also being checked to make sure he is keeping the dairies in line.

On rare occasion there is a federal inspector who checks a few dairies at random.  He is accompanied by the local and state inspector who are-------etc.

Well, one fine afternoon I sees this car pull up by the dairybarn.  It looked just like one of my buddies car. My buddy's a Democrat so I yelled at my old dog to 'sic um'.  Now that old dog won't even thing about getting up unless he thinks food is involved. About that time there were two
strangers got out of the car along with our local milk inspector  I knew I was in trouble :

They had a long list of stuff that had to be done immediately some of it was completely idiotic and a lot of it pretty much impossible. >:(

That night I called the local inspector and asked him what all changes I really need to make.  He said that we had been getting along fine,  but there was one change that was imperative-----------Whenever I see anyone with him at the milkbarn,  I'm supposed to stay at the house and keep quiet. :D

[ElectricAl]

Noble,

I'm sure there are rewards in being a Dairy man, I just can't not think of any.

I spent plenty of time at our nieghbors who milked. Very seldom went in the parlor. I was worried about cross contamination from our pigs.


What I remember most was:
White walls, clean floor, and lots of stainless steel ;D

[Bro. Noble]

Al,

After you're done with the cows you have to put in about a half hour of hard labor before the white walls and clean floors appear. :D :D

[Norm]

We milked cows when I was growing up. Favorite time of the year was when we switched from hay and let them out on nice green orchard grass pasture. You stand at least 5 foot from the backside of em. :D

[Percy]

We milked cows when I was growing up. Favorite time of the year was when we switched from hay and let them out on nice green orchard grass pasture. You stand at least 5 foot from the backside of em. :D

I lived ona farm till I was about 7 years old and it was my job to fetch the cows for the evening milking. I was always barefooted and on them cold rainy days I would stand in a "warm one" to heat up the feet ;D ;D ;D

[Jeff]

I'll be you was popular with the girlies.

[steveST]

Speaking of milking cows...there's an ol' feller over yonder way here that has a small milking operation. On cold days (really cold ones) this guys uses a propane torch to defrost the cows utters! OUCH!! Would the inspector approve of this?

Strange but true!!

[Minnesota_boy]

Defrost and disinfect in one operation, eh?   :D :D

[beenthere]

""strange but true"" ???

IMO its strange, but true ???. Open flame (implied) would be a danger for fire, and wouldn't 'defrost' something that isn't frozen.  Even at 20 below, the udders were not in need of defrosting, as I recall those milking days.

However, I remember on more than one occasion coming into the barn with frozen fingers, and placing the hand between the cows leg and her milk bag to get the fingers warmed up. It made 'em dance around a bit, but there was a lot of warmth there.

Also relate to the story about not being within 5 ft. of the back of a cow in the spring on fresh alfalfa. We had one cow that would stand in her stall and cough just at the moment of relieving, throwing a stream that would hit the wall. And if your timing was off, you would get it. Her timing was meant to catch you between her and the wall. It was good to have the stutter step down pat whenever strolling behind her. The barn wall was proof that this cow was different from the others.
    Now I've told a "strange but true" that may be hard to fathom. Sorry, but that's the way it was.

[Tom]

At UGA, we Entomology majors were kidded to no end about running around the barnyard with butterfly nets.  In the spring we got our revenge.  The Vet students were learning artificial insemination and the whole class would be crowded around the rear end of a cow.  One of the students would be elbow deep popping a cap in a fresh, clover fed cow. We would be safely back out of range waiting for the explosion.  :D :D